PLOT: 4.5/5 CHARACTERS: 4.5/5 WRITING STYLE: 4.5 CLIMAX: 4.5/5 ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 4.5/5
“Being humble means we do not think less of ourselves but think of ourselves less.”
– Gaur Gopal Das, Energize Your Mind
A best-seller as soon as it was released and noted as a ‘must read’ by Jay Shetty, this book is a way to a whole new outlook towards life, facing challenges, and getting in touch with the inner energy and power of our mind that will help us to achieve greater control.
Gaur Gopal Das aims to help people to come to terms with their issues at hand, and take the steps which are not only necessary to meet the issue, but to take effective steps to solve the issue and curb any chances of recurrence.
There is no doubt that Swamiji is a man of great learning and a public figure who has over the years enlightened his audience with his thoughtfulness, sense of humour, and ability to instill a positive attitude toward life.
Hence, it is not surprising that Energize Your Mind has received rave reviews all over the book world online.
It has been much discussed, talked about, and thoroughly dissected to take guidance from a man who has both insight and understanding.
It is this balance of maturity with the creative power to connect to readers and make them relate to the thoughts of processing the challenges in life sensibly and logically which makes this book an essential read for all.
“Unless you go through the pain of being sharpened, what is within you will not come out. The pencil has to be sharpened before the lead can make an impact. Something similar must happen to us in our lives. Sometimes we have to go through the pain of being sharpened for the best in us to come out.”
It will be of keen interest to those who enjoy self-help books, non-fiction, or didactic, and moralizing prose. At over 300 pages, Energize Your Mind is meant to be devoured and is far from a quick or simple read.
Nonetheless, that should not deter readers from experiencing the brilliance, and the sheer simplicity with which that brilliance is radiated by Swamiji in this book. In the process, making it a thought-provoking, entertaining, and fulfilling read.
The book is structurally divided into 4 sections namely – 1) Me and My Mind, 2) Other and My Mind, 3) Me and The Mind of Others, and 4) The Universe and My Mind.
From these headings, it is clear, that the focus of the book is on the idea of mastering the mind. This concept also gives a circularity to the book that begins and ends on the human mind, while highlighting the need for holistic development through systematized habits and practices.
The theme of the book revolves around the individual mind and its myriad possibilities, capacity, and abilities. This relates to the idea of utilizing the mind efficiently.
The core view of the book is to energize the mind by decoding how the human mind works. The book is not just all knowledge and high-ended discussion. It is rather more like a workbook that tends to engage the readers, and through various activities, strike the thought process of the reader.
This is done to help the mind of the reader evolve and look through the issues to give them alternative methods of reaching fruitful solutions. It is all about looking at the silver lining, the brighter side of every adverse situation.
Reading this engaging book is highly helpful, motivational, and empowering.
The meditation techniques and worksheets help readers realize their true potential and their mind’s power to face the difficulties in life. After all, it is all a mind game.
The anecdotal style of Gaur Gopal Das is interesting and resonates with his public lectures. His writing style is easygoing with apt vocabulary, easy to understand range of thoughts, and a structured manner of writing that helps readers to sort things out in their mind, that may otherwise be running in haphazard ways.
The illustrations interspersed between the text, though very few but significant, also make the reading process interesting. The interactivity of the book is what draws the attention of the reader. It engages but not in a forceful manner. In this sense, it inspires and guides.
These activities range from maintaining a log of daily scheduled activities not in terms of the materialistic aspects of life but rather in terms of the amount of time spent on meditation, self-discipline, and self-hydration.
The book reiterates that the body is an important part of the individual that also needs to be taken care of to ensure that the soul and mind are aligned. It is this proper alignment that will provide peace of mind and a healthy body.
Annamaya Kosha, or the sheath of pleasure, is not to be deprived away from the individual.
However, the idea is to seek joys, pleasures, and enjoyment in a disciplined manner, one that will not lead to the derangement or deterioration of the individual. The tips are many, but the content is well organized and that helps to understand them well.
The interconnectedness of the individual mind with that of others is also stressed upon and random acts of kindness are encouraged. This makes Energize Your Mind a book that not only imparts knowledge but also enhances skill.
Can’t wait to read it? Buy your copy of Energize Your Mind using the link below.
