Despierta con Cala (Wake Up with Cala), the new book by Ismael Cala, explores the quest for balance in life. Released in March, the book is already #9 on NPD BookScan’s bestseller list of books in Spanish. In June of last year, Cala announced his departure from his television program, Cala Presenta (Cala Presents), one of the most popular shows on CNN en Español, which aired in the U.S. and Latin America. Since leaving CNN, Cala has become a life strategist and international lecturer. He has continued presenting the segment “Despierta con Cala” (“Wake up with Cala”) on Despierta América (Wake Up, America), which airs on Univision. His latest book, published by Aguilar, an imprint of Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial, includes many of the reflections Cala shares on the show. PW spoke with Cala from India, where he is guiding a group on an inspirational tourism trip covering visits to Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, the Taj Mahal, and the sacred Ganges River.
Since your last book, La vida es una piñata (Life Is a Piñata), you have left CNN to become a life strategist. Was this change part of your own awakening and when did this awakening process begin?
Yes, I have experienced my own awakening throughout the years. It has been a process of constant learning. Leaving CNN en Español was part of that process. I felt that it was time to reinvent myself (again), to try to reach new heights. But as I look back, I can see that I have always tried to inspire people through social media, even when I lived in Cuba. Even though I was not conscious of it, I believe that I was already a life strategist.
In your book, Despierta con Cala, you talk about balancing key aspects of one’s life. How can others get started?
Despierta con Cala is a book that explores the fundamental aspects of our lives and the search for balance. I wrote it thinking about those who believe that they have a long way to travel, those who came to this world conscious of the responsibility of taking control of their own decisions. I suggest we transform ourselves into jugglers and artists, since I see life as the game of constantly walking a tightrope. If we look down, we feel terrified of the abyss, as we become aware that we could fall into it.
What do you think has created this imbalance? Have we become too materialistic?
In the book I discuss the seven pillars of our lives: mind and spirit, health and body, love and romantic relationships, family and home, friends and social life, finances, and time for yourself. Our challenge is to balance them and transform ourselves into artists. It is obvious we are living in times of excessive materialism. This is the reason why both in my book and in everything I do, my message is to invest more in life experiences than in material possessions.
What are you working on now?
At this time I am answering this interview from India, where I am with an extraordinary group of 50 people to celebrate our second Cala Mundos (Cala Worlds). In 2017, I will host conscious journeys to places like Tierra Santa, Riviera Maya, and Costa Rica. We are also planning the Despierta con Cala tour, which will include conferences in dozens of U.S. and Latin American cities. I have plenty of ideas for new books, but they don’t have calendar dates yet.
