Forging our own path to lasting happiness

Is happiness elusive to many? It’s a question one often ponders over. In her latest book 3 Tips: The Essentials of Peace, Joy and Success, author-philanthropist Meera Gandhi answers this pertinent question, attempting to give readers tools to cultivate and live a joyful life.

“Today’s world is a fast-paced one with unprecedented pressures. The things that calm and centre the human psyche: family, love, touch, kindness, empathy, concern etc are all sacrificed to work and getting ahead in a rat race to make money to survive,” shares Gandhi, who is also the Founder of The Giving Back Foundation.

The book covers a wide gamut of themes including wellness, managing chaos, celebrating life. Gandhi also talks about the value of pausing to think, being flexible, prioritising not attempting to accomplish things at others’ cost. Ask her if mental health, spirituality and wellness go hand in hand, and she says, “Yes, spirituality puts us back in touch with the universe and the pattern of life and this in turn makes us healthy.”

The book also features practical advice on navigating daily problems. “People want to know the best way to hold onto a relationship. I tell them it should be non-transactional. Second, give the other person what they need, and third, bring your best self every day and prepare to forgive and forget,” she says.

Talking about her favourite anecdote and a chapter one mustn’t miss, she shares: “I think the chapter on positivity and my mother taking us to church every Sunday on her Vespa scooter is cool! My advice for today’s generation is to slow down, spend more time in nature and play some team sport. Don’t worry about the small things. Alexander Graham Bell says, ‘Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work in hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus’,” she concludes.