Take a pause with Varun Duggirala

None of us are born fearful. But we all develop different fears over time. Our fears usually stem from one bad experience that we either overlooked or swept under the rug in that moment. It is the tendency of these ‘pushed away’ fears to build over time and hold us back from truly moving forward. In this episode of Take a Pause, Varun talks about the importance of understanding the real root of ou...

Does working longer hours really lead to more productivity? Does pushing yourself to the point  of exhaustion really lead to happiness and success? In this episode of Take aPause, Varun talks to Sid Warrier about the impact of the hustle culture on day-to-day life. Dr Sid Warrier is a neurologist with over five years of experience in the field of neurology. On his YouTube channel, he explores...

Do you find yourself constantly planning your future? Do you also find yourself constantly anxious? Now take a pause, do you think the two may be interrelated? They absolutely are! In this episode of Take aPause, Varun explores the relationship between excessive future planning and anxiety. While it is necessary to have a plan for the future, planning everything down to a T can set one up for disa...

We’ve all experienced life in the fast lane - fast-tracked careers, working 10 hours a day, rushing from one thing to the next, no time for a break. The question here is are we REALLY progressing? In this episode of Take aPause, Varun talks about the power of slow growth and how to achieve it.   You can Order Varun’s book “Everything is out of syllabus: An instruction manual for life &am...

There is no harsher critic than the voice in your own head. It calls you out for past mistakes and holds you back from reaching your highest potential. Why does this voice always focus on the negative? Why does it struggle so much to focus on the good? And is it possible to change this voice? In this episode of Take a Pause, Varun talks about the importance of being empathetic towards yourself in...

Why do we often say yes, when we really want to say no? In this episode, Varun and Ankur talk about the importance of being able to say no, and the struggles that come with it. Sometimes, saying no, however hard it may be, is the only way you will be able to focus on things that really matter. Listen to the full episode with Ankur Warikoo - https://pod.link/1506368376/episode/4e535d94020075400809b...

Have you ever taken a road trip? While the excitement of the destination is what everyone’s focused on, sometimes the journey can be fun too.  Taking detours to a longer, scenic route can only enhance the experience.  The learning process is a long and curved one. When focusing on a topic, you may find something else interesting, even if it does not have to be related to your current sub...

Quentin Tarantino is one of the most celebrated filmmakers of our time. Aspiring writers can only dream of emulating his creative process. In this conversation with Ashdin Doctor, Varun shares an interesting story about how Tarantino changed his daily schedule to become a more productive writer. They also talk about how our best ideas come to us when we least expect them. Listen to the entire epis...

Is confidence inherent or can it be developed? Is confidence all that it’s made out to be? Maybe there are a few other factors that can help your confidence grow and have far more enriching effects on you.  In this episode of Take aPause, Varun talks about how one’s lack of confidence can hinder their growth You can Order Varun’s book “Everything is out of syllabus: An instruction manual for...

Welcome to APause Book Club! Here we talk to authors and try to understand the unique process that went into creating the book. We also discuss passages and concepts from the book to better understand the author’s thought process. So, dive in and get new recommendations for your reading list. In this episode, Varun and Anita dive deep into the challenges women face in their professional lives. Com...

We’ve all been in brainstorming sessions where there are two kinds of people. One who is just sprouting ideas constantly and the other who is just absorbing everything that is being discussed.  There is a notion that the quiet ones don’t have much to contribute, but in today’s video Varun explains why that might not be the case. There is a reason why taking a few extra minutes to say somethin...

Have you been told to move on, look at the positives, be happy when you’re at a low phase in your life? What if experiencing that particular emotion is what will help you evolve as an individual? In part two of Varun’s conversation with Prakhar, they delve a little deeper into a topic they both enjoy – psychology. They tackle topics like their learnings from literature, their experiences with new...

It is common human tendency to think of the end result before beginning a project. It is our self-preservation that propels us to consider the possibility of failure, building a false sense of security that we will somehow manage to avoid it.  But why do you want to avoid failure?  In this episode of Take aPause, Varun talks about the importance of failure and a technique using which you...

