Krishna says “Learn from Me of the 5 factors,
which bring about the accomplishment of all action”
{Sanskrit}
पञ्चैतानि महाबाहो कारणानि निबोध मे |
साङ् ख्ये कृतान्ते प्रोक्तानि सिद्धये सर्वकर्मणाम् ||
अधिष्ठानं तथा कर्ता करणं च पृथग्विधम् |
विविधाश्च पृथक्चेष्टा दैवं चैवात्र पञ्चमम् ||
Bhagavad Gita, 18.13, 14
{Translation}
O mighty-armed Arjuna, learn from Me of the five factors, which bring about the accomplishment of all action. These are declared in sankhya philosophy to be the place of action (body), the doer (performer), the various senses (resources), the many kinds of efforts (endeavour), and finally Divine Grace…These are the 5 factors of action.
Quoting my Guru, Om Swami, who, with his signature simplicity, clarity, and grace…beautifully explains that the successful accomplishment of any action (karma) is guided by five essential factors:
1.. One’s Support (place of action i.e. body and/or environment),
2.. One’s Attitude (of doer/performer),
3.. One’s Resources (various senses),
4.. One’s Effort (endeavour),
5.. And finally, By Divine Grace (Supersoul).
Basically, 80% One’s Own Action (Free Will)
& 20% Divine Grace (Destiny)
Using the above 5 pointer checklist (not in any particular order) of the ‘Shrimad Bhagavad Gita’, allow me to share with you, how I accomplished the action of writing my first virgin book which became a #1 Amazon Best seller?!
Drawing from the timeless wisdom from the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, and using the above 5 point checklist (in no particular order)…allow me to share how I accomplished the seemingly impossible: writing my very first book, which went on to become an Amazon #1 Bestseller.
Are you ready to dive in?
Let’s explore the journey together! Shall we?!
Here we go!
1… One’s Attitude –
“Once upon a time, two salesmen woke up one morning and there was a storm going on.
One of them looks out of the window and sees the storm and says: “Wow, what a storm! With weather like this, they can’t expect you go out there and make any sales”.
He stays home.
The same morning the other salesman looks out his window, sees the same storm and says: “Wow, what a storm! With weather like this, what a great day to go out and make sales, most probably everybody is going to stay home. Especially all the salesmen”.
(Courtesy – Jim Rohn)
In his profound book Man’s Search for Meaning, Dr. Viktor Frankl reminds us that everything can be taken from a person, except one thing: the freedom to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.
“In other words, Attitude can be understood as the lens through which we perceive reality…shaping how we interpret it, assign meaning to it, and even uncover possibilities within it.”
– Willbur Glenn Colaco
Author, Speaker & Realtor
The word “Attitude” carries a much deeper resonance when viewed through the lens of Sanskrit. It closely mirrors the word “Bhāva”…which goes far beyond a mental state. Bhāva reflects one’s inner sentiment, devotion, awareness, and the spiritual disposition through which we relate to the Divine. It is the heart’s orientation, the subtle fragrance of our intention behind every action.
When I set out to write this book, my Bhāva aka Attitude was never driven by the desire to become a bestseller, to make money, or to feed the ego with accolades or achievements.
My ‘Attitude’ …throughout the journey whilst writing this book was one of
‘Love, Service and Surrender’.
LOVE: This book is, first and foremost, a heartfelt gift dedicated to my daughter, Mairaa.
It was my intent, that one day, when I’m no longer around walking on this beautiful blue planet, I hope she holds this book and its wisdom close to her heart…not just as a collection of words, but as a living conversation from her father. A reminder of who he was, what he stood for, and the wisdom he wished to pass on. If even a single page helps guide her through life’s storms, then my purpose is fulfilled.
SERVICE: This work is also a humble offering to every soul in search of grace, guidance, and growth. I poured into it timeless teachings of ancient wisdom, meaningful stories, soul-stirring quotes, and practical psychological exercises. I even included proven NLP strategies I’ve personally paid to learn…powerful techniques to help bridge the gap between thoughts and actions, between the heart and the mind, between where you are now and where you want to be.
