There are many authors in India at present who are indulged in writing self-help books. They write on various topics and various subjects but their aim is, collectively, making the lives of people at large better, simpler or convincing. Can this goal be achieved by reading books, merely? Well, this topic might be debated at length and we can still not reach a conclusion. However, it does impact, to an extent, helps the readers and gives them the impetus to move ahead and do things. There is a new name on the list of the writers who write self-help books and this one has emerged with a unique style and a unique approach to self-help genre – Sharat Sharma. An established motivational coach today, he began his journey at the age of 20, as he mentions in his book. He also took several breaks and turns in his career until he reached the position we call ‘potential’ and this is what he has tried to do with his book, The One Invisible Code.
Sharat Sharma’s writing style is very much like those interactive classrooms where you learn things and test them simultaneously with exercises and tasks. He has tried to make learning about oneself interesting. He extends a story to the readers, fuses his lessons, ideas, motivational suggestions and inputs with the narrative. After one layer, that is the short story, he also offers dedicated sections with the extracts from the story which are pointed, sharp and short. He also offers important quotes in a filtered way so that the readers can pay attention to the important aspects that come out of the story. And then, the readers find an inspiration corner, at times, offering an insightful real-life story from someone’s life who is successful and does not require any introduction. And then, you might see exercise – a section offering you an impetus to do things that you have learnt or realised.
While I might find all this interesting because I have read self-help books that are rather callous and colourless in nature, some readers or critics might blame the author for going against the established tenets of motivational writing. Yes, it’s all about subjective opinions and interpretation of the books we read! At the same time, one must, also, realise that when the aim is to offering something important and insightful to the readers, any author will take the route which is convincing and the one which he believes to be the best way to communicate with the readers. And going by this logic, I will say that Sharat’s formula has been impactful – a full circle of learning and transferring the experience. He breaks the ice with a story that’s inspiring and wise. He further breaks the story into relevant portions and points that inspire, teach, communicate or convey. He relates it to the real-life story of someone who might have achieved big in life. And then, he tries to inspire the readers to make changes in life that will be helpful for them… that’s what an author writing a self-help book should do!
To understand Sharat’s style, one might have to read his book. You can read The One Invisible Code by getting a copy from Amazon India. However, you will surely realise that his content is unique and inspiring in real sense.
by a Samridhi, a contributor to Literature News
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