Article first published as Book Review: Cruising Through Turbulence by Rakesh Sethi on Blogcritics.
June 20, 2012
Cruising Through Turbulence:
An Inspirational Guide for Your Wealth and Wellbeing
in Difficult Economic Times and Beyond
Rakesh Sethi
CreateSpace (2012)
ISBN: 9781477636688
New Book Balances Inner and Material Wealth for Rich and Happy Life
I am always impressed when an author can pack a great deal of wisdom into a small book and get straight to the point. Rakesh Sethi quickly reveals what is truly important about life in Cruising Through Turbulence. Like so many of us, he knows what it is to have one’s focus directed to acquiring things and pursuing wealth under the false pretense that it can solve all your problems and make your life better. After finding himself unhappy in the rat race, Sethi spent twenty-five years studying ancient wisdom, science, and philosophy, and now he presents what he has learned in a nutshell with simple steps for finding lasting happiness.
Referencing the economic downturn of recent years, Sethi asks us whether our pursuit of wealth has made us any happier. Then he suggests we should learn something from this situation:
Perhaps depletion of your material wealth in difficult economic times is Nature’s way of prompting you to discover your non-material side. Nature is offering you an opportunity to discover your inner, subtle, and higher non-material self. Take this opportunity. Do not squander it.
Sethi is a realist, so he does not tell us to quit our jobs or vow to have nothing to do with money ever again. Instead, he encourages us to keep money in its place. We cannot allow the gain or loss of our material wealth to affect our spirit and control our lives. Sethi then walks the reader through how to understand the true nature of wealth and how it affects human nature. He also opens our eyes to what he terms “non-material wealth” and how it has the power to last while material wealth does not. When we obtain non-material wealth, which we might consider to include spiritual wealth, resilience, and freedom from controlling desires, we come to realize that whatever happens in the material world and to our material wealth need not rule our lives. Instead, we should be more like Nature in its strength:
It is normal for you to feel down in difficult economic times or any crisis. What changes outside in Nature affects your nature inside. That is another of Nature’s laws. However, the question here is: Does Nature change anytime you or the world go through a crisis? Of course not! Wouldn’t you agree the sun, the moon, the earth, and the seasons will continue on their rhythmic cycles without missing a beat? Nature is not affected by your personal or global economic crisis. When you gain or lose material wealth, you don’t say you gained or lost yourself. You say you lost your wealth. Realize that your real Self is separate from your material existence.
The concepts in Cruising Through Turbulence may be a bit of a hard-hitting wake-up call for some readers, but Sethi presents his inspirational message in an easy to understand format, and he tells several stories, including one about a prince and a guru, to illustrate his points and to make his message memorable. He also provides some practical exercises to help us learn to put wealth in its place and overcome the anxiety and turbulence we feel about money. Sethi’s common sense and the invaluable truths he presents in Cruising Through Turbulence make this small but highly significant volume one worth reading again and again.
For more information about Rakesh Sethi and Cruising Through Turbulence, visit www.PromoteHealthWellness.com
— Tyler R. Tichelaar, Ph.D., and author of the award-winning “Narrow Lives”
