Make a Life, Not Just a Living
In his engaging monologue, Gurucharan Das explored the profound idea of making a meaningful life beyond merely earning a living. He drew on personal stories, life lessons, and insights from his memoir to inspire deeper reflection on how we live and what it means to truly make a life.
Key Themes and Insights:
1. Writing a Memoir to Discover Yourself
- Difference Between a Memoir and an Autobiography: A memoir is selective, connecting the dots of one’s life to find a meaningful pattern, while an autobiography is a chronological telling of events. Through the process of writing his memoir, Das discovered a deeper understanding of himself.
- Reliving Your Life: Writing a memoir requires reliving your experiences, which he found to be more enriching than living them. However, he emphasised the importance of being authentic and balanced in sharing one’s successes and failures.
2. Childhood Lessons and Influences
- Contrasting Parental Values: Das shared how his mother emphasised studying hard and preparing for a successful career, while his father focused on enjoying life and following one’s passions. These differing influences shaped his perspective on making both a living and a meaningful life.
- Early Challenges and Triumphs: He recounted an experience of racial prejudice in America when his family moved to Washington, D.C., in the 1950s. Despite facing discrimination, he found small victories, like winning scholarships to top universities, which motivated him to pursue a higher purpose.
3. Academic Choices and the Power of a Liberal Education
- Harvard Experience: Initially, Das pursued engineering, following his mother’s advice to secure a stable job. However, inspired by a roommate’s passion for literature, he switched to a liberal education, studying subjects like Greek tragedy, philosophy, and political economy. This decision laid the foundation for a richer, more intellectually fulfilling life.
- Philosophy vs. Practical Life: After graduating, he was torn between academic pursuits and a life of action. He eventually chose a business career, joining Vicks VapoRub and later becoming the CEO of Procter & Gamble India.
4. Balancing Business and Creativity
- Two-Hatted Life: While excelling in the corporate world, Das nurtured his passion for writing. He wrote plays that were performed on platforms like the BBC and Off-Broadway, managing to balance both his business and creative endeavours.
- Indian Middle-Class Dream: He described achieving conventional success—career advancement, marriage, family, and material possessions—but questioned if that was all life had to offer.
5. Midlife Crisis and the Quest for Purpose
- Reevaluating Life at 40: Das experienced a midlife crisis, questioning the true meaning of his achievements. Despite a successful corporate career, he longed for a deeper purpose, prompting him to transition to full-time writing.
- Life Lessons from Business and Writing: He observed that people in business often have to be nicer than writers or intellectuals because they depend on relationships with customers, employees, and suppliers. This interdependence fosters a culture of fairness and mutual respect.
6. Making a Life Through Curiosity and Playfulness
- Childlike Curiosity: Das emphasised the importance of staying curious and treating life as a low-stakes game. Taking work seriously but not oneself too seriously allows for a more joyful and balanced approach to life.
- The Examined Life: Quoting Seneca, Das stressed the importance of living an examined life and being mindful of how we spend our time. Being overly busy can lead to life slipping by unnoticed.
7. The Secret of a Fulfilling Life
- The Disappearing Self: True fulfilment comes when one is so absorbed in meaningful work that the self seems to disappear, and time becomes distorted. This state of flow, often experienced by athletes like Sachin Tendulkar, is a sign of making a life, not just a living.
Conclusion:
To truly make a life, cultivate curiosity, live mindfully, love what you do, and cherish the people around you. And remember, you don’t have to quit your job to find meaning—you can make a life wherever you are.
Watch Full Session
Speaker:
- Gurcharan Das, Author & Thought Leader