Mumbai: If there’s one thing the world doesn’t talk enough about, it’s how to stay happy. Dr. Yusuf Merchant, president of Mumbai-based NGO Drug Abuse Information Rehabilitation & Research Centre, has ‘stumbled upon’ 42 ways to make life more fulfilling.
His book, ‘Happyness: Life Lessons from a Creative Addict’, launched over the weekend, spells it out. “Happiness, for most people, is conditional. Someone may want a home to be happy. On buying the home, realisation will dawn that not having a partner to share the home with will only mean desolation. A partner will fix it – so another condition is made, and happiness is postponed once again,” says an extract from the book.
This is the third book by Dr. Merchant, a mental health practitioner for 34 years. Held at Fun Republic Social, the event was part of Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality’s initiative titled, ‘Let’s Talk Happiness’, aimed at putting the spotlight on mental health, especially among the youth. It involves free workshops, talks and screenings. Apart from Mumbai, the initiative will be unveiled in Socials across Pune, Delhi, Bengaluru and Chandigarh in June.
“I saw that these ‘fundas’ (concepts) which worked for me also seemed to work for my patients. I didn’t want them to be limited to the circle of those suffering from addiction and depression and hence I decided to put them out there,” said Dr. Merchant. On how society doesn’t address mental health enough, Riyaaz Amlani, CEO and MD, Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality said, “We talk about physical fitness but nobody really talks about mental health. So the sense of alienation that people suffering from mental health problems feel only increases. We are hoping that this acts as a family forum – a place where people can open up about their issues.”
Shobita Kadan, director of Marketing and Strategy, Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality said, “We are in the process of tying up with mental health experts. We will also be calling in artists who have struggled with depression and other mental health issues to share their experiences.”
