Thursday, April 13, 2023

Spark: Journey from Success to Significance by Azim Jamal


 

With the craziness of the past couple of years, a lot of us feel like something is missing. We've lost our spark. Azim Jamal is here to help us find it again. Check out an excerpt from his book as well as his thoughts on what it would be like if it was made into a movie. Be sure to follow the tour for even more! Best of luck entering the giveaway!



In a world vigorously chasing classic ideals of success, find your spark and become significant.

Your journey starts here.

Meet Steve, a hotshot lawyer fighting to climb the corporate ladder in this inspiring fable. His life transforms seemingly overnight as he is sent to India for a task he considers pointless. But things quickly fall apart. Steve, forced to reconsider his path, realizes that the curveball life has thrown at him is an opportunity to find his true purpose. This spiritual odyssey is about to transform him beyond his wildest dreams.

A powerful lesson follows each chapter, making up the SPARK that transforms Steve's life: Selflessness, Purpose, Attraction, Resilience and Knowing.

This SPARK is hidden within you too. It may be dormant now, but awakening to it will catapult you from the "Present You" to the "Best You." It's time to light up your SPARK today.


Read an excerpt:

Steve cautiously peered through his large, floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing at the carpet of lights twinkling outside his 48th-floor corner office. He immediately took a step back, feeling the same dizzying rush of blood to his face he always got when he remembered how high up he was. It was a stark reminder that his fear of heights wasn’t getting any better with age. He looked away, back towards his beautiful oak desk, which he had bought from a handmade furniture exhibition in Toronto last year. He picked a sheaf of papers up from its surface. After a year of bitter wrangling, he and Christina were finally divorced. A marriage that had begun with such aplomb a decade ago now lay in tatters (and with that 30% of his assets, too). He flung the divorce papers down and checked his watch. It was time for his five o’clock with Michelle, his boss and CEO at Miles Inc., one of the top three management consulting firms in Canada. Steve felt a tiny rush of excitement. The COO had recently resigned to spearhead an e-commerce start-up, and the firm was looking for a replacement. There Story: Self to Selflessness 12 AZIM JAMAL were three contenders. Steve was one of them. His assistant, Stephanie, popped her head in to inform him she had booked an appointment with the Cypress Valley Golf Club at seven tomorrow. Cypress was an exclusive club with an invitation-only membership criterion and a whopping $50,000 in annual fees. This was more than he was paying at his existing club. The wait-list was three years long, and Steve had to nudge quite a few of his contacts to even get shortlisted for a meeting with the elite membership board that could approve or deny him entry. Steve did not really enjoy golf. But this was the big fish pool, where the who’s who of the city swam. If he wanted to be seen as a dominant player in corporate society, being seen at all the right places was very important. And no place was more right than Cypress Valley.


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If your book was made into a movie…

The movie version of my book would be focused on fully depicting the protagonist, Steve Harmon’s physical and spiritual journey across the plains, hills and valleys of two philosophically antithetical continents. I would try to capture every emotional deep dive, each of which not only delivers him to his destination, but his ultimate destiny - Significance!

The way the book is laid out, it would be a rather seamless transition into how the story could be told in movie form. The book is divided into five sections, each illustrating the respective concepts which come together to form the acronym SPARK - Service, Purpose, Attraction, Resilience, and Knowing.

In the first act, we would see Steve as a corporate lawyer at a top firm enjoying his successful life - great salary, nice cars, high end homes, elite club memberships, etc. On the flip side, we would also peer into his contemplative alter ego as he battles a real sense of dissatisfaction with life, despite all his success.

In the midst of his lavishness, Steve is summoned by his manager to leave the ‘good life’ behind in order to deliver an important document to his CEO stationed in a small village in Dharamsala, India. Steve’s pilgrimage would be intense the moment he sets foot in Delhi. From being robbed at gunpoint to being stranded in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere, viewers would witness the rise of an unconditional collective consciousness built on a treatise of SERVICE transforming a man’s life.

Act two would center on Steve meeting two young women who share how they rejected the pressures of seeking outward success to take up a life exemplifying their life’s PURPOSE. As a result, living the most fulfilling, rewarding life. We would see two young women enlightening a seasoned professional to think differently about success without creating a sense of disillusionment.

Act three would cover a series of encounters with locals who show him how little he needs to partake in the simple joys of life. While walking in Dharamsala, Steve would get lost, but all his missteps would somehow lead him to meeting the Apricot Man. A man who refuses to fully reveal himself but has a quiet confidence and reverence that teaches him the importance of staying detached yet committed to his purpose. This enthralling dialogue between two individuals with different ideas of success and significance helps us learn how committing to our true purpose leads to an ATTRACTION of all we seek.

In the fourth section, we are introduced to Nadia. An adventurous young woman who the firm sends to deliver credit cards and cash for Steve’s journey ahead. While walking miles over hills and valleys, they share experiences. Nadia speaks of climbing Mount Everest, while Steve talks about work. In the process, Steve realizes he is developing a special fondness for Nadia, while Nadia remains ambivalent. This captivating chat reveals insights about the importance of building RESILIENCE as a character trait and its value in finding your purpose. A resilience Steve would surely need if he wanted to impress Nadia!

In the final act, Steve finds himself on the brink of an abyss. He must overcome his deepest fears to cross a rickety bridge and finally deliver the document that has caused much upheaval in his life. He gets across only to discover the document he blamed for his misfortunes is in fact a promotion contract for a role he has been striving diligently toward for years. However, the recent episodes have shifted something inside of him. His travels have dawned in him an inner KNOWING about what really gives meaning and purpose to his life.

He now finds himself enthused by a lower-profile, but more socially impactful role – one where he can make a tangible difference in the lives of others – so many of whom unwittingly helped him transition from seeking mere material Success to pursuing a life of Significance.

The movie ends with a scene focused on the night sky lit up by sparks and fireworks then to Steve lighting oil lamps surrounded by grateful children celebrating Diwali. When in the near distance he sees Nadia opening the gate and walking towards him...





About the author:

Azim Jamal is one of the finest inspirational life-altering personalities with a global following. He is the CEO and founder of Corporate Sufi Worldwide, whose mission is to inspire individuals and corporations to unleash the power within and find harmony between Business, Balance and Beyond.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realazimjamal

Author Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Azim-Jamal/author/B001S03N14

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/129666.Azim_Jamal


Azim Jamal will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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