About the author:
Gaur Gopal Das is an engineer by qualification. He worked in Hewlett Packard for few years and then left his job to become a monk. He has delivered many motivational lectures and his videos are worth watching. He is a life coach and is very popular especially amongst youngsters. In his debut book, “Life’s Amazing secrets “, he has shared his experiences and lessons he got to learn in his life in a very simple way.
Review:
Gaur Gopal Das compares our lives with a car backed up with the four wheels. If any of the wheel does not function well the car doesn’t function. Same is with our lives. The four main parts of our lives are our personal life, relationships, work life and social contribution. Our spiritual life is the steering wheel which will take us to our destination.
The author says that practicing gratitude is not easy but is very essential to lead a happy life. With gratitude, you can make your life meaningful no matter what your present condition is. He says that it is easy to complain but it does not yield anything in the end except for sadness. On the contrary great people have mentioned that practicing gratitude shifts our focus on positive things and attracts good things in our life. He quotes, “We must find positivity in the bleakest situations and live by the principle of gratitude”. The author suggests that if you want to strengthen your emotional intelligence then you should practice mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness for 10 minutes daily will help you attain your mental goals.
The author says that to develop any relationship you need to look at yourself first. He has explained about five types of people. Type 1 consists of people who are jealous, insecure and they always see bad in others. Type 2 people can see both good and bad, but they focus on bad things. Type 3 people see good and bad both, but they are not interested in either of these. Type 4 people are like type 3 but they concentrate on good things. Type 5 are extraordinary people who see only good and not bad at all. They are enlightened souls. Ordinary human beings should focus on becoming type 4 to improve their relationship with others. The author says that forgiveness is an important part of healthy relationship. In the professional life we often face competitions. The author states that competition should be with yourself rather than others. With this you will not fall prey to jealousy and insecurity, but you will attain maximum professional satisfaction. Finding your ikigai is essential to find out your purpose in life and doing things that make you happy and content. The last part focuses on giving back to society. The author says that social contribution brings joy and a sense of contentment in our life.
we can very well connect with the book as the examples given in this book are easy to understand. Moreover, the anecdotes shared in the book are really interesting and entertaining. The author has taught serious life lessons in an uncomplicated way. Overall, a simple yet effective book.
Some Quotes from the book:
“It is strange that sword and words have the same letters.”
“To accept someone when everything is going right is easy. But when things are falling apart around you and you stick together, that’s the test of a relationship. Love is when we have every reason to break up, but we do not.”
“Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.”
“The paradox of our times is that those who have the most can often be the least satisfied.”
“Experience is not what happens to a man, it is what a man does with what happens to him.”