Take a Pause with Varun Duggirala

Once you reach a certain point in adulthood, work starts taking up the number one spot in your list of priorities. We believe that to do well in your career, one needs to spend every waking moment working and working hard. While it may be a sure fast way to ensure success, it may not always be the most sustainable. Our mind is like any other machine – it requires downtime. It is constantly working round the clock to ensure our body's smooth functioning, along with carrying out the different tasks we assign it. Add a whole bowl of stress and no rest to the mix and that makes its work even harder. In this episode of Take aPause, Varun discusses the need to strike a balance in your life. Not only do we need to rest to lead a happy personal life, but good rest ensures we are even more productive in our professional life. He also shares a simple method that can help you prioritise the things in your life that are important. 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 media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take apause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The  Varun Duggi show”) is a twice a week podcast that’s meant to enable its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their daily lives to learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts that will help them find motivation, build the right mindset and perform at their best. Varun also occasionally taps into the minds of truly interesting people to give listeners a learn from and use in their work, life and everything in-between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message

Trigger Warning: The following content may contain sensitive themes that is not suitable for all audiences. Listener Discretion is Advised.  Relationships in the digital age are in a league of their own. New terms to describe relationships circulate every few months like the latest fashion trend. Situationship, ghosting, zombie-ing (yes, it’s an actual term), and soft launching are some of the types of relationships the youth find themselves in. Is there a deeper reason for the proliferation of so many non-committal types of relationships, or do they help define the complex tangles of relationships better? In this episode of Take aPause, Varun and  Smiti Srivastava discuss the complicated relationships of the digital age. They discuss everything from cheating, abusive relationships, and how past trauma can form patterns for the kind of relationships we seek.  Smiti Srivastava (@innerconnectionswithsmriti) is a psychotherapist who focusses on relationships as a core area of focus. She has worked extensively with individuals over the age of 16 on various psychological difficulties affecting them. 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 media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take apause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The  Varun Duggi show”) is a twice a week podcast that’s meant to enable its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their daily lives to learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts that will help them find motivation, build the right mindset and perform at their best. Varun also occasionally taps into the minds of truly interesting people to give listeners a learn from and use in their work, life and everything in-between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message

If happiness is an emotion, and emotions, by definition, a part of our consciousness, then why do we go out of our way to search for it? Why is most of our life spent looking for happiness externally when it is available on the inside?  In this episode of Take APause, Varun talks about happiness and what it means for everyone. The definition of happiness may remain the same but the way it manifests itself in each of our lives is unique to each individual and their journey thus far. 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 media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take apause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The  Varun Duggi show”) is a twice a week podcast that’s meant to enable its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their daily lives to learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts that will help them find motivation, build the right mindset and perform at their best. Varun also occasionally taps into the minds of truly interesting people to give listeners a learn from and use in their work, life and everything in-between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message

Being onstage and performing can be an overwhelming experience for many. However, for some, it fills them with energy, and they thrive in the spotlight. Abish Mathew is the latter.  In this episode of Take APause, Varun and Abish have an honest conversation about their content creation processes and who they are truly creating content for. They discuss their struggles with confidence, the advantages of therapy, and how it is not easy to say “no”.  Abish Mathew is an Indian stand-up comedian and YouTuber. He is known for his work with All India Bakchod along with being the creator and host of a late-night show Son of Abish. His show Journey of a Joke delves into the creative processes of comedians and how they find their inspiration. Timestamps (00:00 - 00:59) - Intro (01:00 - 02:51) - Parents & Childhood (02:52 - 04:59) - Being on stage (05:00 - 08:52) - Confidence (08:53 - 13:09) - Energy-giving and draining (13:10 - 18:59) - Building your tribe (19:00 - 21:30) - Empathy (21:31 - 23:19) - Human connection (23:20 - 26:34) - Fame (26:35 - 31:44) - Fear (31:45 - 40:13) - The blame game (40:14 - 42:27) - Meditation (42:28 - 48:09) - Relationships (48:10 - 56:09) - Saying no (56:10 - 57:50) - Best Advice (57:51 - 1:00:16) - Relaxing day & music 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 media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take apause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The Varun Duggi show”) is a twice a week podcast that’s meant     to enable its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their   daily   lives to learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts on   finding  balance and clarity, overcoming fear and procrastination, managing  overthinking and self-judgement, unlocking confidence, and   building  deeper relationships. Varun also occasionally taps into the   minds of   truly interesting people to give listeners a learn from and    use in their  work, life and everything in-between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message

Whether due to language barriers or lack of access, the true potential of India's youth beyond Tier 1 cities remains largely untapped. Enabling them with opportunities and skills required to take on the cutthroat challenges of the job world or realise their entrepreneurial dreams, is what Josh Talks does best. In conversation with Supriya Paul, Varun asks her about her vision for the future, the journey of Josh Talks, and the challenges of running multiple verticals. Don’t miss this enriching conversation! Supriya Paul is the co-founder of Josh Talks, India’s largest regional platform that offers inspiration, soft skills, and growth opportunities to youths living in India’s developing and underdeveloped cities. To date, the channel has 2000+ stories in over 10 vernacular languages that can be easily accessed and relate to the Indian youth. She has also written a book, All You Need Is Josh which is a collection of inspirational stories. Timestamps(00:00 - 00:49) - Introduction(00:50 - 02:27) - How did Josh Talks REALLY start?(02:28 - 06:30) - Understanding the FRUSTRATIONS that caused Josh Talks(06:31 - 08:07) - CHANGES that are seen among Indian mindset(08:08 - 10:27) - EARLY years of Josh Talks(10:28 - 12:10) - What SUPRISED Supriya in the early years(12:11 - 14:08) - Importance of COMMUNITY(14:09 - 16:15) - Being the "Bade Bhaiya"(16:16 - 20:34) - How English affects the CONFIDENCE(20:35 - 22:55) - What's Supriya's BIGGEST fear?(22:56 - 24:04) - Changes are seen in people's THINKING since 2020(24:05 - 26:59) - Turning ASPIRATION into ACTION(27:00 - 32:01) - Perspective on HUSTLE & BALANCE(32:02 - 35:15) - CHALLENGES faced by Josh Talks(35:16 - 37:32) - Dealing with SELF DOUBT(37:33 - 38:22) - The NEED to understand emotions(38:23 - 39:24) - The BEST piece of advice(39:25 - 40:30) - EVOLUTION as co-founders(40:31 - 41:10) - What does Supriya do to TAKE A PAUSE?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 media platforms @VarunDuggihttps://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/ https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggihttps://twitter.com/varunduggi  And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.comAbout the show“Take apause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The     Varun Duggi show”) is a twice a week podcast that’s meant    to enable its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their  daily   lives to learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts on  finding  balance and clarity, overcoming fear and procrastination,  managing  overthinking and self-judgement, unlocking confidence, and  building  deeper relationships. Varun also occasionally taps into the  minds of   truly interesting people to give listeners a learn from and   use in their  work, life and everything in-between.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message

