Veteran adman Ram Sehgal's book ‘Faith’ talks of the constant uncertainties of life and the quest for some dependable support. Faith helps to accept any life verdict, and yet, too much dependence on it undermines the power of the self, says reviewer Charulata Ravikumar, CEO of Razorfish India
I have always suspected that the world around me is conspiring to convert the atheist in me. Well, track the many books I have reviewed lately! I picked Faith by Ram Sehgal with shaky hands and a resolve that I shall continue to remain unaltered in my notion of faith.
An ad-legend's journey is always an interesting read, but usually predictable. The early years of ambition and confusion. Slavery and mastery. And mergers and more confusion. While Ram's book comforts you with this known track, it also surprises you with the softer side of the adman breaking myths that ad leaders are driven by the need to achieve power and stardom. Every step in his journey appears to be a soul-searching map with milestones that pay tribute to "The Mother". The Divine Mother (of Aurobindo Ashram - for the spiritually challenged) is the book’s recurring motif, the guiding force in Ram’s life. Inspiring, but to my disagreement, with too many rigid views. However, even for the cynics and naysayers, the book offers pearls of wisdom that will float you through self-altercation and life sinking moments. Some interesting excerpts and my own inferences that raised debates in my mind are reproduced below.
Faith is not dependent on experience at all, but faith leads to it - Well, let's agree to disagree, Mr Sehgal. There are over eight billion faiths (not religions) in the world. Each built, altered, demolished and reinstated by the experiences life puts us through. The author contradicts himself in this statement by placing his own experience-led faith in The Mother as the primary thread in the book.
Spirituality and normal life can co-exist - The author's description of The Mother as a beacon of hope and support on the one hand and leading a life disciplined through sports and daily routines rather than rituals, is a much-needed balance that should be achieved. Or else, you could get consumed by one or the other to a point of obsession.
Deal with prayers that remain unanswered - Life will be full of these. My take on this one is to pray less and ask for less. Just keep the faith that all's for the best. That way the disappointments are kept at bay. And the joys of what you get are immense.
See the world and expand your consciousness - This one remains one of my guiding forces and an advice to all my students and team members. Undeniably, a powerful way to stretch the horizons of one’s mind. All may not be so privileged to roam the globe but the spirit allows you to spread and immerse in any space you wish.
Plunge into problems to avoid nervousness - Turning a blind eye on the hope that problems go away only makes you open your eyes to a giant of a problem staring you in the face. Faith can be very useful here to give you the strength that all will be well if you face the problems. But again, it's your inner strength that will really resolve it.
Where there is faith, there is no bad experience, only valuable learning - We take years to come to terms with this. When one is young, one is full of dreams and desires. Disappointments lead us to term experiences as bad. And when we absolutely cannot control the situation and have to move on, we term them as valuable learning. Perhaps why the concept of faith gets strong as you grow older.
In all of these interesting life learnings, the author seems to have chosen to place The Mother at the helm. Ascribing the steering into storms, to life, and the steering out of it, to her. He has given little or no credit to his own abilities and efforts. Faith helps to accept any life verdict, and yet, too much dependence on it undermines the power of the self. Surely not every milestone on his inspiring journey would read "Faith".
PS: While faith can be the life-changer, the many language and grammar errors in the book needed a more faithful editor.
ABOUT RAM SEHGAL
Ram Sehgal began his illustrious career in the advertising industry at S.H. Benson (Ogilvy) and later moved to JWT. After working at JWT for 15 years, he was made head of JWT’s subsidiary Contract Advertising as its president. Over 16 years tenure, Sehgal built Contract into one of the finest in the country. He served as the president of the AAAI and chairman of the Advertising Standards Council of India for two years.
A prolific writer, Sehgal has authored four books - Mixed Feelings, Secrets Of Advertising, Around The World In 40 Years and What’s Cooking?
He lives in Pondicherry and is connected with the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
