The Man With Zero Talent

By Sanjib Nandi

In a world where many give up far too soon, settle for mediocrity and engage in meaningless pursuits, there is a voice in the wilderness that shouts, “No, I won’t accept anything less than an awesome life!” That voice belongs to Sanjib Nandi, a man who made the life-altering decision one day to discard negativity and embark on an odyssey of epic proportions.

In “The Man with Zero Talent,” you will travel with Sanjib as he reveals how to:

-Turn your life around by applying the Law of Reversibility
-Achieve the “180-degree twist”
-Channel your untapped reservoir of energy to create a bigger, better you

In the spirit of Deepak Chopra, Andrew Weil and Tony Robbins, the author will take you on a journey of self-discovery, filling your mind with inspiring stories, scientific realities and key techniques for developing and manifesting your highest self. This humble pharmacist, author and speaker will motivate and uplift you, offering rock-solid tools and insights that will propel you beyond the limits of your former self. Travel to the realm of possibility with Sanjib Nandi, and start living a powerful, satisfying life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sanjib Nandi
• Release date: Nov 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005896430

Sanjib Nandi

Sanjib Nandi is a licensed, practicing pharmacist. In the last twenty years, he has lived in India and London, and today makes his home in the United States. Culling from the best that eastern and western medicine has to offer, Sanjib offers a bridge between the two, combining his knowledge of psychology, physiology, pharmacology and the body-mind connection to produce a unique, simple and practical approach to healing and human vitality. When not working, Sanjib spends his time, reading, writing, cooking nourishing and delicious cuisine, and deepening his bond with his fantastic son. Sanjib has won numerous awards while participating in Toastmasters International, and prides himself on following in the footsteps of personal growth giants. He lives with his family in Wisconsin.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

________

Life is Messy

PAUL KALANITHI WAS a neurosurgeon. At the age of 36, and on the verge of completing a decade’s worth of arduous medical training, he was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, and the next day he was a patient struggling to live. Just like that, the future he and his wife had imagined evaporated before their eyes.

Before he died in 2015, Dr. Kalanithi wrote a book as a legacy to his daughter Cady, entitled When Breath Becomes Air. The book’s title captivated, fascinated and compelled me to think about my life.

As long as we are breathing, we are alive, but as soon as we stop breathing, this breath becomes just air for everyone else to breathe. I too will become air one day. Kalanithi states in his book, I began to realize that coming face to face with my own mortality in a sense has changed nothing and everything. Paul Kalanithi wrestled with this question as we all do: If all living organisms die, what makes life virtuous and meaningful?

Dr. Kalanithi dedicated his entire life to reaching the point of becoming a neurosurgeon, yet everything was swept under his feet in a moment.

Why?

Life is messy.

Michele had a son born in April 2004 with a severe case of cleft lip and palate. She only learned about her son’s deformity after his birth. Even though at first, she and his father were devastated and scared, they embraced the challenges and chose to be just as proud of their son as if he had been born without a birth defect.

My question is, why was this boy born this way? Whose fault is this? If the mother had been smoking or drinking, I could have at least blamed her. In this case, however, it’s nobody’s fault — neither the mother’s nor the son’s. Every 4 ½ minutes, a baby is born with a birth defect.

Life is messy.

Michael Schumacher is a German retired racing driver who competed in Formula One racing. Schumacher is widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers, and is the only driver in history to win seven Formula One world championships.

In December of 2013, Schumacher suffered a severe brain injury in a skiing accident. He was placed in a medically induced coma until June of 2014. Schumacher is doing better, but he is paralyzed and in a wheelchair. During his entire racing career, he did not have any major accidents in spite of driving at 200 mph, but after his retirement, he suffered a severe brain injury. Why?

Life is messy.

There have been thirty novel, emerging communicable diseases that begin in animals and that have jumped species in the last thirty years. These newly emerging communicable diseases have names that you hadn’t heard of twenty years ago: Ebola, Monkey’s Paw, West Nile fever, H1N1, Bird Flu, and Covid-19. It’s just the beginning. There is a strong likelihood that we endure these and more, and it will all be broadcasted live to you on YouTube, television and your cell phones. More diseases, more uncertainty and more panic. Why?

Life is messy.

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46 year old black man was killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota during an arrest for allegedly using a counterfeit bill.

Do you know what that leads to? It leads to anger, religious and sectarian violence, and terrorism. More than thirty people died during the unrest and violence. Why?

Life is messy.

Buddha said 2500 years ago that if all the tears that had flowed from the human eye since the beginning of creation were gathered together, they would exceed the waters of the ocean.

Why is there so much suffering and pain in life?

We want to be happy.

We want to be healthy.

We want to be successful.

That’s what we are looking for; nothing more, nothing less. Yet still, more than one billion people on this planet live on $1 per day and this is going to rise to three billion in twenty to thirty years. Seven percent of the world’s population is on antidepressants. The United States alone has spent $360 billion on prescription drugs in 2019, and that amount is increasing every day. Why? Why? And why?

