Embrace the Chaos: How India Taught Me to Stop Overthinking and Start Living
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, October 2013
Like many of us, Bob Miglani felt overwhelmed and anxious. He worried constantly about his job, his finances, and his family. It was a chance invitation to India, the land of his birth, that finally freed him.
India, Miglani writes, is "the capital of chaos": over a billion people living on one-third the space of the United States. And it was there that he learned to let go. The secret is to stop trying to control the chaos and focus on what you can control -- your own actions, words, and thoughts. Move forward, make mistakes, trust your intuition, find your purpose.
In this inspiring book, Miglani shares the experiences and encounters that helped him finally get it. What happens when you find yourself in an Indian village with no money and a plane to catch? How could an educated urban woman agree to a marriage after two dates? What keeps a rural health worker motivated despite the enormous need and such limited ability to help? What does trying to catch an insanely overcrowded bus teach you about perfection? Embracing the chaos, Miglani found, "leads us down paths we never would have walked on . . . It brings out strengths we never knew existed inside of us."
paperback | ISBN: 9781609948252 | Publication Date: October 2013
Reviews:
"If you feel your life is running you rather than you running
your life, this book will show you how to achieve peace, order,
and calmness in the middle of the storm."
-- Brian Tracy, coauthor of Kiss That Frog!
"In this noisy, fast-paced world, it is hard not to get swept
away by the demands, anxieties, and challenges that daily come
down upon us. Embrace the Chaos shows us that only by
opening our minds and our hearts to life's wonderful
unpredictability can we truly live. It is a wise and welcome
book."
-- Marcus Buckingham, author of First, Break all the
Rules and Now, Discover Your Strengths
"Embrace the Chaos is a wonderful book that comes at the
right time, offering us hope, inspiration, and the courage to keep
moving forward."
-- Melanne Verveer, US Ambassador-at-Large for Global
Women's Issues
"Bob has offered an insightful and thought-provoking guide to
navigating times of profound change."
-- Ian Read, Chairman and CEO, Pfizer Inc.
"In a world where change, uncertainty, and continual reinvention
have become the new norm, Bob Miglani takes us on a powerful and
optimistic journey of quite literally embracing the chaos and
organically transforming the future from threat into opportunity
and optimism. Read Embrace the Chaos and believe it."
-- Henry S. Lodge, coauthor of the New York Times
bestselling Younger Next Year and Younger Next Year
for Women
"Over 2,500 years ago, the Buddha taught his followers about the
impermanent nature of existence . . . explaining how everything is
constantly changing, ever flowing, eternally in flux. But our
Western minds crave stability, certainty, predictability, and
control. 'Give it up,' Bob Miglani tells us in his new book. 'Your
longing for control is futile. The truth of reality is chaos.
Learn to go with the flow. Relax -- and dance with the chaos.' The
Buddha would agree. Therein lies freedom and happiness."
-- BJ Gallagher, coauthor of Being Buddha at Work
"If we are going to continue to thrive in these times of
profound change, we must learn how to embrace the chaos. This is a
most compelling book that offers men and women everywhere hope,
inspiration, and courage."
-- Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky, former Under Secretary
of State
"We all can benefit from Bob's experience in learning to embrace
the chaos of our modern life. This book is enormously helpful to
me in navigating the everyday challenges of being a husband,
father, and NFL official."
-- Carl Johnson, the NFL's first full-time on-field game
official
"Whether we're trying to transform education or change our own
lives, it's about embracing chaos. Bob's wonderful book helps show
us how to move purposefully and happily through the complex nature
of work and life."
-- John Katzman, founder of The Princeton Review, 2U, and
Noodle
"Embrace this book! Bob articulates so perfectly the feelings we
all have of uncertainty in life. His fascinating stories and
unique observations offer a positive-thinking picture of what we
need to get unstuck and move forward successfully."
-- Lynda Bekore, Managing Editor, SmallBizClub.com, and
Huffington Post blogger
"'Embrace the chaos' is not just a mantra for management -- it's
a mantra for life. We can all learn from and enjoy this simple but
beautifully written book. It is, without question, worth the
read."
-- John J. Connolly, EdD, President and CEO, Castle
Connolly Medical Ltd., and former President, New York Medical
College
"With a jolt, Bob's writing forces us to rethink our lives and
transform ourselves -- to step back from the daily roller coaster
of life, savor every passing minute with a free spirit, and
discover unlimited potential in ourselves! An easy-to-read manual
of life!"
-- Deepak Ahuja, CFO, Tesla Motors
