The Values Workshop

John Britton and Manoj Khatri join me in a conversation which becomes engaging from the first sentence itself. The topic is highly relevant for every right-minded human being and this chat actually makes us go down trains of thought which provoke us to think deeper. Who am I? Who are we as a collective whole? Is there a unity which can be reached despite the many barriers to coming together? A won...

In a world bewitched by confidence, what is it that makes learning important? I get Vishal Singh, a musician to contemplate on, and share his life experiences with me on the tricky slope of knowing oneself, responding to one's calling, keeping the learning hat on, and yet, making a living. A tall order, I know, but his evocative answers and gestures liven up the conversation and provide many f...

Yet another Random Contemplation with Hemant Gupta. A fascinating, insightful, warm, deep and meaningful exchange once more. An attempt to move down authentic paths talking about experiences which have us taking pauses far more than usual. And what worthy attempts they are. Do check out this spiritual and practical chat....and do write in what you think. It is that kind of conversation. For the vi...

It is an important topic for me, as I guess it is for all of us. The world today lays far more emphasis on communication than ever before, and confidence in the way we reach out seems to impact the message. But being unsure, tentative, reflective are vital when one is searching in the depths of one's own mind. Words and the way they are spoken are merely carriers of thoughts - and just because...

What started as a conversation on #peerpressure evolves with every answer into a deeper kind of conversation without any effort on my part. Rhea Anand is a perceptive youngster, and handles the pressures of my question like a pro. She answers unabashedly, pausing at times to gather her thoughts and continuing free-flowing into her answers which are clear and bright. We have a calm, quiet guest in...

The chat goes into what is clearly uncharted territory for me - Optimism. Talking to the #youth is a wonderful opportunity to discover what keeps the world moving. Ayush Jain is a calm, cool customer when it comes to difficult questions. His answers are quietly contemplative and he uses words without cleverness and guile to really help us understand his perspective as clearly as he can. It is a jo...

An interesting and unexpected chat...at times meandering, but nothing seems to affect the depth of the topic or the questions or the answers at any point. Roshan Shetty is a man who has lived the corporate life among the many other lives of trying, failing, succeeding, helping others and feeling helpless himself. Seems like a rich experience? It is. He is generously vulnerable and allows both, his...

Khanjan is a sorted lady. She is clear, confident, measured and easy with her answers to questions on what #technology is doing to communication and at the pace it is available in our lives. She is not negative but agrees some checks and balances are required, a change of perspective is needed to optimize the usage and reduce the burden on self-imagery #socialmedia has put on us. Some laughs, some...

It is a simple kind of conversation, not very deep, but very moving though. Urmish Suchday guides us into his mind full of love and admiration for the mountains with short, sweet answers. But this is till I provoke him to share some stories...then he takes on a completely different avatar, taking us through little details of his treks, the challenges, his learnings, his love of #uttarakhand and th...

A dramatic title could have been a risk, and it was, but Pragya jumped right in and made it a delight of a conversation. We have had such insightful things spoken about in this chat, that you will be amazed at both, the wisdom of vulnerability being shared, and the guest's perspective of her difficult journey. It is truly a blessing of a conversation and I am glad to have discussed #selfies #s...

#Dhamma is timeless. In this episode, I am grateful to speak to Herman Schreuder, a teacher of #samathameditation which involves chanting of #Buddho and reflecting on the qualities of the Buddha. A happy and pleasant conversation, ideal for whoever is interested in delving deeper into #meditation. You will find Herman's answers are precise and clear, an indication of his practice and compassio...

A provocative topic, if ever there was one. Like always, my chat with Hemant Gupta takes a different route from what I presume. He speaks about holding opposing views and being able to study their worth by going deeper than taking superficial sides. We are also lucky to bring in 'individual agency' and possibilities in a topic which seems to be 'global' - leading to an interesting...