There is no denying that life can be messy and unpredictable. Life, is a conglomeration of opposites such as pain and pleasure, birth and death, hope and disappointment, love and hate. Sometimes dangers and difficulties seep into every part of our lives, crippling us and leaving us with feelings of anxiety, fear and hopelessness. Youthful dreams of happiness and fulfillment do not come true for everyone. It can be said that a human being is born crying, lives complaining and dies disappointed.

Those who are idealistic maintain that this is the only life we have, so we must enjoy it to the fullest. I do believe a part of this statement is right. Life is finite. We all are going to die. Metaphorically, we are like a leaf on a tree. Leaves come and go, but the tree continues to live on in the same way that people come and go on this planet earth, yet the earth continues to exist. That is the absolute reality, the truth of all truths, until the big asteroid hits. Regarding pleasure, we should definitely enjoy life. However, one can only truly enjoy life when one has seen darkness. Otherwise, the enjoyment that we seek today is derived from alcohol, drugs, foods, and the like, all of which temporarily excite the senses but are always followed by pain and sorrow.

If life is so uncertain, and if there is inevitable pain and suffering that ultimately leads to death, how should I then live this life?

If I ask you, Why do you wake up in the morning? you will answer, What do you mean? I have to! or Maybe I can sleep till noon! But still, at some point you have to get out from your warm and cozy bed. Everyone will answer this question in a different way. Why do you wake up? Some of the common answers will be:

1. Obviously, food

2. Money and the things money can buy

3. Good health

4. Life in the hereafter

5. Sex

6. For our kids

7. A feeling of importance

The answers can change from time to time depending upon our circumstances.

When I was a child growing up in India, the only things that bothered me were exams and studies. Other than that, life was amazing. Life was good. I can generalize that most children are happy and satisfied with their lives. They laugh, they cry, they fight with their friends, and the next minute they make up. They say and do what they feel like, without ever bothering to think about others’ opinions.

Now, talking about babies, they are blissful. The two things they are most afraid of are loud noises and falling. Other than these, they fear nothing. For example, if you give them a knife, they will play with it happily. It’s a different story, though, if the parents see such a thing happening; they will have a heart attack.

So, how did we change from blissfulness to happiness to this messy world? We have definitely grown up, but why did we leave that deep-seated blissfulness and happiness to rot in this materialistic world?

Let me tell you three facts of life which I believe to be very important and life changing. You have to understand these facts and make a paradigm shift to a new belief so that you can have the life you want.

LIFE HAS DIFFICULTIES

Life is hard. Life is malevolent. It’s hard for Paul Kalanathi, Michelle, Michael Schumacher and George Floyd’s family. It always has been. When I look back, my parents were constantly struggling in spite of having a very simple life. You can look back at your parents’ life and see their struggles as well.

These struggles will always be there for your kids and their kids. I can expect my son to fall on his face many times in his life, just as I did. Every five or six years, from the age of fifteen, I had to overcome major obstacles in my life. When life gets messy, it’s not the falling that matters, it’s the getting up. It’s never been any different for you, me or anybody else, so suck it up, buttercup. You are responsible for your life.

CHOICE

As Patrick Ness said, We are the choices we make. This means that everything you are or ever will be is up to you. Hate me if you want, but that’s the truth. Whether you choose to go to the gym and make yourself fit and healthy or stay home and watch television, the choice is up to you.

Michael Phelps became the greatest Olympian ever born because of his choices. It does not mean that he doesn’t have to face the hardship and turmoil. His father left him when he was young. He chose to get extremely laser-focused. He had no doubts, no limits, and nothing could ever tinker with his mind to stand in the way of thinking about anything other than what he was after. He made a choice and was responsible for his life as you are.

It’s your road and yours alone. Others may walk it with you but no one can walk it for you.

—RUMI

LEARNING IS THE KEY

You can learn anything new and challenging at any age. You can choose at any point to make your life a masterpiece. Your only limitation is you.

Kris Machnick started climbing mountains at the age of 64, after her retirement. Yes, 64 years old. Most of us think that climbing is for youngsters, but not Kris. She used to run marathons and go hiking, and she often dreamed of adding climbing to her repertoire, so she joined a climbing gym, and shortly thereafter started climbing outdoors at 64 years of age.

Her message is very straightforward: It’s never too late. You have to start where you are at, doing it for yourself, being happy and satisfied, and not comparing yourself to someone twenty years old. Instead of going back and feeling grief over things you have lost, you must simply look forward.

Today, at 81 years of age, Kris has raised $100,000 for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, climbing eight major ice/rocks routes around the world in two years, despite tearing her meniscus in one of the climbs.

Wow...wow. She knew what she wanted to learn.

