SEEKING HAPPINESS

RE-ENERGIZING MY MIND

T. KRIPALU

SEEKING HAPPINESS RE-ENERGIZING MY MIND

T. Kripalu

Copyright © 2020 by: T. Kripalu All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-93-5445-643-5

SEEKING HAPPINESS RE-ENERGIZING MY MIND

Copyright © by T. Kripalu 2020. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For more information about the ideas discussed in this book, please contact The Angel Wing, LLC at: [email protected] WEBSITE

www.TheAngelWing.com To order additional copies of this book, please visit: Amazon.com or contact The Angel Wing, LLC at: E-Mail: [email protected] 302-283-9878 Please leave your name and phone number and the author will contact you. You may also send text messages. Published by: T. Kripalu

I extend my sincere welcome to all readers and express my heartfelt appreciation to all those who are taking their valuable time to read this book. May my journey in life serve as an inspiration to young and old, in all walks of life, to never give up and recognize that immense raw personal power can be awakened by re-energizing one’s mind, changing perspectives, and serving humanity.

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THE HAPPINESS WE ALL SEEK IS HIDDEN WITHIN US, JUST WAITING TO BE NATURALLY DISCOVERED.

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DEDICATION Dedicated to my dearest wife Ammani, for the love and affection I received over our 49 plus years of our marriage.

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TABLE TO CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS FOREWORD PREFACE PART 1 CHAPTER 1 THE FORMATIVE YEARS – A MEDLEY OF EMOTIONS CHAPTER 2 REACHING FOR THE STARS (AND GETTING IT!!) – AMBITION, HOPE AND SUCCESS

CHAPTER 3 MY LIFE AT THE MILITARY ACADEMY – OVERCOMING CHALLENGES CHAPTER 4 LIFE AS AN OFFICER – PART 1 – THE TRAVAILS

AND TURMOIL OF ARMY LIFE CHAPTER 5 LIFE ABROAD AS AN INDIAN ARMY OFFICER

CHAPTER 6 BACK IN INDIA CHAPTER 7 POST-ARMY CAREER CHAPTER 8 ACTIVE RETIREMENT PART 2 CHAPTER 9 TRANSFORMATION: DEALING WITH CATASTROPHES, AND CRISES PICTURES CHAPTER 10 viii

THE DAILY PRACTICES THAT GIVE HAPPINESS CHAPTER 11 SEEKING HAPPINESS THROUGH GIVING CHAPTER 12 EXPECTATIONS FROM OTHERS, INDEPENDENCE, AND HAPPINESS CHAPTER 13 SEEKING HAPPINESS THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS

CHAPTER 14 SEEKING HAPPINESS THROUGH A SPIRITUAL QUEST CHAPTER 15 MEDITATION AND HAPPINESS CHAPTER 16 THE WISDOM IN SAYINGS AND QUOTATIONS ix

CHAPTER 17 PRACTICAL MATTERS AND TRAITS THAT LEAD TO HAPPINESS CHAPTER 18 INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MY HAPPINESS CHAPTER 19 SELF -DISPOSSESSION AND GIVING TO OTHERS AS A CONDUIT FOR HAPPINESS AND SATISFACTION CHAPTER 20 SELF-RELIANCE IS AN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT OF HAPPINESS CHAPTER 21 EGO IS THE NEMESIS OF HAPPINESS CHAPTER 22 BRAIN GAMES AND KEEPING MYSELF MENTALLY ACTIVE – EXAMPLE OF SUDOKU x

CHAPTER 23 DO NOT FIGHT TECHNOLOGY, EMBRACE IT – USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE!! KEEP LEARNING

CHAPTER 24 THE MIND IS MORE POWERFUL THAN THE BODY – A STORY OF DISCIPLINE AND DETERMINATION

CHAPTER 25 THE TRANSFORMATION OF MY LIFE – LEAD ME FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT, FROM IGNORANCE TO KNOWLEDGE, FROM MORTALITY TO IMMORTALITY

