Lessons For An Uncomplicated Life

50 Life Lessons is former editor-in-chief of Life Positive Suma Varughese's newly published book. Its rich store of wisdom and insights will help you lead a happy, successful, and vibrant life, says Rajeshwari Prakash.

- Rajeshwari Prakash

I confess to feeling some trepidation when asked to interview Suma Varughese, former editor of Life Positive and Society magazines, about her new book, 50 Life Lessons: A Practical Guide on How to Maximise Happiness. Suma had been my boss, soon became a wise friend I could turn to, and more recently, my writing mentor. I picked up her book with great joy as her writing has always touched a chord in me.

Suma's personalised set of lessons is a combination of personal incidents and stories that allowed me to see the bigger picture. As I turned the pages, it seemed like Suma was talking to me over the phone—warm and nonjudgemental, urging me to go ahead and create a glorious life for myself.

Suma begins by saying that she follows the dictates of her inner guide and, at retirement, felt ready to step into the new path and dream that was unfolding. Her awakening at age 33 had filled her with a deep understanding of life and how to lead it. From then on, she worked hard to grow beyond being a fearful, limited, and unconfident person to becoming the person she was meant to be. Drawing on these tough experiences in order to recommend complementary life lessons, the book's explanations of ideas like 'It is the other person's happiness that counts' and 'Failure can also, if we are not careful, emerge out of success,' are written with a warm vulnerability.

My favourite lesson? Lesson #22. Yet I know that the pages of this book are ones I will visit time and again. And my favourite lessons will change as I go about trying to live life vulnerably.

In this interview, Suma explains how to cultivate the wisdom we need to unlock the puzzle of life and maximise our happiness.

Q. Suma, would you say that the 50 lessons you have shared in your book would help anyone navigate life?