SURRENDER: In 2017, I lost the entire manuscript of my book (story for another time). But life, in its mysterious ways and grace, gave me a second chance after the birth of Mairaa. This time, I wrote it again…entirely from scratch…but with one difference: this time, it was a complete offering to my Guru, Om Swami. With every word, I offered my effort at His feet just as Arjuna surrendered to Krishna. (Though unlike Arjuna, I didn’t bombard Him with a hundred questions… well, maybe just a few. 😊)
“The greatest discovery of my generation is that,
a human being can alter his life, by altering his attitude.”
– William James (1842 – 1910)
American Psychologist & Philosopher
2.. One’s Resources –
It was the summer of 1999 in the vibrant city of Baroda (my hometown). While most people were escaping the heat with mangoes and matkas, I found refuge in something far more mystical…Air-conditioning 😛. More specifically, inside a newly opened, heavenly oasis called Crossword Bookstore. For a teenager dodging tuition classes and guzzling Rasna, this was the Kailasa of cool.
And it was there…among neatly stacked shelves of unknown worlds and unread minds that my journey into Personal Development truly began.
I still remember the moment. I spotted a bold, crimson book whispering to me from the shelf: “The 48 Laws of Power” by Robert Greene. I had no idea what Machiavellian magic lay within those pages. I just knew I had to own it. This was the very first book I had purchased as an upcoming birthday gift (for myself), for Rupees. ₹ 395.
Back in the 90s, Rupees. ₹ 395 was a big fortune especially when you’re a broke teenager with zero income. But where there’s will (and no wallet), there’s a way!
I did what any self-respecting, teenager with no job would do: I scraped together every morsel of savings I had, raided every secret stash, piggy bank, and long-forgotten birthday envelopes collecting literally hundreds of 1 Rupee notes and an army of 50 Paise coins…and marched to the counter. You should’ve seen the cashier’s face. It was somewhere between bemusement and panic attack. 😛
I still have this copy with me and it is one of my most treasured books (including the Srimad Bhagwad Gita), that journeyed with me across oceans when I immigrated to Australia on 9th August 2004.
My ‘Resources’ for my book ‘Drops of Wisdom’, consisted of over 2 decades worth of collecting a treasure chest of personal development materials, soul-changing scriptures, attending life-changing seminars and soaking up insights from giants of personal growth…Tony Robbins, Bob Proctor, Jordan Belfort, Robin Sharma, Robert Cialdini, Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie, Wayne Dyer, Stephen Covey, Les Brown, Jim Rohn, Tim Ferris, Shiv Khera, Deepak Chopra, Brian Tracy, Tai Lopez—the list goes on.
But I didn’t stop there.
I delved deep into the ancient spiritual stream—from the Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata, Bible, Srimad Bhagavatam, Vishnupuran, and Buddhist teachings, to the powerful philosophies of Sukyo Mahikari (Rev. Teachings of Divine Light), the mystical madness of Osho, and the sublime clarity of my beloved Guru, Om Swami. His blogs, books, and videos became a lighthouse for the soul.
And of course, how can I forget my greatest teacher of all…Life itself. The setbacks and serendipities. The heartbreaks and hallelujahs. The moments of loneliness, and the magic of fatherhood. From a single rupee to a steady dollar, from immigrant dreams to Australian citizenship, from a curious boy to a contemplative man.
Being a hopelessly loyal Libran, ‘Balance is my Dharma’. In Drops of Wisdom, I’ve attempted to balance, amalgamate and marry the ancient wisdom of Eastern spiritual mysticism with modern psychology of the Western personal development mindset. Not by preaching, but by weaving them through my lived experience.
I didn’t feel the need to reinvent the wheel. Wiser words by far great minds have been penned before me, and will continue to do so long after I’m gone… But, what if I could distill and extract some curious cues, some powerful principles and some inspiring insights from both sides of the coin (East and West) so that anybody could successfully apply in today’s turbulent times?
Just like there are countless rivers that flow to the same ocean, countless trails that climb the same mountain, and countless paths to the same Divine Source…this book is simply my path.
Just like there are countless rivers that flow to the same ocean, countless trails that climb the same mountain and countless religions, philosophies and spiritual paths to reach the same ‘Divine Source’…This book ‘Drops of Wisdom’ is simply my pathway, my experience, and my truth with you.
“Employ your time in improving yourself,
by other men’s writing, so that you shall gain easily,
what others have laboured hard for.”
