Everyday Dharma: 8 Essential Practices for Finding Success and Joy in What You Do

In this upbeat outing, Gupta (Backable) chronicles his efforts as a successful but unfulfilled Silicon Valley startup founder to discover his dharma, or “sacred duty.” Likening the process of uncovering one’s purpose to how Michelangelo could “reveal” the sculpture trapped within a block of marble, Gupta writes, “You don’t need to find it; you just have to remove the layers that are in its way”—for example, by identifying “moments that bring you joy” in an otherwise depressing job. (Gupta felt most fulfilled by his healthcare startup, for example, when he was pitching his company to investors using a moving family story, which helped him realize his “calling” was to be a storyteller.) He provides an array of practices for readers to tap into their own dharma, including “seva” (serving others selflessly); “bhakti” (bringing “full-hearted devotion” to a task); and “upekkha” (seeking inner comfort in moments of discomfort). While some anecdotes feel a bit too polished —including one about an English teacher who inspired a student to pursue her dharma (a passion for writing) and opened her newspaper 40 years later to find an article in which her protégé, now a successful screenwriter, credited the teacher for her success—readers will appreciate Gupta’s motivational approach and implemental advice, including tips to “turn distractions into inspiration” and take gratitude breaks. Those seeking purpose amid the rigors of the everyday will find inspiration aplenty. (Sept.)