A discussion and release on storyteller Lokesh Gulyani's 7th book 'Ladkiyan Hongi' was organized by Club Literati at Arera Club on Saturday, 9th September.
The program was moderated by Dr. Neelkamal Kapoor, who took charge of the program while answering interesting questions from the author. Lokesh Gulyani takes writing seriously. This was reflected on the evening 9th September. Talking about books, author Lokesh Gulyani told the audience that "One cannot write a story by thinking. By thinking you can only build a structure, not a complete building. The story itself dictates the story."
The launch of the book by our President, Dr. Seema Raizada along with the most celebrated members.Author Lokesh Gulyani and moderator Dr. Neelkamal KapoorThe audience enchanted by the deep discussion
He also told that "Ladkiyan Hongi" is his seventh book which is a collection of 13 short stories. All stories are different from each other. When asked about the book, the author said, "I completely agree with one thing that stories have their own time to be completed. If they are tried too hard, they become such sullen Laila. If they were, they would have been beautiful. But at the last moment she takes revenge on you by wearing ugly make-up."
Very effective questions were asked by Neelkamal Kapoor in the program. Due to which the audience remained engaged till the end. In the end, President of Club Literati, Seema Raizada, expressed her gratitude to the author, facilitator and all the present audience and reiterated her resolve to continue organizing similar programs in future also.
17th June, 2023 at Arera Club was an evening well spent with the author DGP, Dr. Mukesh Jain and members of Club Literati, discussing his book, A Happier You.
We are always seeking the answers of what is happiness? Is it a desired profession? Or is it having kids with a loved one? Or the luxuries of life? Or is there some short formula for happiness? Almost every person binds happiness with skill but is it so?
Most of our life is spent in the pursuit of happiness but how to find our happiness?
The session was enlightening and filled with the discussion which answered most of these questions.
Dr. Mukesh Jain while talking on his book A Happier You.
The author himself, Dr. Mukesh Jain started his discussion with a tidbit on Michelangelo. He said that once, Michelangelo was asked, “what is the magic in your hands?”, to which he answered: “I don’t make statues, every stone has a statue in it, I just remove the unnecessary ones.” Likewise we should remove the hurdles in the way of us and our happiness. It might not be simple but it always works.
It is true that hard work leads to success and it is not necessary that it also leads to happiness.
The author raised the question of us seeking happiness and making happiness our final point, rather happiness has to be the starting point in leading a good life.
Dr. Jain also discussed with the audience the gene happiness research work of Robert Levenson and Sonja Lyubomirsky. He talked about the experiments done on paralysed people as they were given a winning lottery ticket to see whether they become happy after winning the money.
Role of genetic happiness, Veronica Huta and Richard Ryan’ work, role of meaningfulness, social relations were discussed as well. Dr. Jain concluded his discussion by stating that it has been proved that a giver is always happier and stays happy for a long period of time.
Panel members Dr. Vinay Mishra, a Prof. Of Psychology, told the audience how he is asked often, whether he is happy working in Antarctica. He confessed that though it is very formidable to live in Antarctica, he was happy. He said that, “while we are still in a difficult situation, you have to manoeuvre your way through.”
Recording the voices of their loved ones for later, helping each other to adjust helped him and his colleagues in the difficult time at Antarctica.
Dr. Mishra says, “We have come far away from Freudian Psychology. We know how we create our own emotional distress and manage it, dealing with it.”
He added that happiness can be invited by altering your lifestyle and modifying your environment.
Tips on modifying your environment:
Assertiveness: Put your foot down and say the things you believe in: satisfaction of speaking your mind out
Withdraw if necessary: we venture into and realise and we are riding on the wrong bus. Rather than stressing, you need to withdraw when necessary
Compromise when it is required: have to leave a margin for other people
Avoiding stressful thoughts, having healthy social relations play a big part in a happier life.
Dr. Sangeeta Jauhari, another panel member, too shared her views on the book and happiness and shared the following points:
Keynotes from the book to practise: thoughts processed changed
To be optimistic in all the situation
Be internal in case of finding happiness
Do no follow things blindly
Be alert to be a superhero
Find your own success parameters
Be happy and achieve something you want
She also pointed out how necessary the book is for the students today!
Mr. Raghuraj Rajendran, shared that the human mind is always looking for happiness. It is something that we are always enquiring about. When a person is religiously inclined, he would go to the religious books to guide them. Thus the book is the answer, and happiness was the motivation.
Mr. Rajendran stated that nothing could have stopped Dr. Jain from writing the book A Happier You, with such need and motivation around him.
The session came to an end with the moderator sharing a few quotes from the book, her comments on the fulfilment curve and a few questions from the audience.
Right to left: Dr. Vinay Mishra, Dr Mukesh Jain, Mr, Raghuraj Rajendra, Dr. Sangeeta Jauhari and Dr. Seema Raizada
The session was full of tips for happiness and recommendations of books.
Reading fantasy is fine is escape the reality but one need to read about reality too, to be able to live it in a proper way.
There are not one but many books telling us about the how to live a life. Another hundred books telling us the history of different time. Another thousands of books on how to be a success in life but as Dr. Kiran Cadha put it in her discussion on 15th January, 2023 at Bhojpur Club, there are not many books on rituals on Hindu weddings. Each ritual holds something important for the future of the couple’s life ahead so of course it important they follow each of it but do we all know about these rituals?
Club Literati brought forth the author of Dalhousie…through My Eyes, Echoes of the Heart…Dil Se, Ehsas: Dil Se and Magic of Indian Weddings which was the hot topic for our discussion.
Club Literati’s moderators, Manjusha Khanna and Parminder Kaur. The sessions was full of laughter and lessons and Dr. Chadha answered all the questions from moderators as well as from audience with all her heart and gave the insights on her own life.
She talked about numerous things and frowned upon few new generation practices where there is too much selfishness yet so little of self love. The author promoted self love saying, “You can’t spread happiness unless you are happy yourself and you cannot be happy unless you love yourself.”
The author sang a Punjabi wedding song at the end of the discussion for the audience and was joined by others too. The multi talented Dr. Kiran Chadha is not only an amazing writer but also full of life and lessons for not only youngsters but women all around and of all ages!
