Book Review

Title     : ‘Happiness is all we want’

Author :  Ashutosh Mishra

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

Seldom do we find books that revolve around how to
practise the art of living a simple happy life. 
Quotes like ‘Happiness can be found’ or ‘Do more of what makes you
happy’ more often than not find a place only on our mobile wallpapers or
Whatsapp statuses.  Are we really
fetching things and moments that make us happy or are we just hurrying to
strike things off our ‘to do lists’ that we prepare for ourselves every night?
And even if we are getting things off our bucket list, are we taking a moment
out of our lives to introspect through the journey and feel content of the
same?

In today’s mad 
rush of materialism and the glamour of ‘modern living’, each one of us
invite unwanted complications  and fail
to pay heed to our mental and physical well-being.  And till the time we realise that it’s
probably the time to take care of our health, it is either very late or it’s
the time when we are already facing an existential crisis. This need not
necessarily be the case with a CEO of a multinational company or a struggling
artist in the Entertainment Industry. Cases as naïve as those of teenagers
trying to juggle academics and social life at the same time or cases as
delicate as retired senior citizens trying to find ways to pass their time,
would all find simple techniques to seek answers to their dilemmas through the
reading of this book.

‘Happiness is all we want’ is one of those that
would prove to be a good read for people across all generations for the simple
fact that it would either leave a smile on your face or would help you smile a
little more in your life.

‘Happiness is all we want’ not only convinces you
to start living your life a little more meaningfully than you already are, but
also shows and tells you how.

In the very beginning of the book, the author
makes a sincere effort to define Happiness in the most untainted and
unpretentious form. ‘Happiness is staying in the moment and utilising
opportunities to be happy from all that we do in our daily lives’, he says. He
compels us to ponder on why we have structured the goals of our life in a way,
where we have given material success the highest priority and mental wellbeing
the lowest, while in reality the former is achievable only if the latter is
attained.

Having said a lot about what the book preaches,
it’s mandatory to mention the one thing that differentiates this book from most
of the others in its genre. It is undoubtedly the intricate explanations on how
to, not just relate, but to also use this book and make the best out of it.
Also it makes it all the more easy to use the book via the concise ‘Things to
do’ and ‘Things to ponder’. It shows how to add a little bit of sane method to
the madness in our lives. It concentrates on the three pillars of our
existence. It tells us how to train, tame and tackle our mind, body and soul.
Though, prima facie the context and subject may seem to be a very heavy
read, especially after a busy day at work. More often than not, it would be a
leisure read, for there are instances from our lives that would make us smile
and grin at more times than we imagined it to.

The author, 
Ashutosh Mishra, an MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur and Mechanical Engineer
from IIT Delhi, through his abundant experience of corporate life, shares his
personal experiences that make us realise that there is much more to life that
can make us content, than the luxuries which give us temporary pleasures which
neither add value to our lives nor to our well-being. The book gives elaborate
illustrations on various techniques like Yoga, Physical Exercises and a Healthy
Diet, that would bring peace and relaxation in our stressful lives.

Having applauded the content of the book, the
language fails to compel the reader to hold on to the book for a very long
time. A little bit of beating around the bush provokes you to jump to the ‘Wake
Up Stories’ and ‘Practical Tips’ directly, instead of giving the book a
thorough read.

In a nutshell, the book would definitely help us
in redefining the idea of happiness in our lives and also change our
perspectives about success. But in the end, everything boils down to how much
of a religious effort we put to better our minds and souls and not leave it to
a casual read.  The best way to
acknowledge the author and celebrate the book, would be to regularly implement
the recommendations given in the book to which we can relate the most at
appropriate times in our lives. And that is when the success of the book would
be measured in the true sense.