It is ‘The Smallest Stories to Extraordinary’ that inspire true joy in our lives

We often go about our everyday lives in ‘celebrity worship mode’ looking at celebrity lives as the way to be and our lives, by comparison, as lesser. What we don’t realise is that we are comparing our ‘real’ lives to their heavily engineered social media presence. Also, we have been conditioned to put the most value to the big-ticket things – the bigger house, the better paying job, the swankier car etc. In doing so, we have been untrained to ‘see’ the micro joys that lie in our everyday lives.

Psychological research has shown that it’s not the big-ticket achievements or endless scrolling through ‘edited’ lives that bring us true meaning, joy, and purpose — but the small, simple, everyday experiences. ‘The Smallest Stories to Extraordinary’ draws people back to this space – to celebrate their own lives by recognising their own daily joys.

This book is an attempt to reclaim our attention and bring people back to the simple joys in their own lives. Because it is there — in the ordinary, in the everyday — where the seed to the extraordinary truly lies if only we choose to recognise this.

The stories in the book are everyday stories but with a twist. A twist of courage, trust, self-respect, the act of standing up for oneself etc. In many ways, this book is a testimony to the beautiful side effect of being fully present in one’s own life.

The impact has revealed itself powerfully through the responses I’ve received from readers. That’s where the real impact of the book comes alive.

One reader contacted me to say she had read the prologue 13 times and still hadn’t moved beyond it. She found it so helpful as a navigation tool for self-reflection — particularly in understanding where she was in her life emotionally. She spoke about how, as I described holding the urn of my father’s ashes in my hands (which I share in the prologue) and the profound self-reflective experience I went through, she too was going through a similar process while reading.

Another piece of feedback that meant very much came from a lady who has since become a dear friend. She reached out via Facebook Messenger sharing that during a cyclone in the Indian city of Kolkata she began reading the book to her daughter who was scared. As they read the book together, they both felt a sense of ease, calm and reassurance return.

So, for me, the feedback of readers in themselves are the Smallest Stories to Extraordinary. And, the book has also led to many events on conversations on life and wellbeing that I’ve curated both in the UK and abroad. They have been warmly and powerfully received by attendees.

Well, there’s a short story called ‘Courage is the Answer’, where a much sought after socialite at a big Indian wedding revealed to me that she had been through abuse. That story was deeply impactful, but honestly, every story I’ve written — from the one about a magpie on my windowsill, to ‘The Vegetable Seller’, to ‘My Prettiest Date’ — has had special resonance for me. Even today, when I return to the book and re-read the stories, I smile through many of them at the life affirming memories they conjure of when I ‘experienced’ them.

I have been researching Vedic philosophy for over two decades now, and it has been an incredibly powerful navigation tool in my own life. It’s part of my life’s vision to share this wisdom widely.

One of the ways I’ve done this is by teaching emotional intelligence to children, adolescents and adults, giving them a foundational infrastructure to understand themselves and better regulate themselves emotionally. This enables them to navigate life with greater clarity, ease and resilience.

Writing is something I absolutely love — words dance out of me like rain from clouds. I will continue writing: whether it’s articles, poetry, prose, books, or perhaps even a novel.

I’m currently curating shows that blend ancient Indian wisdom, and modern-day psychology and neuroscience — interwoven with dance and music.

Alongside this, I continue to run my talks and workshops for children, adolescents, and adults—nurturing emotional intelligence and resilience across all ages.