In the same way, you have to know exactly what you want to learn before you manifest it in your life. It has to be crystal clear, in black and white, and you have to make a conscious effort to learn it. The universe will definitely give it to you as a present, but you have to be definite. You must be honest and clear with telling yourself, This is what I want to learn.

These are the three basic, fundamental principles in life. There are definitely more, but if you can understand these three — 1) that there will be difficulties in life, 2) that you always have a choice, and 3) that you can learn anything new — then you can avoid a lot of misery and unhappiness.

But being human, we want life to be easy and comfortable, so what we usually do is accuse something or somebody for being the cause of our unhappiness. Let’s first understand upon what and to whom we place this blame. Once we have a firmer grasp of how we limit ourselves and our thinking, it will be easier to then move on and take back control of our lives.

GENETICS

The first thing a person usually blames is his or her genetics. If one has anxiety, a short temper, poor health, etc., it is because it is in the genes. It just goes through the generations and I inherited it, you try to say. Let me give you the example of tomato seeds. If you plant two identical tomato seeds in two different environments, you will have two plants, each with a different size and shape. If genetics is the only criteria, then these two plants should be identical. Well, as a pharmacist, I can tell you that genetics is a loaded gun, but you are still the trigger. Only 1% of the disease is genetic and 99% is because of you. You are in the 21st century, and you have the ability to change yourself not only physically but mentally as well. You can change or modify your old habits and behaviors and create new ones. Science has shown that we can change our brain physically, chemically and functionally. Therefore, given our current level of knowledge, blaming genetics as the cause of our inability to change ends up being a poor excuse.

CIRCUMSTANTIAL

It’s your parents, teachers, uncle and aunts, your siblings, your childhood experiences, your upbringing that has laid down the foundation of your character. You are afraid, fearful, guilty and vulnerable because you are conditioned to act and behave in this manner. You can even change those conditioned responses at any age. Is it possible? Absolutely. You can change your life 180 degrees.

ENVIRONMENTAL

Your five senses are constantly sending stimuli to your brain regarding your environment, telling your brain what is happening both around and inside of you. These stimuli can be related to almost anything, such as when you are working with your boss, when you are at home with your spouse or your teenager, pertaining your economic situation, a stock market crash, or Covid-19. You cannot control the stimulus but you can always learn and choose how to respond. It takes practice and perseverance, but you can learn how to control your emotions and respond in a helpful way. It doesn’t matter what life throws at you. What matters is how you respond to it.

The Dalai Lama once said, Don’t become a prisoner to things which you cannot control.

If you can do something about a situation, then do it. Once you have done what you can, worry is no longer relevant. Simply do the best you can, and if you can’t do anything, or you’ve done your best, then there is no point in worrying any further. It is wasted energy, so just let it go. Let it go.

You can now see that, from what I have explained above, we tend to blame our genes, environment, and circumstances for our behaviors and the unhappiness or misery in our lives.

Personally, I blame the damn apple. Yes, you read it right, the damn apple. We all descended from a single pair of original ancestors, Adam and Eve. As the myth says, if Adam would not have eaten the apple from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then we would all be living happily and peacefully in the garden of Eden. Damn apple…

Now we are here with all the blame and victim mentality, which gives suffering, pain, and misery, so what do we do? We get up in the morning, go to work, come home and watch TV, have sex, go to bed, get up in the morning, watch TV, have sex, go to bed, go to parties on weekends, and the cycle continues to repeat itself.

A lot of people will say, Well, I’m living. No, you’re not living! That›s merely existing. What do you mean? you then ask.

What am I supposed to do? I am here to suggest that there should be a reason for your existence. When we are young, we are happy and carefree. By the time we reach adolescence or puberty, we are overrun by our hormones. Our personalities start changing, and these changes are pre-programmed and biological. Our mind is now being pulled in different directions. By the time we reach the age of twenty, men are more inclined toward sex and anger, and women toward anxiety and depression. As we age, something is missing, but we don’t know what. We cannot put our finger on the missing piece of the puzzle, so instead we try to live, exist or behave as society dictates.

There were so many famous people who didn’t know what they actually wanted out of life. Examples include Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and so many others. They regularly abused their bodies and ultimately died from drug overdoses. They mistakenly thought that once they were successful in their chosen field, they would be happy. Yet happiness continued to elude them, so they sought pleasure from drinking, smoking, overeating, and drugs until finally they died.

In spite of having the kind of success they only dreamed of, and receiving the love and support from millions of fans, they still felt empty and were subsequently compelled to fill up their existence with harmful habits. What was missing in their lives? Why did they have to turn to drugs or alcohol to deal with life, desperately seeking temporary pleasure? I think most of us do the same thing at some point.

I was in the same boat. I was existing, but something was lacking and I was not able to identify that missing component. At that point, I did what most people do, and looked outside myself for the answer, but all I discovered was emptiness. The pain of that experience led me to try to suppress that emptiness with alcohol. I quickly realized, however, that choosing booze to solve my problem was a dead end, so instead I made the