“Would you be able to manage the kids and the house without me?” my wife Renu asked me late at night while I was engrossed in figuring out a title for my first book.
I found the question quite unusual, so I kept my laptop aside and turned to Renu.
“Are you going to your mom’s place without the kids?” I asked.
“No, it’s not that,” she said.
“Then…why this question?” I was curious.
“Sometimes I wish to be in a place where there is absolute solitude and peace,” she said dreamily. “A place where there are no people around me, only lush green trees, a clear blue sky, milky white rivers and snowclad mountains.”
“Hmm...it seems like you need a break,” I reflected.
“True! I wish I could take a break from my daily routine,” she agreed. “Maybe live a monk-like life in the Himalayas!” Renu said with a twinkle in her eyes.
“Really?” I startled.
“Yes! That’s the only way I think I can get some me-time to introspect and unravel the mysteries of life,” she said philosophically. “In my daily routine I hardly get that kind of time and space for deeper reflection,” she finished with a sigh.
The moment Renu said this, a bulb lit up in my head.
“What is it?” she asked as she noticed my face shining with enthusiasm.
“An interesting insight struck me!” I said.
“Wisdom can only be found in the Himalayas or by living an isolated life—that’s what most of us tend to believe, isn’t it?” I said.
“Yeah...” Renu nodded, intrigued about what I was getting at.
“But I wonder if it is always necessary to retreat to the mountains or be in seclusion to gain wisdom,” I told her.
“Can’t we draw profound lessons of life from simple daily conversations?”
“Like the one we had just now!” Renu finished with a smile.
And that’s how my wife discovered a different path to wisdom, and I stumbled upon the title for my first book.
“Why go to the Himalayas for Wisdom?” ...When you can find it in the everyday!
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