When I was thinking, planning, failing and continuously giving up on writing my memoire “It’s not just my good karma”, I had an amazing mentor who convinced me that I should “just enjoy the journey and never think of the destination”. Though seems a simplistic thought on the face of it, this gave me all the energy, inspiration and determination I needed to write my book in less than three months.

The book writing journey gave me an opportunity to dig out memorable stories of years gone by, talk to old colleagues and reminisce happy memories that I had forgotten. All this and more made writing a book which seemed a chore at the start, an exhilarating experience at the end, because the journey itself was beautiful and stress free.

Today, by enjoying the present moment to the fullest, I am able to apply these pearls of wisdom to all my journeys, uttered by none other than Captain Elmo Jayawardena, himself an award-winning author. In hindsight, I am also able to reminisce how my life’s journey was also nothing but a series of unforgettable, joyful experiences; as the saying goes, always stopping to smell the roses along the way…

sadly our minds are mostly conditioned to ‘achieve’, to be ‘goal oriented’ and ‘focused’ on the final destination. No wonder the thought of a long, endless, difficult, thankless, destination called ‘success’ disallows the mind to stop and enjoy the beautiful moments of the chosen journey.

This is mostly also true with career journeys today; wanting to get to the destination by hook or by crook. Wouldn’t it be lovely to embark on a slow and steady journey that helps you stop, sing and dance along the way as opposed to rushing towards a perceived ‘success at any cost’ destination?

Here’s how I consciously strive to make my life’s journey a joyful one –

• Constantly surround yourself with people who are positive. Leave the nay-sayers behind!
• Network with those who inspire and give fresh hope, challenge and mentor you
• Write a journal. It’s a wonderful way to speak to one’s inner self
• Watch movies in a theater, not just on the phone. It’s a different experience that breaks the monotony of being hooked to a personal device constantly
• Read autobiographies and listen to interviews of people who have challenged the status quo fearlessly
• Travel to places that wow you and provide opportunities to meet interesting people, not just pick 5 star hotel comfort all the time!
• Offer to help others proactively with no expectations in return
• Call friends randomly and keep in touch
• Follow a spiritual path
• Routinely exercise both mind and body with equal passion