CHAPTER 26 THE PANDEMIC OF OUR TIMES: CORONA VIRUS—COVID-19

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CHAPTER 27 SILENCE

EPILOGUE

APPENDIX A INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS FOR FURTHER CONTEMPLATION

TESTIMONIALS

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book would never have happened without the inspiration from my dear nephew, Bin Srinidhi and his wife Devi. Their motivation is what made me hand write 250 pages and encouraged me to go down memory lane and reminisce about the wonderful years of my life. Apart from the inspiration, Nidhi has also worked tirelessly to give shape and structure to my work. Making it not just more meaningful but also instructional in some ways. Additionally, Sridhar Reddy created all the hand drawn sketches for this book, and I express my gratitude for his hard work and affection. Finally, Sachin has done a lot of the heavy lifting during the last mile to make this a reality - from the final edits, to putting it together, to getting it published both on and offline. Thank you, dear Nidhi, dear Devi and dear Sachin. I could never have done it without you all! Thanks also to my dear sons, Anand and Vinny for chipping in. Nothing in my life is complete without the two of you.

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FOREWORD I consider it a distinct honor and a great privilege to be asked to introduce a remarkable man who has written an amazing book!! The author is my beloved uncle Kripalu, known as “uncle,” to all my friends and relatives. No one who has met him for even a few minutes could forget him. Almost all of them cherish the memory of uncle’s all-embracing charm and love, his engaging stories, and his experiences in life that speak to a life of amazing transformation. Born to a poor family struggling for survival in an obscure corner of highly conservative and religious pre-independent India, Kripalu uncle has, over the ninety-four years of his life, transformed himself in many ways. His indomitable will and determination, combined with an ability for adventure and bold initiatives, enabled him to get into the prestigious defense academy of the Indian army and become a distinguished officer in the army. Overcoming challenges that would have been deemed unsurmountable by most others, he achieved great success and finally retired as a brigadier. Physically, with extraordinary discipline, he transformed himself from a half-starved weakling to a strong, muscular, and active officer in the army and continues to be one of the fittest persons I have come across, even at the age of ninety-four. Academically, he has continuously sought to acquire knowledge and starting from being the only non-graduate candidate to enter the academy in his batch, has acquired a graduate degree in management studies. Intellectually, he has transformed himself through introspection and reflection to one of the wisest persons I am associated with. Spiritually, as he describes in this book, he has transformed himself from an angry young person to one of the most loving, generous, and compassionate persons, full of serenity and at peace with himself and the world. Indeed, his has been a life of amazing transformations. As he weaves his life-story into this narrative about transformation and re-engineering of his mind to become a happier and wise person, he provides the tools and mechanisms that we can use xv

Throughout his life, Brigadier Kripalu has truly become the epitome of love and light. Featured in Humans of Bombay and army journal, The Materials Manager, this young soul has captivated and won over the hearts of every person he has met. Kripalu began his marathon running career at the age of 84, attended a Vipassana course at the age of 82 during which he meditated and reflected in silence for ten days straight, and learned how to backstroke at the age of 89. Age has never been a limiting factor for him, but rather a call to action to keep striving for more. In his second book, Seeking Happiness, Kripalu highlights his secrets to seeing the world through rose colored glasses. Despite growing up in poverty, being a widower, living alone for many months of the year, and spending most of his days with only telephone communication, Kripalu proves that while we are a product of our circumstances, we need not be defined by them. Through unfathomable loss and hardships, he has maintained a genuine feeling of gratitude for the small fragments of everyday life. He sees the beauty in meals made by loved ones, his first sip of coffee in the morning, phone calls to close friends, and the sweet melodies of his favorite songs. This book is a testament to his unwavering optimism, his thirst for life, and a reminder to take life less seriously. There is truly nobody like Brigadier Kripalu, and each chapter in this book proves just that. ISBN: 978-93-5445-643-5

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