Don’t be a backseat passenger – climb into the driver’s seat and see life from that perspective. Then boldly make the decisions that lead to responsibility.

That’s how Pramuk Manchanayake views life. He’s honest about situations he encountered and how he successfully or unsuccessfully dealt with issues that cropped up. His work is valuable because it isn’t based on theories and what the author thinks should be done but practical experiences he has had, and problems he’s overcome.

One is reminded of our rulers who make wild promises but aren’t able to deliver. It was Russian leader Vladimir Lenin repeated a quote that promises are like pie crusts – they’re meant to be broken.

The ones who can make a difference are the voters who have continuously made the wrong decisions over the years. There are courses for politicians on how to do things right. However, they use opportunities to find loopholes in the law rather than correct their mistakes.

Many don’t listen to others but thrive on their own theories. In an interview with President J. R. Jayewardene (JR) in 1978 for an article in The Wall Street Journal, I asked him why he had replaced the first-past-the-post voting system with proportional representation. JR replied that the UNP was getting over 37 percent of the votes upon analysis of recent elections and this move would ensure that the party would always be in power.

History has proven him wrong. Calculations by politicians based on their desires don’t always work out – as recent events in Sri Lanka have demonstrated. For instance, beautifying a city doesn’t translate into an increase in agricultural production!

Failure is an issue that dominates not only a personal life but also affects millions of others when wrong decisions are made by leaders. The war between Russia and Ukraine is one such example.

The West is keen for Ukraine to become a member of NATO and the EU but it lost sight of or completely ignored Moscow’s concerns that such membership could result in dangerous weapons being placed along Ukraine’s border with Russia.

No serious attempts have been made by either side to find a compromise. Infrastructure has been destroyed, lives lost and millions displaced by what the Western media portrays as one man’s madness.

How many of us are willing to learn from the mistakes we have made? Instead of blaming others for all the wrongs done in any situation, there must be acknowledgement that at least a small percentage of one’s own mistakes have contributed to the worsening of the issue.

This is what Manchanayake is referring to when he says that one must learn to forgive but also, recognise the wrongs done and mistakes made by each individual. A carrier is burdened with a huge load, which can make one free if it is cast aside.

The value of this book is that it’s based on real life experiences of the author and not theories conjured up in air-conditioned offices.

Manchanayake lost his ability to walk and has had to wear braces on both legs due to a misdiagnosis of rickets, which was exacerbated as a result of three slipped discs and broken bones. And though he was very popular at university, he became depressed and withdrew from life.

He then worked on himself; and in a short time, his determination helped him to go from being a minimum wage earner to the youngest director of a 100-year-old multinational enterprise.

Another experience he refers to is his relationship with his son Seth, which led to reading books to his child at night. At the end of each day, they would sum up their successes and failures, and recognise what they could have done better.

Though meditation is often mistakenly associated with Buddhism, Manchanayake points out that it can be followed by anyone irrespective of religion or background. Meditation helps one perceive things differently and elevates the voice of consciousness. It also enables a person to look beyond his or her immediate circumstances and beliefs. Unfortunately, he doesn’t emphasise the need to listen to one’s inner voice as well.

I found one sentence in his book to be of particular significance: “Opportunities don’t come gift-wrapped.” This is often the expectation. Many people like to believe that it’s possible to win the jackpot at a casino or make one’s fortune by buying a sweep ticket. But one needs to balance expectations with reality.

The author points out that very often, we are caught up with the smallest details of an issue and lose sight of the bigger picture. So he wants to share his experiences, and motivate readers to overcome their problems by finding practical solutions.