Rohit Sodha, a corporate CEO by profession, educated from Harvard Business School and Indraprastha University; he did his schooling from Delhi Public School R K Puram. Growing up he was always an avid sportsman and public speaker. He has always had a strong moral compass which he has inherited from his family and try and lead a simple but satisfying life where he can contribute to society.
TBE: Can you tell us a little about your new guide, ‘Happiness To The Power of Infinity’. What prompted you to write this, and who can it benefit? How did you get the idea of this book?
Rohit Sodha: I have been mesmerized with the topic of happiness for a while – it is so central to our lives and is yet so little is written about it. It remains largely unquantifiable and most books about are written at the different ends of the spectrum – one that professes to leave all aspirations and give up worldly belongings to rise above a normal life to attain nirvana or the other extreme which advises readers to attain their personal goals at all costs and that would make them happy.
I was sure that there has to be a middle way where people can achieve their lofty goals and still lead balanced lives leading to sustainable happiness. This prompted me to read dozens of books and research material on the topic and I ultimately created my own system of happiness leveraging a broad based understanding of various religions and cultures around the world. In the end I provide practical advice for the reader – actual things that readers can adopt and make their lives happier.
TBE: What is the key theme and/or message in the book?
Rohit Sodha: The key theme in the book is that happiness is around us, all religions preach ways of being happy, all cultures profess practices to keep people happy but we get so caught up in the rigmarole of life that we ignore the pursuit of happiness. What makes this book and my research unique is a patented model to quantify happiness for everyone – an adaptable system that caters to everyone’s unique needs and is globally applicable.
TBE: What is the significance of the title?
Rohit Sodha: This question has been asked to me multiple times. Interestingly, many authors first decide their title and then start writing the book. I penned down the title after writing the entire book and the idea came from within my family – I overheard a conversation that my children were having with my parents (their grandparents) where the grandparents were asking their grandkids how much do they love them. My kids responded saying – we love you more than infinity. This is how I discovered my title – and I truly believe that if readers regularly practice the learnings from my book they will all be happier infinitely and sustainably.
TBE: What was your writing process for this book? What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
Rohit Sodha: I took up this project as a consulting project. I identified the major building blocks of the book and penned down an initial storyline. I then conducted research (more than 20000 pages) to be able to gather knowledge about the topic and then synthesized the relevant bits and provided my own perspective. Doing this alongside my corporate job was challenging but I had the support of my family, friends and mentors (all mentioned in the book).
Most of my writing happened late at night in the comfort of my study – there were days when I was able to pen tens of pages and there were days where writing a few lines would be difficult. I saw firsthand both the art and science of writing – this was frustrating at times but getting through those tough times makes the reward sweeter.
TBE: During your journey from the idea of this book to the publication, what was the most difficult thing you faced? Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Rohit Sodha: As a first time author my learning curve was steep, from ideating the concept, authoring a storyline to the final edits, endorsements, formats, page width, page color etc everything was new. Each work stream had its own challenges but I’m very fortunate to have had the guidance of my mentors, encouragement from family and friends and support from my team of editors, copywriters, graphic designers who stood by me each second and got us over the line with what I believe is a top class product.
TBE: How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
Rohit Sodha: One of my mentors had said to me before I had started to write that writing is both an art and science. I underestimated the art part initially and expected to keep a constant pace of writing over a period of time like in a consulting project. Three days in and I realized how big the art element is – our creative brain has a mood of its own and it works when it wants to work. Initially I would be disappointed when I would be up till 5 AM and not be able to write more than 6 lines – it took me time to realize that my brain was giving me messages to reconsider my thought process and that not every hour will be equally productive.
I also realized that the definition of productivity is not the number of pages authored per hour but the amount of information my mind has absorbed which would accelerate my writing on one specific day when my mind is ready with all the inputs it needs. I’ve humbly accepted that there is both a process and a creative spark – you can engineer the process of creating the spark but it is not guaranteed that every spark will light the bright fire you need to write the book. Overall, I look back at the journey with rose tinted glasses and thank everyone around me for their unflinching support which has helped me evolve as a human-being.
TBE: What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
Rohit Sodha: My book appeals to a broad variety of readers – people inquisitive about foreign cultures and countries, religions, people with a desire to achieve something big in life, people at different stages of their lives, busy people who have forgotten to value their pay hike or promotion. It also will appeal to people who have had trysts with mental health issues, physical pain, family problems, sad occurrences in their lives – my book will give them a ray of hope which they can hold on to and practice happiness sustainably.
TBE: What marketing strategies do you find most helpful? Any resources you would recommend to other authors or aspiring authors?
Rohit Sodha: There is nothing stronger than a credible word of mouth from one reader to another perspective reader. I have had readers get in touch with me and provide feedback on the book – they have shared my book with other people they know at home or in offices, colleges, sports clubs and my readership has increased by word of mouth. I’m also humbled at how many readers have reached out to me seeking personal counselling sessions and have opened up about their lives and the challenges they face. I see this book as God’s way of allowing me to give back to society in a small and humble manner – and I’m truly grateful to have this opportunity.
TBE: Often in life, it’s our greatest challenges that make or break us. What do you think is the determining factor between whether we grow by our adversity or are destroyed by it?
Rohit Sodha: I really believe in the famous Japanese proverb – “Fall seven times, stand up eight”.
We will all fall down many times in our lives – the ones who shrug themselves off and try again are already winners. I have also had ups and downs in my life and through every hardship I’m very fortunate to have had the support of my family, friends and mentors – they keep reminding me to keep standing up all the time and keep trying. This along with an inherent sense of purpose and service to my people is what keeps me going.
TBE: What is your definition of happiness?
Rohit Sodha: “Happiness is to life what fizz is to soda” – this is what I believe. Without fizz there is no soda, similarly without happiness there is no life. I would recommend your readers to read my book – my views have been clearly expressed there.
TBE: What would be the number one piece of advice you’d give to someone who is currently struggling with life?
Rohit Sodha: I would say 3 things:
- Tough times don’t last – the sun comes out shining after every dark night.
- Sharing your joy doubles it, sharing your grief halves it – open your heart to me.
- Be sure there is an angel watching over you and will pull you out of your misery – help me help you find your angel
I would also encourage such people to reach out to me for personal counselling sessions where my advice is tailored to their specific situations.
TBE: We live in what often feels like a crazy and stressed-out world. What do you think the world most needs today?
Rohit Sodha: The world needs happiness – continue to work hard towards your goals but also enjoy the journey; be happy for others’ successes, help the needy if you can and most importantly don’t compare yourself with others.
TBE: Is there anything you are currently working on that may intrigue the interest of your readers?
Rohit Sodha: I will resist the temptation to undertake a new project as I answer your loaded question but I do think that this book and the love I’ve received from readers around the world has encouraged me to continue on this path of helping people discover happiness. I look forward to supporting as many people as I can with private counselling sessions around the world and will continue on my journey of happiness. Readers can follow my journey on Instagram rohit_sodha_81.
