Book Title: My Days, Autobiography
Author: R K Narayan
I recently picked this up at the Chennai airport book store as I was leaving for a workshop for entrepreneurial CEOs. I wanted something light and inspiring. R K Narayan was a celebrated writer and his life for a person like me (a writer) could be both inspirational and motivating. A quick look at the book also convinced me that I should read it because there were many references to places I was familiar to in Chennai.
Over the next two flights before I returned to base, I completed the book. It was a direct from heart story written in the typical Narayan style. The language is simple, the message clear and direct. His ability to craft stories is simply amazing. As with any other person who has come up to great success, he has had his fair share of challenges – both personal and social.
The beauty is that he found his calling pretty much early in life. While many of us have glimpses of this in our early lives and many times thereafter, I think the problem is that we silence that voice within us. Narayan gives us many episodes from his life that indicate how these obstacles and forces come our way. Family members trying to persuade him to make writing a hobby rather than a vocation. Not much of early success with the chosen vocation can catalyse our internal mind to attempt alternatives to keep ourselves afloat. Social obligations can force us to forego our dreams. And many more! He had a fair share of all these asking to turn away from writing.
His own life was filled with personal challenges. An early and pre mature death of his wife was a disheartening event, but which also produced some classic works. His travails to take a job eventually strengthening his resolve to be a writer. His hands at trying his own media (quarterly newsletter along with friends) giving him options to move away from his vocation. How did he manage to stay true to his inherent interest? Is it this strong resolve that made the forces of nature bring important people his way. Were his discoverer in UK, Mr Greene and his other contacts that resulted in him becoming published all a result of this strong resolve to be a writer?
Lots of things to learn from the life of this interesting and loved author. Persistence to keep doing what you ought to do without regards to acknowledgement, keeping a single goal in life, giving up all other opportunities for the sake of the singular goal, learning to ignore social pressure and stick to the path chosen, and being true to one’s calling are all important lessons to learn from the autobiography of this writer. Above all, it is important to learn that one has to discover one’s calling early in life (however early as possible) and have the courage to stick to it. I loved his ideas of coming up with a lifestyle (and associated upside costs of Rs 20 per month) so as to align with his chosen vocation. It is important to adjust lifestyle to make sure we don’t compromise on our vocation – but most of us succumb to the reverse. Think about it!
I came away inspired and at times with tears welling up in my eyes as I read the book. It has strengthened my resolve to live my life for the bigger purpose for which life has given me certain talents and do it as much as possible, irrespective of the results. What a lovely way to live life this way?
Think about it!
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