By Audrey Anderson
Hometown Weekly Reporter
At the Needham Free Public Library (NFPL), Matt Robinson interviewed Sanjiv Chopra and Gina Vild about their book, “The Two Most Important Days: How to Find Your Purpose–and Live a Happier, Healthier Life.” The event was presented by the Library Foundation of Needham as part of its Author Series.
Dr. Sanjiv Chopra, a prominent liver specialist, is a professor of medicine and former faculty dean for continuing medical education at Harvard University Medical School. He is also a popular inspirational speaker on leadership, health, and happiness.
Gina Vild is an associate dean for communications and external relations at Harvard Medical School and a well-known speaker about happiness, resilience, and grief.
Matt Robinson, host of “The Writer’s Block” on the Needham Channel, began the discussion by asking how Chopra and Vild came to write their book together. Chopra explained that the two authors worked together at Harvard Medical School, and their families became friends. Vild shared that one of her ambitions in life was to write a book. Chopra invited her to work with him on “The Two Most Important Days” to help her wish come true.
Chopra focused on a philosophical approach to defining your life’s purpose. Your purpose can develop gradually or have a local or wider impact. Often something you observe will inspire your purpose. For example, some who have witnessed horrific incidents, have been inspired to commit their lives to a related purpose.
Chopra shared the example of Papa Jaime from Bogota, Columbia, who gave a toy to an orphan girl he saw on the street. She probably had never had a toy before. The girl was delighted. After a transcendent moment of bliss, a truck suddenly hit and killed her. After that horrible incident, Papa Jaime committed himself to doing what he could in his life to help children in need, founding an organization to help children and leading an effort to get orphans off the streets for safety.
Vild’s contribution to the discussion was more pragmatic. To find your purpose, she recommended writing your own obituary at your current age. In the process of doing so, you will discover what is most important to you in life. Another exercise she suggests trying is to rate things you do in life from 1(low) to 9 (high) in the amount of happiness they give you. Write each activity and its number on a separate index card. Discard the cards in the 1 to 5 range and focus on the activities on the cards in the 6 to 9 range.
Chopra and Vild said that the main takeaways from their book are that the important aspects of life are having friends, forgiving others, and having gratitude. Those who have found out how to serve others are often happiest.