– Socrates (399 – 470 BC)
Greek Philosopher, Scholar, & Teacher
3.. One’s Effort –
Having read “48 Laws of Power” and many other self-help books during my schooling and graduation, I plunged intensely into studying personal development, various religions & faiths, attending seminars worldwide, reading countless books on various subjects, writing infinite notes, blogs, and assignments (including 2 x Master Degrees & Scientific Reports as an Environmental Scientist etc.) as well as collecting over five thousand classical quotes/sayings for over 2 decades of my life.
At one point of time, in 2016, I felt an innate urge to structure and succinctly atomize this Herculean Himalayan knowledge of ‘Spirituality’ and ‘Personal Development’ into a few potent drops (chapters) of wisdom.
The first attempt of writing this manuscript took over 2 years (2016 to 2018) and ironically, I lost all of my work (including my original transcript) due to a computer glitch. There was no way to recover anything from the infamous Apple desktop. It was like a death penalty to me as a writer. See a screenshot below of my ardent cry for help on Facebook with over 57 comments of suggestions.
After this incident, I gave up the pen (keyboard) of writing, as Life took over (i.e., Bodybuilding competitions, Property Developments, Marriage, Wife’s Fellowship exams, new born Child to a Career Change etc.)
It was only in September 2021, where a raging urge to write this book, took over me and I decisively took immediate action in taking long service leave from work and locked myself up in a studio apartment which belonged to our family friend Anita who is also Nani to little Mairaa. It is there where I spent 16 – 20 hours or more of intense, continuous and crazy writing for 3 weeks in a row.
My effort of writing during those 3 weeks, was hyper focused, super intense, and almost extreme like. I didn’t care about sleeping, eating or even using the loo for many hours and days together.
Swamiji mentions in one of his YouTube videos that how Einstein experienced this raging urge to pen down all this cyclonic storm of ideas that erupted in his head for 3 weeks or 3 months in a row and that basically accounted for almost 85% of his works including the relativity theory.
I am nowhere near or relatively even close to Einstein and his experience, but I can certainly put my hands on my heart and share that those 3 weeks were nothing less than a cyclonic storm of ideas, materials and writings being poured into a manuscript with extreme focus, devotion and surrender, almost like an intense sincere ‘Sadhana’.
And the best part during this intense sincere ‘Sadhana of Writing’ was having the वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय: गणेश मंत्र (Vakratunda Mahakaya Ganesh Mantra) in Swamiji’s voice play continuously in the background.
Instead of having Beethoven music to enhance my brain waves, what better music than Swamiji’s voice and chants?! Isn’t it?
I would often fall asleep numerous times writing on my study desk, with the above mantra being continuously played in the background, giving my subconscious mind, a divine chanting treat!
It sometimes strongly felt that this book and its words of wisdom, were written under the umbrella of Swamiji’s grace and guidance. I may have been the instrument (flute), but the air was certainly blown by His Divine Grace.
This factor of intense effort, brings me back to an important aspect of the Srimad Bhagwad Gita, that even the mighty-armed Arjuna who had Krishna (Godhead) Himself seated as his charioteer, still had to perform, to act and to execute his own intense efforts (karma), in fighting the war.
As the saying goes, God helps those, who help themselves
is quite apt in this scenario & life, isn’t it?
4.. One’s Support –
“Support yourself and Heaven will support you” – Senegalese Proverb
My heavenly support consisted of the following:
My Guru ‘Om Swami’, whose compassionate grace, affectionate smile, & wise words of wisdom have accompanied me during this book-writing journey, & who always inspires me to be a better person each day, spiritually, mentally, & physically.
My mother ‘Marie Colaco’, who stayed with us and looked after little Mairaa fulltime, as my wife was busy working over 12-hour shifts at the Emergency Department. This gave me the opportunity to move away from Dad/Mum duties, and focus solely on writing for these 3 weeks in order to produce this destined book.
My wife, Dr. Mahima, who has been a patron supporter of my life goals & vision. She has always given me brilliants ideas, suggestions, and advice encouraging me to pursue my goals. She is the pillar and rock of our family.
My family friend ‘Nani Anita’, who offered me her studio apartment office space to write, relentlessly, for over eighteen hours a day, at times. It was in this ‘Sacred Space’ that I was able to effortlessly unfold most of my writings in this book.
My book mentor ‘Emily Gowor’, who assisted me in producing & manifesting this dream of writing my book into reality. My heart knows no bounds of gratitude.
