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| Book Author: Aruna Gurumurthy |
Have
you ever woken up in the morning and wondered if you could have a Bible of Life
to accompany your cuppa? That is, a set of tenets on how to deal with everyday
life, its surprises, dispositions and disappointments? Have you ever wondered
that to err is human but to be human our errors must be minimum? In other
words, do you want to change the way you think, say and do, to minimize
relationship tension, and let a contemporary and cool teacher help you?
How
does a shift in thinking patterns lead to world peace? From time to time, you
must have craved the honest opinion of someone that has dabbled in the biology,
evolution and psychology of life and used candid and expressive language to
bring forth her vitality. Have you fancied music to be your soulful element and
a medium you might like to put to greater use but not sure exactly how? Do you
want to undergo a mental and emotional catharsis? Do you ever wonder where a
person gets her strength, conviction, uniqueness, ambition and unbridled
optimism from?
Well, to figure all this
out and more, you’ve knocked on the right door…
DIYA is a conglomeration of
“posts” that were conceptualized and designed by me and shared on Facebook with
my friends. These posts began as mini-discourses, spontaneous responses to the
intuitive question ‘What’s on your mind’. They made their rudimentary
beginnings in 2008 or so, as an impulsive hobby or “time pass” of mine. As I
was first adapting to social media, I saw many people upload pictures, paste
links, a news item or sundry comments to others’ posts. I had an urge to
contribute too, but wanted to be original, funny, pulpy and intense. Using my
skills of in-depth analyses, cogency, candor and humor, I have delivered my
observations and reflections of every day and every year happenings, the past,
the present, the future and everything in between. Since their inception, my
posts have evolved in number and size. Earlier they were just a couple of
sporadic, casual sentences, both in content and style, and now they may contain
catchy yet detailed breakdown of complex phenomena and newer clues to
unresearched topics, appearing in high frequency. These posts were initially
meant only for the Facebook community; I wrote solely for the information and
entertainment of my “friends”. But not too long ago, when I noticed that the
posts had transformed into a huge mass of about 200 or more independent axioms,
it made sense to tie them together and present them to the wider public in the
form of a book. And hence we made DIYA.
So, who am I reaching out
to? My innocence still wants me to believe that it is the 283 friends that I
have accrued on Facebook over time; some of who I chat with occasionally, a
fraction that ‘like’ my comments, folks who send me birthday wishes and hordes
of other silent admirers- either way, more numerous than the friends I have in
‘real’ life! But as they spread geographically and percolate different sections
of society, I would like to see the whole-wide-world being impacted by my
views. This is not just a book per se; it is a hybrid between a self-help
manual and a vision for a better world. Wound up in the web of everyday life,
we are often unsure of our actions and reactions. I give motivational wisdom
and accessible tools to help reconsider pathological thoughts, normalize chaos
and transform lives. I have also raised my voice against stigma, dogma and
discrimination. I have conceived positive thinking, calm emotions and empathy,
as well as hope, patience and faith as tangible goals. As you browse through, you
are sure to find a distinct similarity to events and experiences in your own
life. My style is conversational, as though I’m talking directly to you. You
will often laugh out loud and also learn to exercise your minds, tease out
arguments, use metaphors and connect to bigger pictures and dreams. For those
who are easily frustrated by volume and verbiage, I sure hope these posts will
pack a powerful punch in bite-sized portions.
This book is just short of
a real-life memoir; it is my heart-out about some very tough operational
impediments that I have faced growing up, how I untangled my way through them,
and the incredible theories that I proposed as a result. I appreciate the need
to change our world, and my approach is poetic, satiric, yet sincere. At a
glance it might attract a philosopher, psychologist or linguist seeking
intellectual karma, but from a broader perspective it hopes to benefit
fun-loving students and learners of life. That said, this is not a traditional
book that is read cover to cover at one go. Every post has a lot to say and
goes a long way in tweaking one’s thoughts. Change takes time. Our minds are
palpable and need practice just like peeling the perfect potato. In your
journey through DIYA, I wish that you keep an open book and an open mind. My
ideas are original, have been tried and tested, and they work! There is no
obstacle that one cannot unblock, once you follow my guidelines.
So what gives me the
authority to say what I say? DIYA is, in many ways, an anecdotage of several
instances from my life and my observations of the world around me. It is also
an illustration of how people fail to deliver appropriate resolutions to
inappropriate problems. As a young adult, some people’s comments have hurt me
and pushed me to uncomfortable corners in ways more than one, creating
recurring themes in my mind. I strongly felt that snobbish, mean and sarcastic
people had no business to be that way. I despised the superiority that wealth,
appearance, geographical location, caste, type of education or race create.
Even today, a good section of our children and adolescents encounter what my
peers and I did many years ago. Adults, too, struggle from a lack of humanness
and humaneness and crave to achieve balance in life. In addition, the medically
and socially underserved ache for unbiased attention. As a voluntary caregiver,
I have noted that whether you are an elderly with Alzheimer’s, a school dropout
teenager, a kid from the slums, a child with autism, or a young adult with a
learning disability, you could benefit from benign and considerate
communication. In our collective quest to become better people and a better
planet, we therefore needed answers…
After years of rigorous
mental research and practice, I now offer solutions. Solutions that have not
only benefited me, but will also aid others in the years to come. I have taken
the care and credence to understand what it is that bothers people’s minds.
Age-old principles of behavioral sciences, sociology and spirituality are very
much attainable within the realm of human mind. Views can change, people can change
and the world can change.
I have an inherent,
unshakeable faith in the power of the positive. Having crossed barriers and
continents, my perspective is eclectic and cool in nature. Music has had a
great influence on me. I have discerned the interplay between rhythm and lyrics
of eastern and western melodies, and appreciate how transparent and therapeutic
their combination is. I also enjoy quality conversations, and am drawn to
different levels as I perceive words with a deeper sense of appreciation and
insight. Over the years, I have learned the art of living, can quickly adapt to
changes and am less inhibited by negative thoughts or conundrums.
DIYA is my dream and my
beacon. I aspire to bring character and organization to people’s thoughts and
actions. I wish to see a world where we interact with each other in a suave and
friendly manner without feeling the need for heated emotional egress. I would
love to live in a world where people are accountable for their words and
actions without causing harm to others. It’s all part of the game.
DIYA can be a success if we
all chip away and create awareness and make small and significant changes.
Bigger and better transformations will naturally follow. ‘Come and seek the
light for yourself!
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