Jaswinder Pal Singh | harbinger of good cheer

A distress call from a friend in 1998 eventually turned mechanical engineer Jaswinder Pal Singh into a professional happiness trainer. The Delhi-based friend was depressed after several personal and professional setbacks and was determined to take his own life. “I told him to put off his ‘suicide plan’ for a month and focus on the three Gs – gratitude, goodness and charity,” says Singh. The idea was to change the mindset, to make his friend realize that whatever he has achieved so far is because of his good work. Singh also asked his friend to thank all those who were good with him. His friend took his advice to heart and after 32 days, there was a changed man. “My friend is the one who suggested that I seriously think about counseling as an alternative calling. It changed my life too,” says Singh. Two years later, he left, with his house number at the bottom. Get stickers printed with the slogan ‘If you are feeling low, call Jassi’. That was the beginning of the ‘Institute of Happiness’ which now runs from the office of Encon Thermal Engineers Pvt Ltd, where he is Director, Marketing. Singh has given happiness tips to nearly 17,000 people so far. “There hasn’t been a single complaint so far,” says the glasses-clad Singh with a smile.

Singh’s first customer was a frustrated shopkeeper, whose ‘delusions’ he helped clear. Singh’s ability to simplify complex issues and clearly explain research findings on various subjects made things easy for him. He often resorts to jokes and real-life incidents and stories to make his point. He has also conducted ‘Khushi’ training workshops for about 147 corporate houses in India and abroad.

Singh believes that there are only two emotions, fear and love. “We have hundreds of negative thoughts in our mind. If you want to stay positive, you have to change the setting from fear to love,” says the Doon School alumnus. “A person is unhappy because he does not want to take charge of his life. He blames others for things that are not working for him.”

Singh tells customers that life is not happening to us, but is giving us feedback based on what we have to offer. “If there is something missing in your life, it is because you are not giving that special thing to others. People want to reap the fruit before sowing the seed. That is the problem,” he says.

Singh believes that money, fame and physical beauty are misunderstandings that deprive us of happiness. “By letting go of these misconceptions and developing happiness habits you will naturally become positive,” he advises.