A Therapeutic Diary

What you want will come to you at the right time without you knowing it — it’s this philosophy that guides the life of 19-year-old BBA student,Manhardeep Singh,and also forms an integral part of his first book,The Journey of the Unknown Path,which was released at the Capitol Book Depot on Thursday evening. Life’s little lessons that Singh has learnt,the ups and downs he faced,the agonies and ecstasies he experienced – all this forms the core of his book,which he calls “a balanced blend of fiction and non-fiction”.

The format of the book is unique. It’s about a diary that answers your questions. Singh always wanted to get answers to simple questions of life. “I was faced with questions about not performing well in academics,rejections,getting poor results despite hard work,” says Singh. He then laid his hands on books that tell you how to develop a positive mental attitude. “That changed my attitude and helped me grow in every way. Most importantly,I became a positive person who could smile through good as well as hard times,” he says,adding,“Through this book,I have strived to share with others,especially youngsters like me,some innovative thoughts that I learnt and gathered from various sources — be it books,teachers or guides.”

The book has two stories,and is divided into two parts — one tells the story of Rama and the other,of Michael. Rama is modern,thinks differently from the society,and is faced with many difficulties. He wanders into an unknown forest,where he finds a diary and asks it some questions about success,work and challenges. “He gets the answers in parables,which are the author’s note,’’ says Singh,quoting from his book: “When you are left with no choice but one,trust God and go for it because we really don’t know what He has in mind.”

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On the other hand,Michael,a construction worker,sees a dark tunnel and ventures inside to find where it leads. Inside,he also finds a diary that answers many of his questions. Michael asks the diary about the ups and downs of life,and it replies: “Ups and downs are two paths of life. If you’re not going up,then you are definitely going down,and the same is true of the other side.”

While it took Singh one year to write this book,it was in his head for 10 years. “I have shared my struggles and successes,for I believe thoughts can manifest into actions,only if we guide them in the right direction,” he says.