'We have to come out of the robotic-auto play mode and be present in the moment'

Rajeev Daswani, founder of Body Mind Soul, on his pursuit of happiness

What does an average day at work involve for you?
A day at work for me is incredibly energising. I wake up every morning looking forward to creating and being part of an industry that has tremendous value: the empowerment of happiness.
 
What is your favourite thing about your job?
As an entrepreneur, my favourite thing is to see a dream come to fruition, especially when it's a dream that I'm really  passionate about.   
 
What is your #1 personal principle/success mantra at work?
My main mantra is to always remain fluid; don't be rigid - rather allow things to flow. Don't set too many rules - instead set a defined vision and allow space for everyone to contribute and partake in the dream.  

Name one skill you think every professional should have.
To be mindful and present in whatever you do. We have to come out of the robotic-auto play mode and be actively present in the moment, as this will allow us to capitalise on every opportunity that comes our way.

If you had one free hour in the day to relieve stress, how would you use it?
Spending time with my boys, Raul, who is five, and Rayaan, who is two, is incredibly destressing and precious. It makes me incredibly happy.

What - or who - inspires you to work better?
I'm pushed every day by the fact that we have a collective responsibility to create and leave a better world for the next generation. I am inspired by so many people on a daily basis who have the courage to live their dreams, and actively choose to be happy.  I'm also very inspired by the wonderful and visionary leadership of the UAE, which is pioneering and sets a very high bar for the rest of the world to follow.

What is your greatest dream, professionally?
My greatest ambition is to empower as many people as I can to choose happiness and know that it's their birthright. My mission is to make happiness available to everyone, regardless of their situation in life. I believe this can be done. However, we must all work on balancing our inner world, so that we can see how beautiful the outer world truly is.  

If you had a million dollars what would you do with it?
I would invest it in our happiness centre, so that we would be able to expand our bouquet of happiness programmes and bring even more tools together that would enable people to work on discovering their own happiness.
- Staff reporter