It Matters A Lot is a book that encourages readers to ponder their own lives and reflect on where they are headed, what they are striving for, and whether it truly matters. An unusual and thought-provoking work by Shubhra Saxena, published by Rupa Publications, it carries a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The book explores the experiences, relationships and choices that shape people through different stages of life, from childhood and adolescence to adulthood, midlife and old age. It examines how family, upbringing, social expectations, ambition, success, failure, love and loss influence the way people see themselves and the world around them.
It Matters A Lot urges readers to question assumptions they may have accepted without reflection. Is success the same as fulfilment? How much of what we pursue is genuinely our own choice? What does it mean to live well when life does not unfold as expected?
The book was recently launched by author and bureaucrat Shubhra Saxena. It is her attempt to encourage introspection, inviting readers to pause, examine their lives and consider what truly matters. Aptly billed as a reflective journey towards conscious living, the book also carries the endorsement of none other than His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The launch was attended by authors and professionals, including Gurucharan Das, author; Pavan K Varma, author, former diplomat and former Rajya Sabha MP; Kusum Lata Kedia, author and former director of Gandhi Vidya Sansthan, Varanasi; Abha Sharma, author and life coach; and Shweta Mathur Lall, author and senior consultant at Apollo Hospitals.
Each chapter concludes with questions designed to help readers reflect on their own experiences, beliefs and decisions. Rather than offering a set formula for happiness or success, the book creates space for readers to understand themselves more deeply and consider how they wish to live.
At its core, the book links self-awareness to conscious living. By recognising the thoughts, emotions and patterns that drive their actions, readers can make more considered choices and respond to life with greater clarity. Such self-understanding, it argues, nurtures empathy, compassion and a stronger sense of responsibility towards others. In an age of constant stimulation and distraction, Saxena’s book offers readers an opportunity to pause and reflect on what gives their lives meaning. It presents conscious living as a continuing journey, one that begins with understanding oneself and extends to how one relates to other people and the wider world.