Life’s Amazing Secrets Book Summary I Gaur Gopal Das

September 23, 2023June 23, 2022 by Muzammil

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Book – Life’s Amazing Secrets

Author – Gaur Gopal Das

Genre – Self-Help Book

Published in – 2018

“The mind is what we use to perceive the world. We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.“

After watching some videos and recommendations from my brother-in-law, I picked this book and am glad I did.

As a society, it’s too easy to focus on our external achievements and forget to assess whether we are happy with our lives.

We tend to take everyone at face value, equating what they have on the outside to how they feel on the inside.

We have mastered how to look successful but not how to organize our lives so that we feel successful.

About the Book –

Life’s Amazing Secrets is a story of two fictional characters (a couple) who seem successful and happy on the outside. Yet, as the story progresses, we learn how misguiding appearance can be.

I loved the analogy of the Wheels of a Car used in the book to discuss the four critical areas of life—our personal life, relationships, work life, and social contribution.

The lack of proper pressure, even in one wheel, can slow you down in reaching your destination; losing one can be fatal.

He also compares the steering wheel to our spirituality. Let’s say we have the correct pressure in all tires, and all wheels are aligned, but if we don’t have steering wheels, we will not reach our destination.

The book is divided into four parts, like the four wheels of a car. It signifies that all four areas have the same importance and how we can find the balance.

Here are the excerpts from Each Part (Wheel)

The Wheel I – Personal Life

1) Growing Through Gratitude –

Gratitude is not a feeling; it is a state of mind that can be developed, allowing us to tap into a reservoir of unlimited positive energy.

Those who are grateful are not only immune to distress but also gratitude on many different levels, offering us unlikely solace in a time of great difficulty.

2) Press Pause –

Pausing from time to time to reflect and count blessings and when we are thankful for what we have makes us poised to receive more.

You may consider writing a gratitude log daily based on three gratitude principles: recognize, remember, and reciprocate.

3) Why Worry –

Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.
Leo Buscaglia

Whether or not we can do something about any situation, our response should not be anxiety.

Think: Is this in my control? If yes, you can do something about it. If not, then you cannot do anything about it. Therefore, in both circumstances, why worry?

I loved the worry circle he shared in the book.

Wheel II – Relationships

1) What We Choose to See –

What we choose to see in people determines our approach towards them. Gaur Gopal Das claims there are five ways to look at people and encourages us to aspire to at least Type 4.

Type 1 – A person who cannot see the good at all.
Type 2 – A person who sees both good and the bad but neglects the good.
Type 3 – A person who sees the good and the bad and is neutral to both – difficult to find this kind.
Type 4 – A person who sees both good and the bad but neglects the bad.
Type 5 – A Person Who Cannot See the Bad at All; They See the Slightest Good and Magnify It.

2) Correcting Cautiously –

We often forget to invest appreciation and love into a person before we correct them. He suggests considering four questions before converting anyone.

Am I the right person?
Do I have the right motive?
Do I know the right way?
Is it the right time?

3) Forgiveness –

Relationships follow the principle of growing a plant: constant care is required so that one day, it blooms. There are no shortcuts.

The most widely underestimated quality that can help us improve our relationships is forgiveness.

Everyone is going through challenges concealed from the public eye, and we need the lens of empathy to be able to see that.

Wheel III – Work-life

1) Competition Crossroads –

At work, we tend to compare and compete with others instead of comparing and competing with ourselves.

When ambition crosses the line of ethics and turns into greed, even reputed businesses can get involved in scandals as they vie for the most significant piece.

2) Integrity & Character –

Philosophy without good character is of little or no value. There are three aspects of spirituality in practice:

Vichaar: The philosophy that we seek answers from.
Achaar: The act on that philosophy. We must do it.
Prachaar: The excellent conduct displayed to the world through those actions. We must practice it.

Wheel IV – Social Contribution

1) Selfless Service –

You can be completely selfish, completely selfless, or any of the combinations in between. Life is a journey from being selfish to becoming selfless.

To be happy, we should shift our attitude from being an ice cream to a candle, from being selfish to selfless. This is shown through service.

I have also created a video of a few quotes from the book. Please subscribe to the YouTube channel for self-help book quotes- Myread4change –

Conclusion –

Life’s Amazing secret will leave you with things to ponder upon, work upon, and improve all areas of life, and find the balance. Reading this book would be worth your time.

If you like this book, you may also want to read Ikigai and Who Will Cry When You Die.

I hope this book summary helped you in some way. I would appreciate a few words in the comment.

I wish you a balanced life.

Muzammil