Do you find yourself often swallowing your opinion? Do you not feel confident enough to share your thoughts with the world? Maybe the main obstacle blocking you from unlocking your self-confidence is you. In this captivating episode of Take aPause, Varun talks to Prakhar Gupta on a lot of different topics. This episode covered so many wonderful topics that it had to be a two-part series.  Pra...

You’ve often heard the terms, ‘I’ll sleep when I die’, ‘I work 24/7’ or ‘Fake it till you make it’. Collectively these are all part of the hustle culture, and while hustling isn’t a bad thing, forfeiting your personal life and happiness is maybe not the way to go about it. In today’s episode of Take aPause, Varun talks about what he thinks is the ideal way to go about hustling and not give into th...

What do you need to be a successful YouTuber today? Is simply having an internet connection and decent editing skills enough? Or do you need to have a unique value proposition? In this episode of Take aPause, Varun talks to Dev Raiyani, digital creator and artist on what it takes to find success online. Dev Raiyani is a digital creator & artist who has over 300k+ subscribers on YouTube and a v...

“Sales”, the term, is often followed by a shadow of negative emotions.  Sales are an integral part of winning both businesses and people. So how do you make sure that each sale leaves everyone involved happier? In today’s episode of Take aPause, Varun talks about how to conduct sales positively! You can Order Varun’s book “Everything is out of syllabus: An instruction manual for life & wo...

Do you constantly find yourself chasing deadlines? Does your to-do list overwhelm you?  In this episode of Take aPause, Varun shares his tips on how best to plan your day, take periodic breaks, and still have a productive day. You can Order Varun’s book “Everything is out of syllabus: An instruction manual for life & work “ at https://amzn.to/335QKow   Follow Varun across social...

Have you heard the saying “Aim for the stars, and you might get to the moon”? Well, it sets us up for an eventual disappointment. If we tweak the quote such that we set a bare minimum expectation of landing somewhere, wouldn’t we be happy if we did land on a star? Varun shares an interesting perspective on how to set expectations and goals keeping in mind a very important factor. Listen to this po...

In this episode of Take aPause, Varun and Leeza discuss the hush-hush way sex is discussed in Indian society. Leeza presses upon the need to have open conversations about sex and intimacy. Leeza Mangaldas is a sex-positive creator utilising her social platforms to break stereotypes around sex. Through her YouTube channel and podcast, she aims to create more awareness of female pleasure. Her missio...

If you had to equate yourself to an object, what would it be? Do you have an answer? Shonda Rhimes, in her book Year of Yes, shares an  interesting thought – that humans are like mirrors; that we are what gets reflected at us, and that we too put out an energy that reflects onto the people around us. Varun discusses this concept and its potential in this episode of Take aPause. You can Order...

The podcast revolution has definitely given non-readers something to binge on,  especially for the generation that has grown up through auditory teaching methods where teachers read things out loud. Varun, on the other hand, prefers reading over binging seasons after seasons of shows. He has a very interesting method for reading books – listen to this episode to find out.  Raj Shamani is...

We have all entered meetings with certain expectations. Either we expect to leave the room with all our ideas heard and accepted or we just want to be heard. Sometimes we want to leave it up to the deciding party to choose what ideas should work.  However, according to Mary Parker Follet, the true way of having a suitable outcome for everyone is through the power of interdependence, where eve...

We are often burdened by problems that we truly cannot control. We worry about things that we cannot change. In this episode of Take a Pause, Varun explains how Stoicism tackles this problem. He simplifies some philosophies and explains how they helped him gain a new perspective in life and make better choices.  Ryan Holiday is an American author, public-relations strategist, and host of the podca...

Journaling doesn’t have a specific process; everyone chooses their own time and purpose for it. Varun self-admittedly journals sporadically but now has a rhythm that works well for him. If you are thinking about starting a journal, this podcast is definitely a great start.  You can Order Varun’s book “Everything is out of syllabus: An instruction manual for life & work “ at https://amzn.t...