Books on Leadership and Management aren’t really among my favourites. I am not very likely to pick them off a bookstore shelf and read them. However, ‘Heroes Amongst Us’ by Dr. Amit Nagpal was different, especially as it wasn’t about men with ‘larger than life’ personas – millionaires, CEO’s, Forbes Top 30, Times Top 100, entrepreneurs and suchlike – that you read about all the time as perfect examples to be emulated. No, no. The book was about ordinary people like me and you who have gone beyond their limitations to achieve extraordinary success in life. It was, for this reason, different from any other book in non-fiction that I have read so far.
To start with, the blurb set my expectations really high and I wasn’t disappointed at all. The book presents all the stories with lucidity and grace. Highly recommended for times we are facing now, for it leaves its readers with a message of hope and faith. The author has profiled about 32 people from different walks of life who have gone past obstacles to achieve their dreams and be a force for greater good. Each story has a common element of ‘struggle’ and it ends with a strong message that portrays the triumph of human spirit. The stories are heart-warming and inspirational.
One that particularly stands out is the story of an army man turned Buddhist monk, Bhikkhu Sanghasena. Sanghasena joined the Indian Army at a tender age of seventeen, but soon left it to pursue a higher calling. He became a disciple of the renowned Buddhist monk, Venerable Acharya Buddharakkhita Mahathera, the abbot of the Mahabodhi Society Vihara, Bengaluru. And soon after receiving full ordination, Venerable Sanghasena undertook Dhamma studies and practiced Buddhist meditations of several types. Later, he started the Mahabodhi Residential School, an educational institution in Devachan, Leh, and founded the Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre (MIMC) in Ladakh. It was fascinating for me to read about him and how he undertook numerous daunting activities in the harsh climate and unfavourable terrain of Ladakh. Sanghasena was honoured with the ‘World Peace Award’ in 2004 by the Gandhi Peace Foundation, India, in recognition of his work for world peace, inter-faith service and inter-religious harmony.
Among other stories, one that I found very interesting and relatable was the story of Murtaza Ali Khan. I met Khan at an event in my city and didn’t know anything about his humble beginnings. Khan is a renowned film critic, a famous columnist and one of India’s top film bloggers. He lost his father at an early age, and was faced with a tough choice – whether to pursue his passion for writing or to follow the wishes of his family. He chose the latter. However, after years of spending his life in an office as an IT professional, he realised he wasn’t cut out for it. His calling was different. It wasn’t easy to step out of his comfort zone but after several years of hitting against the wall and facing rejections, he finally made it. Khan is a prolific writer and has thousands of fans in the country. ‘I think it is all about self-belief and taking the leap of faith at the right time. If you do it too early, then you might miss your mark. Also, you don’t want to be too late and miss the bus,’ he says in the book. Fascinating!
There was one more story that deeply touched me, this one was about Rajeshwari Chauhan, a bestselling author who hails from the royal family of Chhota Udaipur. Dr. Nagpal has crafted a compelling introduction for Chauhan in the following words: ‘Rajeshwari’s story is that of a Cinderalla in reverse…from blingy ball room to a dingy studio; from high heels, pearl strings and shimmering chiffons to faded jeans and paint stained shirts; from designer perfumes to turpentine fumes. And all of this was by choice.’ He then goes on to describe how this rich princess faced all sorts of adversities and finally managed to achieve success in her life. He ends this story with Chauhan’s success mantra: ‘To keep the bonfire blazing and ambers aglow, we need to feed it with positivity.’
There were a few other stories that struck a chord, that of Manish Tyagi, for instance, a Commander of the Indian Navy who decided in 2014 to be a stand-up comic and never looked back. Or that of Amandeep Thind, who postponed his decision to commit suicide and never regretted it; Thind is one of the top motivational coaches in the team of internationally renowned speaker Tony Robbins. I also found Faisal Hoque’s story very interesting, especially as how this janitorial engineer eventually went on to raise millions of dollars for his businesses.
Dr. Amit Nagpal is co-founder of Bloggers Alliance and is a Personal Branding expert. He has also published a book on Personal Branding.
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