My Writing

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This moving memoir by speaker, educator, and entrepreneur Sam Thiara documents his seemingly impossible quest to find his grandfather’s village—armed with little more than a faded photograph.

Sam vividly recounts his adventure through India’s crowded roads—a journey filled with mishaps and surprising encounters, and a growing sense of purpose. Drinking in the beauty of the Taj Mahal and the Golden Temple, he finds himself connecting more deeply with his Sikh faith, while confronting the ugliness of the country’s poverty and injustice. Along the way, Sam also wrestles with his sense of self. A British-born Indian, living in Canada, whose parents came from Fiji, he questions: Am I Indian? Am I Canadian? Am I Sikh? Who am I?

As he begins to piece together the puzzle of his history, Sam realizes he is piecing himself together, too. Touching and inspiring, Lost and Found is a book for anyone who has felt adrift in the world, confirming that what was once lost can be found.

The adventure was more than finding my grandfather’s house, who left India around 1905 and never went back. It was also about who am I? I am a British born Indian who grew up in Canada with parents from Fiji with a hodgepodge of cultural experiences. These were questions that were percolate in my mind so I went off to visit India in the hopes of finding myself.

The book is about my experiences in India as seen through the eyes of an Indian who is not very Indian. It is also about persistence, not listening to the noise of people around me saying you will not find it and overcoming the obstacles as I discovered this amazing country and its people. Join me as I take you on my journey. I want you to experience what I experienced for the first time. The discoveries, the setbacks and the successes.


Personal Storytelling: Discovering the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

Personal Storytelling

What’s the last story you heard, what’s the last story you wrote and what’s the last story you lived? We all have stories within us; however, at times we are not aware that they exist or hold on to them because we fear that others might not be interested. If something is important to you, it is worth sharing.

This book is about helping you build and tell your stories. Through personal experiences and practical exercises, you too will be able to discover the extraordinary in the ordinary. In a world where there is so much visual noise, the world values and remembers stories and appreciates a good storyteller. Whether you want to be more reflective or take pleasure in the personal experiences shared, there is something for everyone in this book. Click the link to purchase your paperback and e-copy of the book.

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Sam’s Third Book Coming Out Soon: How to Find Your First Job!

It started with a simple statement from his son, “Dad, I should find my first job!”  It made me realize that for my son, I will do everything I can to help him but he has to do the heavy lifting.  To support him, I went to the library to find a book for him and to my surprise, there was nothing available on the subject on finding your first job.  Standing before the librarian, I declared, “I guess I have to write my third book!” and that is how the journey started.  The book will be for high school, post secondary and international students who have never had a job or started out but want to advance.

I could write this book on my own but it would not be as much fun so I have enlisted co-authors.  I will write the part about giving all the tools to get to the door and even open the door. Divinder Purewal, who is a recruiter, will share his insights on how to get into the job once the young person gets to the door.  Finally Rachael Whyte, is a current student and her insights about the audience and what we might be missing are going to be invaluable.

Stay tuned on this journey as we are having fun with the writing and making this into a resource and workbook.

 


Here-2-There Book Launch for Personal Storytelling: Results from spring 2014

What does a book about personal storytelling and a documentary about an expedition deep into the Himalayas of Nepal have anything to do with each other? It is the journey about two individuals who embraced their dreams and took them from ‘here to there’. Each discovered the extraordinary in the ordinary…. Here-2-There (we took it from here and visioned it to there and the #2 represents Sam and Mike)

The successful event saw about 170 people attend and be captivated by various mediums of storytelling through conversation, movie, images and music. There was an impressive line up of speakers and music that focused on the theme of personal storytelling and each person’s own journey.

You can see the various videos of the event at:
Short compilation videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd55OFO2hlE
Sam Thiara’s talk – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvLjO08ZySo
Mike Schauch’s talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKxyVxRB1XM
Sharad, Mike and Sam roundtable conversation – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VExOYc1dPcs