P. Pu. Pankajbhai is a man on a noble mission. His single-minded effort lies in spreading his understanding and technique of finding happiness within, armed with the lessons of many great masters. He has been a scientist and his search for finding the meaning of life has led to the answers he kindly shares with many. He intends to reach all the people regardless of age, sex, social strata and help...

My OG guest and co-podcaster Sujatha joins me once more and this time we get into a conversation about #teenagers . It is a tricky chat, but we seem to align on many things including respect, giving space and understanding the various issues that come with being young. The importance of passing the baton in terms of our values and ethics is also delved into. A short conversation, but it covers dec...

This is clearly one of the most fascinating and different chats I have had, since the topic is something I had almost no knowledge of, at all. Luckily, Moiz is a passionate and a learned #dogtrainer . He educates us, takes difficult questions, shares stories of personal and professional interaction, talks about dog behaviour and personalities and a lot more. What an insightful and engaging chat in...

There is no other view we have, of the world, than our own perspective. This time around, Manoj Khatri and I get into a deeper understanding of what this 'Me' represents. To our own selves and from the viewpoint of others. An interesting series of questions ensues and the answers are also a fascinating pause into checking the causes of our 'self-ownership'. Do check out this wonder...

#90hourweek #70hourweek is the topic of the moment - and many #corporateleaders have weighed in their side of the argument. Luckily, when Hemant and I come to speak about it, we refrain from taking easy positions or judgements. There is context, there is a combined outlook of what we are all doing, irrespective of where we stand on the socio-economic ladder. It leads to a wonderful kind of open co...

What a fantastic generation it is...We talk the one factor which keeps the world going round in today's times and perhaps, has always had a strong say in society. Money is a complex discussion and it helps to have guests like Sanjeet and Jahnavi who are not shy of naming things, sharing stories and are willing to listen my idealistic and perhaps 'unrealistic' expectations from them and humankind i...

This is in many ways a surprising and unusual podcast. Not the least because it features a celebrity we know from ‪@channelvindia1‬ once upon a time. ‪@rubybhatia123‬ has been one of the iconic names as a #veejay during her time at Channel V and also as an actress in a few well-known shows and movies. Her conversation and new avatar is shocking and charming in equal measure. Her take on life is su...

Getting to interview a monk is turning out to be one of the most profound blessings of life for me personally. The clarity with which Bhante Mahapanyo explains meditation and the various factors affecting the mind, how one needs to factor in the understanding of Buddha's prescribed path and also use reflection to connect it to one's own practice. A conversation of much help to seekers in all kinds...

Our conversation is a warm and deep connect over a topic of much relevance - Loneliness. It touches our lives due to various reasons and its impact is far-reaching for sure...the beauty of this particular conversation is not only the many facets of this challenge we cover, but also a little detour with a temporary guest friend, who enters the chat, and lends her two bits. It is such a joy to be di...

Karmendra Kohli, Co-founder and CEO of Secureyes, spoke to me about many things leadership, handling my comfortable and uncomfortable questions with equal ease and clarity. What worked for me, were his twin traits, of quick answers at times and the ability to pause before he shared his view on my query. While the examples are personal, they are not limited to his organisation, and it was interesti...

A happy chat, this. What do you get when you have four versions of an incomplete, yet fulfilling journey of self exploration? Depends on how you perceive it in the moment. Roopa, Mustafa, Manoj and I agree, disagree and then come together again in understanding that words can be poor carriers of truth, and our views, though different at times, have much in common when it comes to studying our own...

This is a fascinating mix of a conversation with Nishant Choudhary. We talk about ambition and 'seeking and many things which affect the two aspects. There is so much meat in here, that you might want to watch it twice. The questions surprised me as much as they piqued him and it helped that he was kind and patient with understanding the deeper undertones of the queries. Check it out. You are sure...

Who escapes troubles, uneasiness or suffering? Who or what can save us? Aren't we all looking for peace, calmness and a stable kind of happiness from our childhood itself? Solace is a universal need and in this episode we cover different aspects of the need, the various ways we try to obtain it and lastly, the actual understanding of what it means. In our limited wisdom, we have covered what seems...