Chopra - Living with intent: my somewhat messy journey to purpose, peace, and joy

Whether we know it or not, we matter; today matters. Mallika Chopra shows us all how to live quiet lives of inspiration. Her book and journey are not to be missed.

Elizabeth Gilbert, bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love

More and more, people realize the value of approaching life with a mindful, purposeful spirit. With this insightful and often funny memoir, Mallika Chopra gives ideas and encouragement to anyone who wants to live with intent.

Gretchen Rubin, bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before

Clearly, Deepak is not the only lifestyle sage in the Chopra family. Mallika is warm, wise, and witty and Living with Intent is a wonderful and helpful read.

Don Miguel Ruiz, bestselling author of The Four Agreements

Mallikas unfettered account of her own path to intention gave me the comfort of knowing we all have our starts and stumbles in this arena, even a Chopra. She is an everywomanan everymomwho openly struggles with life balance, spirituality, and insecurities like the rest of us. Its a windy road, but her steps of INTENT help to gently bring things back into focus. Im happy to be on my journey with my friend and fellow chocoholic Mallika.

Jennifer Garner, actor

How to live with intent?! To desire it is far from living it. Mallika Chopra leads the reader through her own path with bare honesty. Parents who feel too busy with the minutiae of daily life will relate intimately to her experience. [This] could start a global conversation about living with intent that we should all embrace.

Elissa Epel, PhD, Professor, UCSF Department of Psychiatry

Mallika Chopra is a refreshingly honest writer who shares her transformative journey from stress, fear, doubt procrastination, and guilt into a life of true happiness and self-acceptance. This brilliant book provides a template of gentle, doable baby-steps that will take you by the hand and lead you to living a joyful life. Reading this book is like having the worlds best friend on speed dial.

Arielle Ford, author of The Soulmate Secret

Whens the last time you slowed down, reflected deeply, and were satisfied with what you saw? In this warm, inspiring, and practical memoir, Mallika Chopra reconnects with her passions and daily purpose. For anyone interested in a journey of self-reflection and joyful discovery, Chopra makes a delightful companion and guide.

Jack Canfield, coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Soul and author of The Success Principles

Living with Intent offers us a gentle reminder that happiness and peace are a choice we make. This book awakens the presence of our inner wisdom and power so that we can enhance our capacity to serve the world.

Gabrielle Bernstein, New York Times bestselling author of Miracles Now

If youre spinning through your days wondering when youll stop churning and instead start thriving, then you have to read Mallikas book. With humor, courage, and great insight she shares the keys to a purpose-filled life.

Chade-Meng Tan, Jolly Good Fellow of Google and New York Times bestselling author of Search Inside Yourself

Mallika Chopra has taught me through her powerful example the importance of daily intentions. Through her personal story, Mallika sweetly reminds us of our own power to affect positive, lasting change in our lives, and consequently in the lives of everyone around us. Read this and prepare to have a big shift in perspective that changes everything for the positive.

Tara Stiles, founder of Strala Yoga and author of Make Your Own Rules Diet

Mallika Chopras Living with Intent is a profoundly relatable roadmap for those of us struggling to stay afloat in our chaotic lives.

Lisa Ling, journalist

Copyright 2015 by Mallika Chopra
Jacket art copyright 2015 by Yumi Sakugawa

All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Harmony Books, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company, New York.
www.crownpublishing.com

Harmony Books is a registered trademark, and the Circle colophon is a trademark of Random House LLC.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Chopra, Mallika.
Living with intent : my somewhat messy journey to purpose, peace, and joy / Mallika Chopra. First edition.
pages cm
1. Self-realizationReligious aspects. 2. Intention. 3. Conduct of life. 4. Spiritual life. 5. Chopra, Mallika. I. Title.
BL624.C47685 2015
204.4dc23
2014038008

ISBN 978-0-8041-3985-4
eBook ISBN 978-0-8041-3986-1

Book design by Meighan Cavanaugh
Illustrations by Yumi Sakugawa
Cover design by Jess Morphew
Cover art by Yumi Sakugawa

v3.1_r1

For Sumant, Tara, and Leela,

From love comes purpose.

My love for you is overflowing,

unbounded, joyful.

CONTENTS

It took me a long time to be ready emotionally to write this book.

It incubated for years. Id write a proposal, edit, rewrite, throw it away, and start all over again from scratch. I gave up for months at a time, and then would go back to the proposal unclear yet again about what I was trying to say. But the intent to share my experiences was there, and with time the project took its own form.

The people along the way made it a reality and, ultimately, a joy to write.

To the angel investors of Intent, my deepest gratitude for believing in what we could create together. I thank you for your incredible generosity, patience, and belief that we can use social media to improve the world.

To my team at Intent, it has been a privilege to watch how you have realized your own intents, discovered purpose, and contributed to the world. Alex Bloomingdale, you have been as obstinate as I am in believing that we can create something meaningful with the Intent platform. Thank you for sharing my vision.

To the Intent community, those who have written for us, read and commented on our blogs, and shared your intents and supported others, you have brought life and passion to Intent, and, in turn, to my own personal journey.

To Carolyn Rangel, Felicia Rangel, Geeta Singh, and the team at the Chopra Center, your support, creative ideas, and outreach are appreciated more than I can express.

To Linda Loewenthal, my friend and literary agent, you so believed in this project that you put in hours of your time, editing and reworking the proposal. You were the champion who gave me the confidence that we could actually do this.