There are very few self-help books that take the reader through an introspective journey. Rarely, do we come across books that make you intensely involved in its journey [or story]! I had an opportunity to read the novel ‘Jasmine Builds On Shifting Sands‘ which walks you through Jasmine’s journey of success, augmented with a one-of-a-kind, e-micro learning experience.
As mentioned on the book’s cover, the story revolves around Jasmine Arya – the main protagonist, who has a dream of making it big as a successful model in the cut-throat world of fashion. The story of Jasmine is narrated by the spiritual Guru Ma Krishnanandgiri – the spiritual guru of the book’s author – Sanjay Desai.
About the Author
Sanjay Desai is a multi-faceted personality. He is an entrepreneur, an ex-banker, and an alumnus of IIM (Bangalore). He is also a Chartered Accountant. Through this book, Sanjay wants to enrich the readers by sharing a story that seamlessly traverses through the material and spiritual world. You can find more about Sanjay Desai from his LinkedIn profile.
Detailed Review
The central character of the story is Jasmine – a college topper and super-confident girl who joins the beauty industry by sheer luck. She has her share of ups & downs as she tries to set foot in an industry which is relatively new to her. The story is about how she overcomes her fears, agonies, negativities, etc. to make a mark in the industry.
Jasmine is a quick learner who keeps learning from her mistakes. At the end of the day, life is a journey where each one of us have to strive hard to achieve our goals. Did Jasmine climb the ladder of success all by herself? Definitely not! Jasmine had the fortune to learn from her mentors who were always by her side. They played a huge role in ensuring that she develops the mental strength to stay away from external influences so that she does not shy away from her dreams.
The struggles of Jasmine are very much similar to Priyanka Chopra’s struggle in the movie Fashion. Even with the similarities, you will still be intrigued to figure out what’s next in-store for Jasmine. After reaching the peak of popularity, Jasmine’s journey starts taking a U-turn and we start to see her spiral into a downfall. Does Jasmine bounce back? If so, how does she execute the turn-around?
At this point, she is fortunate to meet Bala – a photographer, who helps her stay grounded. He introduces Jasmine to spirituality, which eventually becomes an integral part of Jasmine’s lifestyle. The book has an excellent mix of Fashion and Spirituality, as the author has successfully managed to align the age-old spiritual practices [e.g. Yoga, Meditation, Introspection, etc.] with modern-day goal setting.
The book goes on to prove the importance of being humble even when your have tasted the sweet smell of success. Spirituality is the only gateway to remain calm and stay focussed in a world where we experience distractions from all possible mediums.
The language used in ‘Jasmine Builds On Shifting Sands’ is simple & easy to understand. The core focus is showcasing the importance of mentors, spirituality, and sheer focus to keep negativities at bay so that you can achieve your goals!
Closing Thoughts
‘Jasmine Builds On Shifting Sands‘ by Sanjay Desai is a breezy read that provides a lot of practical learnings, something that is rare to find in many self-help books. We loved the way micro-learning resources are created using QR-Code for chapters – How to manage Social Media distractions for success, Learn to decode failure with Jasmine, and How to manifest your dreams.
Once you scan the QR Code, you are directed to relevant sections on ConsciousLeap where you can take relevant courses to avoid the mistakes made by Jasmine. On the whole, I liked every part of the novel and the author’s unique strategy to engage readers through unique & free courses on ConsciousLeap takes the learnings to a whole new level!
You can purchase Jasmine Builds On Shifting Sands by Sanjay Desai by clicking on the link below: