Passage to Peace: A Quiet Life Guidebook

By Joy Deshmukh Ranadive

There is a veil of perception that clouds our eyes. It makes us complicate situations and behave in ways that harm ourselves and others. A small shift in the way we see can remove this veil and show us the light.

This book chronicles a series of insights about the everyday happenings in life that trouble us, and we are reminded to follow the passage to peace by simply seeing and doing things differently.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Jan 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504341967

Joy Deshmukh Ranadive

Joy Deshmukh Ranadive is a dreamer by nature. She envisions a world in which synergy and cooperation shape everyday interactions. Joy has always found reasons to think and write about injustice. Over time, her voice has evolved to accommodate her personal experiences as a woman living in the world. Witnessing the tumultuous relationship between power and the struggle for empowerment led her to a study of spirituality. She began writing at a young age and continues to do so, professionally as a social scientist. She has written over 200 poems, many of which have been published in India. Her book of poems Uninterrupted Skies is about the journey of a woman in search of her own identity. Joy has a doctorate in Economics from the University of Mumbai. Presently, she heads Corporate Social Responsibility for a global software company and lives in Mumbai, India with her husband and daughter.

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Copyright © 2016 Joy Deshmukh Ranadive.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5043-4195-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-4196-7 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date:1/25/2016

This book is dedicated to my family.

To Oorvi, my daughter, who has kept me grounded.

To Rahul, my husband, who made me a seeker of answers.

To both sets of parents, Daddy, Ivy, Baba and Aai, who framed my life.

To Love, which reigned and emerged as the ultimate Supreme.

This book is a series of insights about life. There are moments in life that have a habit of repeating themselves through different people we meet, till we realise that the pantomime is playing for our benefit. This realisation made me wonder that perhaps, life is a mirror that talks to us and if we understand what it is trying to tell us we see our lives for what they truly are.

It was musings like these that I began writing down and posting on a popular social media site.

My friends encouraged me to continue writing and soon strangers began reaching out to me with stories of how my combination of anecdotes and insights spoke to their own personal experiences.

This book is an offering to all those who need help in small ways, to walk long paths. Though the issues in our lives might differ, the ways in which we react to them are similar. Tears are colourless and taste the same everywhere. No matter where we are, very much the same things make us laugh or cry.

I wrote this book hoping that it would help others, so they would not stumble the way I did. If the words in this book can lessen pain of life for even one other person, and inspire them to live a life of peace, my prayers have been answered.

The insights are in the form of phrases or paragraphs. They are not arranged in any particular theme or pattern. The idea is that the book can be opened at random, to any page, and offer the reader something that she or he needs at that point in time. Our guides work towards easing our path on this planet. I believe this book will be their words reaching each reader with what is needed at that very moment.

The wisdom you will read is not new, it is much older than anything around you. Each one of us are conduits for this old wisdom. We bring that wisdom home, again and again, through our lives. I am but one conduit. I feel blessed to be chosen as a voice to bring this to you.

I wish a life of peace, love and light for everyone who this book seeks and finds.

Joy Deshmukh Ranadive

We cannot see ourselves unless we look into a mirror. And sometimes we are startled by what we see, not expecting what the mirror reflects.

In the same way,