Been just about a year since my first book, Wisdom From The Smiling Panda, was released. I am supremely grateful for how kind Shri Krishna was in blessing me with the chance to put out my thoughts into the world in the form of a book. 

Apart from the kind reception from friends and random strangers, getting a book published also served as a launchpad to take my writing even more seriously. 

Gaining confidence from the momentous event, I was inspired by Krishna to narrate a story (in the form of the second book) that has been close to my heart since my childhood. 

After working on the second book for about 6 odd months (including editing), I sent the manuscript to various publishing houses. Some ignored, some rejected, some were curious about the first book and my background. Finally, one kind publishing house decided to take a punt and give me a chance. 

The publishing houses function at their own schedules and pace, not at the schedule and pace an eager author would like them to, haha. 

Once an author is done with their work, especially a newbie like me, they want to get their work out into the world as soon as possible. 

But this entire experience of having to wait for the launch of the book was a practical experience of a famous quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

It is not the destination; it is the journey! 

The quote (and its applicability) is what forms the basis for another piece of wisdom from the smiling panda. Let’s dive in. 

FINDING JOY IN THE PROCESS

It is natural to feel joy and gratitude whenever one attains a milestone. Be it graduating, getting a new job, setting up a business, a new relationship, entering a new home, birthing a child, traveling to a desired place, or, say, publishing here in my case. 

However, while these milestones serve as a reminder and testimony to one’s efforts, they cannot encompass the experiences that lead towards those milestone. 

When I found myself anxious about my book’s publishing schedule and reception, I thought about the absolute joy I felt while working on it; the hours spent reading and soaking up the research material and the blessing of being a medium to create something. 

It will be fabulous to see one’s work published and hopefully received well by the readers. However, that may be fleeting as the mind would shift towards working on the next project or something else will predominate the heart and the mind. 

The joy derived via the process, the lessons learned, and the growth attained cannot be compared to the peak experience of attainment of a goal, which eventually does wane. 

I look back at the other attainments/milestones that I have been blessed to experience in my life journey. 

That first relationship

The first drive in my amazing car

That first trip abroad

That cherished theatrical performance 

Darshan of Shri Tirupati Bhagavan 

Getting an audience with His Holiness Radhanath Swami Maharaj and so on

All such memories bring a smile when I look back upon them in the mood of gratitude. 

The important word here being gratitude. I am grateful that I have had the exposure to amazing teachers, texts, and resources that have taught me the value of appreciating life. Because without it, even milestones come and go, and we are already hankering for the next high. 

Focussing on the journey and attuning our minds and hearts to find joy as we go through life is one formula that I have come to cherish. Doing so ensures I am moving through life with ease and grace. 

Milestones will come and go as we keep moving ahead in life. Vistas will keep changing, people will come and go, and we ourselves will change, and so will our priorities. 

POINT TO BE NOTED 

Being obsessed with milestones sucks the joy out of life and the wonderful journey that it potentially can be. 

When one is forever oriented towards the end goal, we end up missing the joy in the work and growth that ensued. To put it in words that many of my friends and readers here may relate, one may even become like a corporate honcho obsessed only with numbers and gain. 

As we work, we may or may not attain our targets and goals. We may wither away from our desired result or may even have to change tracks due to events beyond our control. 

But if one starts pinning their joy on the attainment of certain milestones, we deprive ourselves of experiencing joy on a day-to-day basis. 

Yes, milestones are amazing. They give us directions, and they serve as beautiful memories. However, they are not core constituents of a human experience. 

To give you an example from my life journey. In 2022, I met my bestest buddy from school after 4 years since his trip to India, when I journeyed to his now country of residence, United States of America. I was overjoyed and so grateful to be able to spend quality time with my friend and his wife. They certainly have entered the core memory bank of my mind. 

However, that milestone of having travelled such a far distance and meeting him there may be momentous, but what formed the basis of that was the eleven years of friendship (before he left for the states) that was established during so-called ordinary moments of everyday life; the moments which we may not remember but helped strengthen our bond that time and distance cannot diminish. 

SURRENDER

As I ruminate over the ideas of the journey and destination, I am able to deepen my appreciation for the golden words of my Lord and master, Bhagavan Shri Krishna, in the Bhagavad Gita. 

योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय ।

सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते ॥

(BG 2.48)

The master of mystics, Yogeshwar Shri Krishna, defines yoga as a state where one works equipoised without attachment to success or failure. 

तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर ।

असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्‍नोति पूरूषः ॥ 

(BG 3.19)

Shri Bhagavan further explains that one who remains detached to the results of the actions gets to attain the divine. 

Be it via practical life experience or through the words of wisdom of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Shri Krishna, it makes logical and compelling sense to cherish the journey and day-to-day life experiences and activities rather than obsessing about the end goal. 

For a task well done, the end result is the cherry on top, not the pudding itself. 

As I now await the release of the second book, I will remind myself of the joy derived while working on it and detach my mind from the milestone of getting the book published. 

TO SUMMARISE:

• It is easy to lose sight of the importance of day-to-day activities while pursuing milestones.
• Joy is not just found in attainment of lofty goals, but it is something one can derive by cherishing every little moment of life’s journey.
• By remembering Krishna’s words, we can spiritualise our daily actions and detach ourselves from the outcome.

Here’s a reflection for you:

Recall some of your personal milestones. Have you ever sat down and reflected upon the journey and process that led you towards those milestones? If not, do so now. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I hope this post sparks some fresh and positive ideas in your mind. 

Kushagra