My book editor ‘Shekar Yadav’ who spend relentlessly tiring hours together, even with the time difference (India/Australia), to ensure the book layout (even though non-conventional) was as close as to my vision. If you love the way, the book is presented, all credit goes to Shekar.
My photo designers and artists ‘Adnan Thana & Navyaa Taneja’, who designed, drew and painted the most beautiful pictures in the book including the dedication pic of Mairaa, Swamiji’s photos as well as all the perfect picturesque for each chapter from Vision, Faith, Perception, Master Mind Mentor, Leader, Time, Decision to Action, Forgiveness, Happiness, Gratitude to Wise Words of Wisdom.
My book printing manager ‘Margarita De Gennaro’, from Openbook Howden, a South Australian printing company, who ensured that the book is of the most pristine quality in terms of paper selection, coloured images, hard cover, bookmarks, printing etc. A full 5/5 to her customer service, price and delivery.
My Amazon Publicist ‘Kate Stead’ who helped me set up my manuscript on Amazon.com as well as establish it in proper categories to ensure the book is visible to a larger audience online. Without Kate, I would have been lost. She was a God-send Angel.
My marketing team ‘Jyotsna Ramachandran & Sushmitha Naroor’, who ensured that my book was not lost in the noise of a thousand books online and it surfaced to the right audience and categories on Amazon. They were instrumental in making my book an Amazon Bestseller.
And finally, the support of all the mentors, teachers, & guides on whose shoulders I stand, sharing the essence of my life’s experience, humble knowledge, & wisdom to the world.
5.. Divine Grace –
‘A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words’
It was indeed Divine arrangement, blessings, and grace that I was able to submit my 1st DRAFT copy of the book to Swamiji himself, via a chain of commands, at Towrang in July 2022 during my initiation. More about this experience in my previous blog ‘Blessed Beyond Belief’ here.
As you may see the 1st DRAFT copy in Swamiji’s divine hands is quite different as compared to the updated final version available in the market place. Maybe it was meant to be! A special copy for Swamiji, signed by me on behalf of Mairaa, seeking Swamiji’s blessings.
My journey as a kid falling in love with Shiva to finding Swamiji is shared in these 3 x blogs. Feel free to read them at your convenience. Part 1 here ; Part 2 here ; & Part 3 here.
And if time permits, feel free to read this beautiful blog called “Dreams of Om Swami“. If you have ever dreamt of Swamiji, I am sure you will thoroughly enjoy the read!
End of the day, keeping my hands on my heart, I can truly say whilst writing this book, I had surrendered to Swamiji’s grace the same way as Arjuna to Krishna. Call it miracle or co-incidence, I strongly feel that this book and its words of wisdom, were written under the umbrella of Swamiji’s grace and guidance. I may have been the instrument (flute), but the air was certainly blown by His Divine Grace.
Conclusion
In summary, this is how I became an Amazon Bestseller?!
I simply focused on the 4 factors that were in my realm of action (karma). That is, having the right attitude, doing my absolute best with intense efforts as well as having efficient resources along with strong support systems.
Additionally, I did not worry about the results of my actions (karma). I did my best in each of the 4 factors and totally surrendered every factor to Him.
Ultimately being blessed by the 5th factor – His Divine Grace!
Once upon a time, as the reverent Rumi said, “Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”
This has been my myth, my story, my journey.
Go embark on yours.
Till we meet again, until next time.
With sincere love, respect, and gratitude!
Willbur Glenn Colaco
BOOK NOTES:
Thank you for giving me your time in reading this blog, which is more valuable than the price you may pay for this book.
If interested, the book ‘Drops of Wisdom’ is available in Kindle and Black & White version on Amazon:
In India @ – https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B0BBZLFHLY/
In Australia @ – https://www.amazon.com.au/Drops-Wisdom-Black-White-Turbulent/dp/0645507520
In US @ https://www.amazon.com/Drops-Wisdom-Applying-Ancient-Turbulent-ebook/dp/B0BBZLFHLY/
And for those who would like a ‘Premium Coloured Copy’ can order via Openbook Howden company’s website:
https://www.openbookhowden.com.au/product/drops-of-wisdom/
OR
Directly through me via my website – www.authorwillbur.com. I may be able to give you an Author’s special discounted price along with special a Bookmark as below!
Thank you all.
Ending this blog, with the mantra, my little angel Mairaa say’s each night before sleeping.
Jai Sri Hari, Jai Om Swami, Har Har Mahadev!
