Renowned author and motivational speaker Shiv Khera launched his latest book, Live While You’re Alive: Take a Break Before You Break Down, at a glittering event on May 31 at the Singapore Swimming Club.
The occasion, graced by India’s High Commissioner to Singapore Shilpak Ambule, drew an audience of 450 business leaders, educators and professionals.
The new book dives into one of the most pervasive and under-discussed challenges of our time – stress.
Speaking at the event, Mr Khera emphasised: “This is not just a book about success, but about survival. Stress, when left unchecked, impacts our health, our wealth and our relationships. This book helps you turn stress into strength.”
What sets this book apart, he noted, is its unconventional approach. While many stress-management books focus on meditation, yoga or breathing techniques, Mr Khera believes those methods are ineffective without the right mental foundation.
“Attitude is everything,” he stressed. “Without the right mindset, even the best techniques fail. You can’t meditate if your thoughts are in chaos.”
The decision to write about stress now, Mr Khera explained, stemmed from the overwhelming rise in stress-related breakdowns across the globe.
“In the last two decades, stress levels have gone up by over 400 per cent. Families are crumbling, relationships are strained, and even medical issues are often rooted in unresolved stress,” he said.
In his view, stress is both natural and unavoidable – it can’t be outsourced, but it can be managed. The key lies in learning to differentiate between things we can change and things we must accept. “The serenity prayer says it best – accept what you cannot change, change what you can, and know the difference,” he said.
Mr Khera illustrated how internal attitudes, more than external circumstances, determine how we experience stress. “Two people stuck in traffic have very different experiences. One fumes and worsens his stress, while another listens to a motivational podcast and turns the moment into growth,” he said.
The book provides practical, attitude-based strategies for not just coping but thriving, encouraging readers to shift from reactive living to proactive growth. “Stress is only harmful when it becomes chronic. It can be a trigger for performance if managed wisely,” he added.
Beyond the book, Mr. Khera revealed ambitious plans to launch a new leadership academy in Singapore – an initiative aimed at developing people-centric, value-driven leaders.
“Our goal is to offer a four-day High Impact Leadership Programme that tackles four key dimensions: attitude, leadership, motivation and values,” Mr Khera said.
This programme is part of a larger global digital rollout aimed at reaching individuals and organisations worldwide. But Singapore, he stressed, will be the launchpad.
“Singapore’s unique mix of economic stability and multicultural society makes it the perfect base for rolling out high-impact training,” explained Mr Khera, a Singapore permanent resident.
Live While You’re Alive is now available at major bookshops and online platforms, and the leadership academy’s first sessions are expected to begin later this year.
For more details, visit shivkhera.com.
