Latha K. Murthy is a humble and introspective author whose life is guided by honesty and sincerity. With a keen eye for life’s deeper truths, she has captured her reflections and observations in her debut book, Live Happily Ever After. Through her writing, she explores the often-hidden struggles of human existence, from family challenges to personal tragedies, offering practical advice for resilience, compassion, and happiness. Despite her shy and unassuming nature, Latha’s words resonate deeply with readers, encouraging them to look at life with fresh perspective and find contentment in the journey.
EliteOne Stories: What inspired you to write Live Happily Ever After?
Latha.k. Murthy: I wanted to share with people the idea i got through my neutral reflections on our mysterious life.
EliteOne Stories: The book addresses deep, personal tragedies and family issues. Was there a specific moment or experience in your life that influenced the themes in the book?
Latha.k. Murthy: I’m fortunate enough not to have gone through any great personal tragedies. However, I have always been empathetic towards others’ bad experiences. I put myself in their place and feel for them. My mind won’t be satisfied with usual explanations like karma or fate. I will keep my doubts open until I find satisfactory answers. Perhaps this mindset led to the creation of this book. That’s what I feel.
EliteOne Stories: You mention that the first half of the book focuses on family problems. What do you think are the most common issues families face, and how can people work through them?
Latha.k. Murthy: Couples start their life together with many dreams. Somehow, their dreams get shattered later on. Some couples turn into staunch rivals, while others hide their disappointment in various ways. In a family, parents dream about their children and put all their efforts into bringing up them. Parents live in their world, and similarly, the budding children live in their own world without trying to understand the feelings of parents. A lot of judgmental and harsh words flow between both parties. A third-party view of these situations, by both husband and wife,parent and children would help them understand each other. We often see only the empty portion of a half-filled cup and are further dissatisfied with the filled area as well. Because of this wrong perception, all members of a family turn from their precious jewels state to fiery devils and waste their prime time in quarrels.
EliteOne Stories: In the second half of the book, you provide practical advice on how individuals can remain strong, compassionate, and happy. What inspired you to focus on self-improvement and resilience in this part of the book?
Latha.k. Murthy: I have always looked to Enlightened masters to find answers to this puzzle,life. Furthermore, I have absorbed fine sayings from anything I come across, be it a movie, television serial, or book. My understanding of life has increased little by little. I realized that I need to put myself and the other party equally on a scale and try to empathize with them. This empathetic view has enhanced my soul nature and thus made me strong but compassionate.And then, it is time for the universe to start resonating with my transformation. Yes, it won’t happen in a single step. Self-transformation involves many steps, and understanding the synergistic movement of the universe also takes time. There is no need to see certain people as enemies to succeed in life. I can approach all my actions as if playing a game. I have to respond to every movement of the universe as in a chess game.That is all life. This mindset will keep me relaxed, calm, and happy throughout my life ince now, i am not bothered by anyone else.
EliteOne Stories: The book speaks about how children lose their innocent smiles and teens lose their laughter. Why do you think these changes happen, and how can we help prevent them?
Latha.k. Murthy: The hidden ego from their past lives develops with each experience, causing children to lose their innocence and laughter. It is not necessary to lose these wonderful qualities to grow as an adult. Only when we, as elders, understand this, we can guide our children in the right direction. Unfortunately, out of ignorance, we are currently leading them astray.
Ego should not be completely omitted, as it drives innovation and new developments in the world. That is a good thing. By controlling our ego and maintaining the correct perception, we can avoid all kinds of unnecessary quarrels.
You should be able to separate your soul self and ego self and watch your thoughts and actions that arise because of the ego present within you. This trait could safeguard you from doing bad things.
EliteOne Stories: Your writing seems to reflect a sense of honesty and sincerity. How do you think these qualities have shaped your journey as both an author and a person?
Latha.k. Murthy: Like the message I saw recently, honesty performs the surgery and heals. Faking merely puts simple bandages on the wound. The wound won’t heal; instead, it will spread inside and destroy you completely. That’s why I stick to honesty and sincerity, even though I have faced many disappointments in life. Yes, I wanted and waited for real healing.
EliteOne Stories: How do you want readers to feel after finishing Live Happily Ever After? What kind of impact do you hope to have on them?
Latha.k. Murthy: I wish the readers that they could keep this as a checklist to achieve anything they wish in their life without losing their natural peace and happiness in that process.
EliteOne Stories: The title of the book suggests a positive, uplifting message. Do you think it’s possible to “live happily ever after” in real life, or is it more about finding contentment in the journey?
Latha.k. Murthy: Certainly. Achievements and accomplishments vary from person to person, depending on an individual’s mental capacity and energy, which can be developed over time. When we understand this truth, we won’t lose our inner peace by focusing on what’s missing in our life. Instead, we’ll pursue our own paths to monetary success. This way, we don’t have to fake happiness—it becomes a integeral part of us.
EliteOne Stories: As a shy and unassuming person, how did you overcome any self-doubt or hesitation in sharing such personal and deep thoughts in your book?
Latha.k. Murthy: I mentioned earlier that I was always disturbed by seeing the plight of people around me. If I feel I have a solution for that, how could I resist sharing it with the world? I made myself resilient against any kind of criticism.
Elite one stories: In the market, there are so many books on this subject. How do you think your book is different?
Latha.k.Murthy: Yes, sociologists suggest brotherhood to quell quarrels. However, one has to face many adversities from well-settled people. Religious people advise focusing on God, but I want to enjoy the world. Spiritualists and yogis recommend focusing on oneself and practicing yoga, but I feel that takes time and I’m not sure where I’m heading. I believe my book speaks about a truth, even if it’s an assumption of me. By following it, I feel that we can remain peaceful and happy.
EliteOne Stories: Looking forward, do you have any plans for future books? If so, how do you think your next project will build upon the themes explored in Live Happily Ever After?
Latha.k. Murthy: Writing this book has been a life journey for me. I have poured everything I learnt from my life into this. As of now, I am looking at spreading this message and getting it in the hands of more people through other languages as well.
