Shashikala (Shashi) believes that each of us is playing a game with life. She says, “We are all IN THE RING WITH LIFE, taking the punches and fighting our own little battles. Sometimes we play our moves phenomenally. Other times, we get punched, kicked, and knocked down. With every life experience, we learn new lessons and become better, wiser, and stronger. Life is all about taking the punches, learning our lessons, standing up again, and playing our best game!”

We always love to talk about the good in our lives — our promotions, our lavish Sunday brunches, our new this, our spectacular that. On the other hand, we rarely wear our pain on our sleeves — success must look effortless, we convince ourselves. In this book, Shashi candidly presents her experiences climbing the corporate ladder in Singapore’s male-dominated construction industry, her sudden retrenchment during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with more personal struggles — her miscarriage and difficult pregnancy. She lays bare her wounds, hoping this gesture of hers will give strength to someone somewhere, who has been knocked down hard by life, to stand up again and face life head-on!

Another sob story? Before you roll your eyes, Shashi is eager to clarify, “This is not a sad story. Nothing about me is sad. I am a fighter. Not only do I make lemonade from the lemons, but I also crush the whole damn lemon skin and make a face mask out of it! This book is not just about what can go wrong in life. In the ring with life, we don't have to stay down. Sometimes, we play our moves ingeniously and achieve the impossible. All it takes is a little belief in ourselves and investment in our abilities.”

Shashi shares her secret to good health, happiness, and peace by highlighting the importance of setting goals, continuous learning, parenting & adoption, and the need to ‘live for a cause’. She believes that crafting a life that we desire is solely in our hands.

Shashi believes that this book will appeal to the following people:
- People who got retrenched during the COVID-19 pandemic and are determined to bounce back.
- People who want to achieve their goals and live a balanced life.
- People who have lived a life of “CAN’Ts” and have always been told that they can't do something or be someone.
- People who feel they are too old to get that degree.
- Women leaders who are eager to make a mark in a man’s world.
- People who want to be best friends with their children. Shashi draws upon her tight-knit relationship with her daughter and shares some practical parenting tips, which have gained the approval of her now grown-up daughter.
- People who are interested in being adoptive parents. A beautiful true story of an Indian couple who adopted a physically challenged Ethiopian girl is shared.
- People who have achieved a lot of financial and material success, but still feel empty inside.
- People who want to do good, but don’t know where to start.
- People who are on the search for meaning in life.

Shashi covers diverse topics in this book. She says, “It’s like a variety of shots instead of a jug of beer.” She promises the most pleasant hangover of your life.

Shashi describes her book as a casual coffee chat with her. With her informal tone and occasional winks (wink wink), she brings forth her views in a light and humorous way. What are you waiting for? Grab a coffee and read on!