In this episode of Take APause, Varun talks to the talented Kubbra Sait as they delve deeper into her life story. The metamorphosis from a shy, anxious kid to the enigmatic woman she is today, is a journey not many people know of. She shares key learnings from her life and why she consciously chooses to step out of her comfort zone.  Kubbra Sait is an Indian actress, TV host and model who has appeared in films like Sultan and Ready. She became a household name for her performance as Kukoo on the Netflix original show Sacred Games. She recently launched her book ‘Open Book, Not Quite a Memoir’ and has received a lot of praise for it. Timestamps (00:00 - 01:06) Intro (01:07 - 03:55) Pocket full of sunshine (03:56 - 09:44) Childhood (09:45 - 13:14) Individuality (13:15 - 14:34) Dealing with challenges (14:35 - 20:54) Holding conversations (20:55 - 23:56) Writing challenges (23:57 - 28:13) Embracing opportunities (28:14 - 31:21) Solo travel (31:22 - 35:25) Expressing concern (35:26 - 40:35) Being secure (40:36 - 43:23) About Kukoo (43:24 - 45:59) "I am enough" (46:00 - 54:14) Best advice 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 media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take apause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The    Varun Duggi show”) is a twice a week podcast that’s meant   to enable its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their daily   lives to learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts on finding  balance and clarity, overcoming fear and procrastination, managing  overthinking and self-judgement, unlocking confidence, and building  deeper relationships. Varun also occasionally taps into the minds of   truly interesting people to give listeners a learn from and  use in their  work, life and everything in-between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message

If life’s a journey, we are its passengers. Sometimes we find ourselves lost on our way, wishing there was something to help us navigate through the tough times. Well, no one thing works for everyone; however, some lessons do apply to all of us. In this episode of Take aPause, Varun shares seven such life-changing lessons he picked up through the various phases of life. By sharing them with you, he hopes they will help you lead a more fulfilling life. 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 media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take apause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The   Varun Duggi show”) is a twice a week podcast that’s meant  to enable its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their daily  lives to learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts on finding balance and clarity, overcoming fear and procrastination, managing overthinking and self-judgement, unlocking confidence, and building deeper relationships. Varun also occasionally taps into the minds of  truly interesting people to give listeners a learn from and use in their  work, life and everything in-between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message

When we say we are passionate about something, it usually stems from a place of knowledge. We are well-informed about the subject at hand and function from a place of knowledge. Curiosity, on the other hand, is the thirst for knowledge. It denotes a need to learn more about a topic of interest. It fuels our learning and pushes us out of our comfort zone to get the questions in our minds answered.  In this episode of Take aPause, Varun talks about what happens when we choose to follow our passion. He also shares how some of the most genius minds in history have had diverse streams of interest. 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 media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take apause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The  Varun Duggi show”) is a twice a week podcast that’s meant to enable its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their daily lives to learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts that will help them find motivation, build the right mindset and perform at their best. Varun also occasionally taps into the minds of truly interesting people to give listeners a learn from and use in their work, life and everything in-between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message

In the pursuit of perceived uniqueness, we often tend to avoid being repetitive. If you think about the most famous, impactful people in the world, you will notice that they don’t have a new and unique perspective every time they speak. The core message will always remain the same, they just have a unique way of putting it across.  In this episode of Take aPause, Varun talks about why it is okay to repeat ourselves. As a creator, he does find himself going back to older pieces of content and finding newer ways to share it. He also shares an insightful quote that beautifully summarises this thought. 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 media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take apause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The  Varun Duggi show”) is a twice a week podcast that’s meant to enable its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their daily lives to learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts that will help them find motivation, build the right mindset and perform at their best. Varun also occasionally taps into the minds of truly interesting people to give listeners a learn from and use in their work, life and everything in-between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message

In the digital world, content is the currency that works. To ensure a steady stream of income (read: content) in this case, one has to be consistent. The truth is there are no original ideas. Every idea you see is a derivation of an original idea that has existed for a long time.  In this episode of Take aPause, Varun shares his secret to consistently creating content across platforms. As a podcaster, YouTuber, and Instagram creator he is juggling multiple platforms at the same time. Maintaining his unique voice across platforms and creating platform-specific content, this method he shares can be applied to any process that requires creativity in bulk.  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 media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take apause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The  Varun Duggi show”) is a twice a week podcast that’s meant to enable its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their daily lives to learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts that will help them find motivation, build the right mindset and perform at their best. Varun also occasionally taps into the minds of truly interesting people to give listeners a learn from and use in their work, life and everything in-between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message