Author Highlight: Ankita Aurora Discusses her New Book ‘The Smart Balance’ and Stories from her Life
We are
delighted to welcome a very promising author, Ankita Aurora, for a brief Q
& A session at our website about her recent book: The Smart Balance.
In this Q
& A session, she will be talking about her writing aspirations, inclination
towards self-help books, and the route to getting her novel published. Stay
on...while we chat with her.
First off, we would like to know a bit about your initiative – Morfosis? Would you mind shedding some light on it?
Morfosis is
derived from the word ‘metamorphosis’ which signifies the change or
transformation. Morfosis has been set up on the belief that every human being
has an innate desire to grow. We believe that to grow, evolve and become better
is a human need which if ignored, can lead to unhappiness, anxiety, stress,
depression or lack of purpose in life. Everyone has a desire to grow. A mother
would want to be a better mother, a sales professional would want to excel
further in sales or learn new skills of marketing; a doctor would want to be better
at healing patients and so shall a teacher at educating children. Hence, our
focus lies on creating a positive impact in people from all walks of life, be
it personal, social or professional. We want everyone to keep growing and live
happily and purposefully!
Next is, why did you choose to write about smart life concept in the digital era? Or what inspired you to write this book?
Well, it all
started with me. A few years back, I started reflecting on my own behaviors
with technology and social media. I realized that I used my phone to navigate
my entire life. I was dependent on it for directions, to deciding what to eat
and where to eat, to connect with my family and friends, to entertain myself,
to get my groceries and more. I reached out to my phone when I was happy,
depressed, lonely, and bored. It was at the same time, I remembered my
childhood and the sweetest memories I had of my early years were those of
traveling with family, climbing trees and plucking fruits, playing with friends
after school and more real life experiences. I started drawing parallels
between my existing tech savvy world to the old fashioned real offline life.
Furthermore,
when I started practicing as a life coach and behavioral trainer, I had trained
people on time management, productivity and performance, work-life balance,
happiness, emotional intelligence and more. I was coaching parents, students,
young professionals, senior leaders, and business owners on various life
challenges.
Every program
and coaching session involved a common issue at hand with the use of technology
in our lives. Whether it was parents concerned about their kid's obsession with
video games or professionals struggling with focusing on important tasks.
People around me complained about dry eyes, anxiety, and shoulder-and-neck
pains more than ever. I noticed the increased stress levels and sleep
disturbances, diminishing real-life conversations and connections, and
loneliness in crowded places. They, including me, with the help of Dr. Google,
had become self-doctors. I don't know whether it was a coincidence or the law
of attraction at play, while I was busy looking around observing a change in
our lives, I got exposed to the works of Kimberly Young, the pioneer of the
study of internet addiction.
To satisfy my
itch and personal curiosity about the subject further, I read innumerable books
on the same subject, followed the experts of technology addiction, and
interacted with psychologists, psychiatrists, with the game developers, digital
marketers, parents, millennials, business leaders and more. I read literature
on mindfulness, habits, distraction, focus, attention, meditation, product
design, behavioral addiction, neuroplasticity, psychology, and again more.
The more I
read, the more scared I started to feel about where we, as human beings and as
a society, were heading. There was a need to make people aware of the impact of
technology in our lives. The technology was getting SMART day-by-day and
moment-by-moment. Human beings needed to be SMARTER.
We know
technology is an essential part of our life now. But how do we ensure its
smooth functioning for the overall health of our body and life, was a question
to be answered. Hence, I decided to work upon this subject and write a book to
spread awareness about the newly yet widely spread epidemic of Smartphone
Syndrome.
Do you follow the lifestyle that has been stated in the book?
The five
principles that I have mentioned in the book for smart balance are something
that I truly believe in and work hard to live by. Whatever be our relationship
with technology, I think these principles are the structural foundation of a
good and happy living. With technology, I definitely practice “intentionality”.
Before I download an app, buy a new device or get onto a new social media
platform, I try and weigh its pros and cons, and make a conscious choice about
it. But honestly speaking, despite the rules around technology in my life, I do
sometimes slip into the rabbit holes of the Internet myself. I guess these are
overwhelming times for all of us. The idea is to be aware, keep a check and
pull ourselves out and put on track when we get carried away.
How do you handle the response of this book from your friends and other people?
There has been
a lot of love and support from my community prior and post the book release.
And, I am sincerely grateful to each and every person who has come my way along
the journey of this book, as they all have in some way contributed to it.
However, I feel the best when I hear back from a reader not only appreciating
the book but with real changes they have brought into their lives and how it
has impacted their well being.
Did you play video games in your childhood days? Do you think video games are not good for all of us?
Oh yes. I have
played video games on those portable consoles introduced when I was in school.
We had games like Tank, Snake in cellphone, Mario and Islander on the TV
attached game kits etc. But while I remember playing these video games for good
amount of 4-5 years of my childhood, I also do remember playing Chess with my
elder brother (although I have not been able to defeat him even once till
date), playing card games like Rummy and Sweep with my parents and
grandparents, having Ludo championships with my cousins, and going on hours and
hours of uninterrupted carom board matches.
Video games
were just one of many forms of fun and entertainment and we often had a window
of time period to play after school, or on weekends. Today, much more complex
video games lie in the pockets of children. And that is what worries me. Games
are good for fun and rejuvenation. They can also form bonds between siblings
and friends when played together. In fact, certain games can also improve
reaction time, decision making, problem solving skills in children. But, it all
depends on the selection of games, duration they are played for and not really
a substitute for real time play.
What do you do when you are not writing?
I am a
behavioral trainer by profession. Writing is a means to spread out my ideas to
a larger audience. When I am not writing, I am engaged in training programs and
workshops for institutions and corporates under Morfosis.
What inspire you most in life?
Well, I am
deeply inspired by simplicity. I am always seeking out ways to uncomplicated
things and simplify processes, theories and lives. We have somehow landed in a
place where everything is complex, be it business scenarios, relationships,
wardrobes, devices, health, emotions etc. I like unraveling things to put them
as straight and simple as possible, for my audience, my readers and myself.
Can you tell us about your current projects – be it anything?
At present, we
are working hard to spread awareness about the subject of Technology Addiction
and The Smart Balance in the society. We are doing Digital Well-being programs
for corporate, Digital Citizenship programs for students and Digital parenting
programs for parents. We shall soon be announcing our Digital Detox Himalayan
retreats to help individuals unplug and disconnect with their devices and to
connect with the real world.
Apart from
this, some of our other flagship programs under Morfosis include those on
Personal Wellness, Positive Thinking and Law of Attraction, Work Life Balance
for Working Women and more.
If you were to change your genre, which one would you choose?
I am dedicated
to the space of personal growth. I would like to stick to this at least for the
near future. But I do have ideas to work upon Leadership, a few years down the
line because I leaders have the power to impact multiple lives. So hopefully,
that is something I will explore.
What does literary success look like to you?
Every single
tiny success story from an individual/reader is a success to me.
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