A man is fundamentally a thinker, a philosopher and probably a scholar in whatever status of life his is. The feelings and ideas offer an opportunity to delve deep into those areas of intellectual province that hitherto appear mysterious or more appropriately called unknown to avoid the casing of mystery that philosophy carries sans negative perspectives regarding life and existence. When I went through Neeraj Kumar a young author’s book ‘Untold Stories of My Youth’, it raised curiosity. He conscientiously appeared to take his readers to apparently positive and bright paths of life, which otherwise appear full of obstacles and barriers. Kumar astutely puts a tag when he speaks of feelings of victory over trauma and ensuing fullness.  

To nurse a constructive and hopeful attitude to life amidst numerous travail causes challenging situations in life. To maintain equilibrium of psychic upsets needs immense control and discipline.  A mere casual reading exhibits Kumar’s sense of understanding of human nature, its purity, righteousness, empathy and love of liberty and absolute feelings of unity, reliability, self-respect of man and truthfulness. Neeraj is true to what he believes and writes. It is an approach to life steeped in materialistic thoughts with little space for natural brightness of life, which inspires man to live life meaningfully, wisely spreading aura of optimism and delight. If a man is aware of the essential ingredients of life and existence that grant it beauty, love, compassion, sense of gratitude and togetherness, fraternity and understanding, it exercises great and sanctifying influence on life.

Neeraj Kumar, a twenty-five-year-old avid bookworm and an ardent writer, born and brought up in New Delhi, currently, lives there.  His journey as a writer begins in 2018, and is now, an author of three notable books - Conquer Yourself, a self-help book 2020 co-authored with Shyam Kumar, For All The Times, a collection of love poetry 2023 and Untold Stories of My Youth- –Overcoming Trauma and Restoring Wholeness, is a publication of Notion Press Platform –www.notionpress.com. He calls it a poetic self-help book 2024.

He holds an MBA degree with Hons. in English.  At present, he is working in corporate as an associate consultant at "Twimbit".

The young writer looks at the brightness of life, and disseminates feelings of unity, love, warmness, compassion and truth. Goodness and compassion for all is a universal medication for many flaws beleaguering humankind notwithstanding plethora of religious teachings with surfeit of virtues that exert a therapeutic influence on life.  If one considers life as a gift of God, it is a blessing or else any negative thought brings miseries. Many educationists and academics have written books carrying lessons that not only elevate but also consecrate life. 

He is meticulous in the arrangement of contents of ‘wisdom and vision’ he thinks good for the young generation facing countless challenges. He reflects on life and considers ‘Peace, Love and Harmony’ as the three major constituents. To attain the objective in life, one ought to maintain peace of mind. Looks quite easy but to exercise control over wayward feelings and thoughts arising out of material propensities and unrestrained desires, is a huge problem. Kumar devises some easy mechanism to keep mind under control. If one is successful, he can attain his destination.  It also determines the degree of joy and happiness.

Thoughts of meaningless wanderings disturb. At such moments, iniquitous or melancholic thoughts distract and upset calmness and inner peace. It is necessary to keep one’s sense of awareness and inner composure under control. A person if wields discriminating power over actualities and realities he confronts in life, he overcomes likely obstructions.  Rays of hopes bring light to life and dispels possible darkness and ignorance, and one gets rid of doubts or delusory outlook. Let inner flame of hope and brightness stay alive and burning. It is adequate to cast off probable unawareness and dark areas of existence he counsels.  

To keep alive spirit of eternal optimism and joy, strengthens inner will power with hope and joy. Nothing stays forever. Every object one perceives undergoes transformation for the good or bad. It is changeless activity of human nature, objects one sees, sounds one hears, words one speaks through sounds. Man ought to deliberate on what he sees, hears and speaks, and in what way he conducts ‘the self’ the major director of all activities of a human being.  Whatever happens around, one would definitely find some scope, a little space and an opening to grow, to enter areas of light, joy and meaning.  Life hides hope in all its shades. 

The author is determined to inspire and provoke a sad man as anticipated, and therefore, interestingly, invents two characters –an old man and a young man Rahul. One has lived and experienced life with meaning and intrinsic significance but exhorts youngsters like Rahul to care for the bright side of life and bring light not only to ‘the self’ but to everyone he encounters. This act alone infuses meaning and purpose to human existence. A feeling of joy and cheers stays alive amidst sorrow and negativity, and delusion and fantasy of life. When experience and dreams merge, it makes life noteworthy and imparts meaning to it. It is precisely the purpose of the book. 

It drives a man to regions of affirmative and buoyant frame of mind during trying circumstances of life. Turning challenges into opportunities give significance to life and existence. It is heartening and hopeful attitude that matters in life. Loss and gain, joys and sufferings, sorrows and grief, birth and death are inseparable parts in the life of human beings. Life turns memorable, and creates inspiring stir and devotion to the cause of growth if a man cherishes and values feelings of pure love, compassion, single-minded concentration on the objective of life, sense of charity, benevolence, inner calmness and discipline, a genuine quality of appreciation etc. These virtues strengthen a person in totality sans possible flaws.

Sincerity and honesty in words and acts constitute principled life and living. Kumar is guarded and painstaking in defining regions of hope and motivation, and takes up thoughts, principles, ideals and moral values that appear pragmatic and worth cultivating sans much strain but with a fair amount of positive inspiration, and it makes life really magnificent, worth living and emulating. Here, a sense of warmth, compassion, love, affection and mutual understanding in human bonds and relations without self-interest prove effective for maintaining peace, love and harmony around. Natural, simple and humble approach to life and people is a great virtue, he often exhorts. The value system with pragmatic and selfless outlook on life is precious that requires no extra efforts or imitation. This sort of loveliness, beauty and dignity in life is good and an asset to the man. One ought not to be vocal or expressive in demonstrating one’s good qualities. Even silence and humility, grace and courtesy turn conduct ideal both internally and externally. 

To fortify his thoughts and feelings relating to man and humankind, he goes back and draws inspirational power and authority from men of religions, great men, poets, writers and political leaders, academics and saintly politicians. He is modest and admits their contribution to the building of a true and genuine human being in existing turbulence and mystification, anarchy and catastrophic living styles in life. 

It is the secular, all embracive and universal outlook on life and existence that he tries to build up and which to him, appear the cardinal principles of life, a man ought to live on earth. A great idealistic approach, a young man puts across with all his strengths and little ignorable unrealistic imperfections that go with the age. His optimistic and idealistic viewpoints on life in modern context present a fine departure from the routine monotonous annotations and interpretations as news items, which appear in various journals, newspapers and other literary magazines and continue to offer editorial suggestions to live life.

 Undoubtedly, Neeraj Kumar offers excellent and refreshing thoughts imbued with intimate and deep feelings of love with inspirational motivation. Like Dale Carnegie, he is a good reader of human attitude, psychology and nature with regard to crucial social relations. Forgetting ‘the self-interests’ and exhibiting interest in feelings and thoughts of others, and genuine efforts to help a person passing through crisis in life is the message one obtains.  Yes, good and rewarding read fills a man with inner joy and quiet inspiration. A great wise endeavor to encourage young generation, and guide it to brightness of life and living, casting aside darkness it appears. An unforgettable stimulating gift it is…to the young generation in an age of uncertainties, nostalgic feelings of breakdown with a strong spirit to fight out challenges.