Celebrating Life: A Journey Through the Agony and the Ecstasy Foreword by Amit Roy, London

Copyright © 2015 by Rajendra Khandelwal.

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Author’s photo by Subrata Patranobis

Partridge India

www.partridgepublishing.com/india

CONTENTS

Preface

Foreword

Chapter 1 ‘What Is This Life If…’

Chapter 2 Purpose Of Our Life

Chapter 3 What Are Our Belongings, What Are Our Roots?

Chapter 4 Expectations From Us

Chapter 5 Values Instilled At Home

Chapter 6 Values Picked Up From Other Sources

Chapter 7 Pressure To Perform

Chapter 8 Panic At Failure

Chapter 9 Lost In Transit, Or Connecting With The Self?

Chapter 10 Final Words: Celebration Of Life

For my late parents who shaped my thought process and instilled in me their simplicity and integrity

I especially acknowledge the immense support provided to me by my friend, guide and wordsmith, Anil Grover. Without his motivation it would not have been possible to present this book before you.

I also owe this book to my greatest critic, my wife Shashi, and supportive children, Rajat and Ravindra.

I would also like to acknowledge my special gratitude to Subrata Patranobis, Suraj Kumar Poddar and Debashis Chatterjee. And sincere thanks to Ann Minoza of Partridge, for her patience and promptness.

Love you all.

PREFACE

A meaningful life is not about being rich, being popular, being highly qualified or being perfect. It is all about being real, being humble, being able to share ourselves and touch the lives of others. It is only then that we can have a full, happy and contented life. Celebration of life is as simple as that.

I sincerely appreciate your wisdom in picking up this book to understand what life is all about. This query within you, your system and thought process, stimulates you and pushes you day in day out to search the purpose of your living.

I salute your choice and respect your curiosity in searching the true meaning of our existence. In doing so, you have made a serious decision to live your life, and make it truly meaningful, purposeful and realise its worth and value. And to enjoy it completely, you have decided to live your life by choice rather than by chance, by design rather than by default. I applaud you for your bold decision.

As a very celebrated Indian philosopher Saint Kabir said, When you were born, you cried while the whole world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you are no more on this planet, the whole world misses your presence.

Then, to wear Norman Cousins on my sleeve: Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live. I realized this and have shared in this book these unanswered doubts. Together we will try to find out more such searching queries about the destination of our life, our goals, our focussed area and so on.

We learn our first and important lesson of life from mother and father at home. The true meaning of life changes with age and learning from teachers, relations, friends and clients and so it goes.

I have no hesitation in accepting the fact that the first thought about writing this book came to my mind sometime in 2005. I met Mr Robin Sharma, the celebrated author of The Monk Who