Gagandeep Singh: Then I read The Power of Your Subconscious Mind.
That actually helped me to understand more about these concepts like acceptance.
You know, the Bible also, because it’s a very good book about mentality and wisdom through these stories and anecdotes that it tells you.
It completely resonates even today in the situations that we find ourselves trapped in.
So those are the two books that actually helped me to build that mindset, to build that mentality, and actually come to know about this concept of surrounding yourself with the right kind of people, right?
Because that is the most important thing.
So I started to surround myself with the right kind of people and started to read all these books, and that was the turning point for me.
Sabrina Chevannes: Yeah, that’s definitely exactly that, I think so.
I think the people you surround yourself with say a lot about who you are.
But tell me about your book because you didn’t say.
What’s your book about and what inspired you to write it?
Gagandeep Singh: Yeah, so the first book I wrote was actually in 2020.
And I took the inspiration because I was reading a lot of books by that time, so I thought, “I’m reading all these books and I am seeing the changes in my life, so why don’t I write a book myself?”
So I started to write my first book in 2020, and it took me about three or four months to finish it.
And my first book is called Five Keys to Living Effectively.
It’s a self-help book, and it’s all about, I would say, not much more about self-help, but about the experiences and things that helped me become a better person, from being an insecure introverted person to a person who could actually go after what he believes in.
So that was the first book that I started to write.
And then I wrote three novels and another self-help book, including a ghostwritten book which I wrote for my client.
So that was a novel.
Yeah, definitely.
I have not written the one bestselling book yet, but definitely, I mean, for that—
Sabrina Chevannes: Okay.
Gagandeep Singh: Yeah, until I release a bestseller.
Sabrina Chevannes: Absolutely.
Gagandeep Singh: I’m working on that.
I’m connecting with some other authors who are already bestsellers, and I’m learning from them, learning from their experiences.
Like, how did they reach that level?
What are the things that they actually implemented in their writing that helped them reach millions of readers?
And it’s all about that stuff.
Nothing special about that.
And I am also working on one startup as well.
Sabrina Chevannes: We find people’s reactions about you interesting because these guys don’t have a lot of time, especially when they’re writing and doing all that.
And I have a lot of friends who are authors.
And when I got to know them, you can be disturbed that they wanted to help.
And also, these guys are obviously very successful.
Like when you’ve reached out to them and asked them for advice, have they had a lot of objections or have they generally been helpful?
What’s the response been like?
Gagandeep Singh: Sometimes you have to just reach out to people directly through email or cold emailing and all that stuff.
But some people don’t respond because they’re busy and they have their own schedules, so they’re not able to keep up with me.
But some of them are actually very supportive.
They helped me understand the things that they have done to become a bestseller.
And they tell me every little secret, every little step, what are the kind of things that we have to do to reach that next level.
We’re not talking about instant success.
They’re talking about how it’s going to take long, but if you persevere for a long time, then you’re going to achieve that.
Sabrina Chevannes: People are people because, like I said, we’re in a complicated world at the moment.
It’s so easy to think bad things about everyone and think that everybody is a bad person, but it’s so good to hear that there are some people out there who just want to help others.
And I think that’s what the world needs.
But it is nice to know that, and I can’t wait to hear about your progress and how close you are to that bestseller.
This is very exciting.
You do motivational talks and everything like that, which is pretty cool and completely understandable.
Yes, I have.
And all I want to say, like I said, you are a world record holder, which is incredible in every sense of the word.
But do you feel that a lot of people maybe look down on it a little bit more because it’s the Indian Book of Records and not a westernized culture?
How do you feel when you’re going to talks and speaking?
I’m curious because there’s a lot of bigotry out there, right?
People think, “Well, you’re not this big American guy talking about all this stuff.”
They come across a different way.
How do people respond to where you’re from and your culture?
Are they respectful?
Gagandeep Singh: Yeah, they’re respectful, but the thing is sometimes they don’t pay much attention because they’re like, “Oh, this is the Indian Book of Records. This is not Guinness World Records.”
But it also takes that kind of hard work to achieve and get into the Indian Book of Records.
So it sometimes doesn’t feel good, but you have to go through that effect while delivering your speech.
I’m just getting started in motivational speaking.
I have a lot to learn in the speaking industry.
I’m not a great speaker yet, but I still have to learn a lot of things.
So I would say sometimes people have that casual attitude, like it’s just Indian Book of Records and not much of a big deal.
But still, you have to deliver that speech.
And I think I’m doing pretty well in that.
I’m still motivating people pretty much.
And then I tell them that motivation is crap.
Even more, don’t consider me a motivational speaker who can inspire you for just some hours and then you go back to your normal life.
It’s not going to happen like that.
I tell them the exact stuff.
They have to be disciplined and consistent regarding whatever they are doing.
So I tell them all those things and then they start to take me seriously after some time.
Sabrina Chevannes: You’re a very confident person, so I can imagine you’d just brush it off and get over it.
But probably less confident people would get a bit dejected and frustrated if they were trying to reach out to bestselling authors.
And if you were to become a bestseller, you’d probably have to reach America because that’s where the world sales are going to be.
So it must be disheartening.
How do you stay so strong?
Gagandeep Singh: Yeah, I mean sometimes it’s disheartening a little bit, but I think I have that kind of perspective to look at it that I don’t have to dwell on these things.
Like, if you do anything great, people are not going to believe in you at first.
You have to make them believe in you by producing the results.
People talk about how results don’t matter, that it’s the journey that matters.
But results do matter.
That is what we count on.
That is what we admire people for, and that is where greatness is counted.
Results matter, of course.
And I think it’s that perspective that helps me not dwell on those things, not be frustrated or trapped in the feeling of being disregarded.
So I think it’s about perspective.
It helps to learn more about that because having that perspective is very helpful.