Celebrating Differences: Wisdom Through Relationships by Jimmy Mody. Published in 2020 by Notion Press, Old No. 38, New No. 6, McNichols Road, Chetpet, Madras 600031. Pp: 130. Price: Rs 200.
Celebrating Differences by Jimmy Mody (pictured) provides insights into how relationships condition the way we think, work and perceive everything around us. The reader is told how to exploit the differences that exist and use them to succeed both as individuals and in our collective capability as human beings.
Chapter one offers new ways of learning and enlightenment, how to delve into one’s own consciousness and to realize that differences between people are indeed a fact of life. We have to learn how to manage differences. Accepting that differences do exist is the way to move forward and achieve inner peace, material goals and public acceptability.
Both in our individual and professional lives, consciousness and conditioning from our upbringing have created various silos that we live in. These individual silos are responsible for our current state of mind. These silos of perception and consciousness are barriers to realizing the differences that exist and that will have to be overcome.
Mody has covered various aspects of human relationships and simplified complex understandings of technique into simple layman’s language to help the reader understand the various approaches that one may take in the journey of overcoming differences.
Covering subjects from interpersonal relationships and groups, to differences among the genders, the author also addresses emotions like anger and fear that impact how we respond to events and how we use dialectics to respond to these challenges. The inclusion of communication techniques on understanding dialog and monolog is forceful.
The chapters on communication techniques and strategy focus on what ails society and why people fail at communicating with each other. Speech and non-verbal gestures are the key to achieving life’s goals.
Resistance to change presents the biggest obstacle to problem solving. Accepting that the problem exists is 99.9% part of the solution. This acceptance requires an open mind. The author could have expanded on this area of human behavior and enabled an enlightened mind to better understand the world of complex relationships.
The book provides insights into how we perceive ourselves and the changes we must make to achieve success. It sets the reader on the path of enlightenment which opens doors to learning and change in our polarized and different worlds.
PAREECHEHER
DAVIERVALA
With a masters in psychology, Daviervala has been a child counsellor for over two decades. She is currently the principal of the Jadi Rana High School near Sanjan.