Investing in Self Growth

“In the startup world more so than anywhere else, today, we suffer from extreme stress. We must compete, break out and there is stress associated with that. And even if we make it, that ‘making it’ process is all-consuming. What is the cause of all this stress?” asked Punit Lalbahi, as he addressed the audience at the Kalaari Summit 2019.

Punit Lalbhai is an Executive Director at Arvind Limited. He is known for his philanthropic work, love of nature, and is a trainer of the Heartfulness Way of Meditation. Punit suggests:

“Stress happens when the outcome we get isn’t our desired outcome. We are like a leaf in the wind that is dependent on the outcome that isn’t in its control. It is these uncontrolled outcomes that lead to stress.”

Punit holds a bachelor’s degree in Conservation Biology from the University of California, and a Master’s in Environmental Science from Yale University. He was introduced to the Heartfulness Way of Meditation when he was 16 years old.

“My father was always seeking answers for the purpose of life and what happens after life. Every book he read told him that anyone who achieved any kind of enlightenment had achieved the same through meditation.”

Learning to manage stress

Punit recalls that his father’s first meditation session was life-changing and over six to eight months, he and his brother saw changes in their father, which prompted them to try meditation. In a life filled with stress, aspirations and the drive to be successful, Punit believes meditation, or any method of introspection, can help ease it.

He believes that meditation isn’t a ‘30-minute tool’ but can be used to change ourselves in fundamental ways. When he first started meditating, it was a bit of a struggle. But then, with time, the anger and frustration began to dissolve.

Finding that pause button

With stress, anger and frustration reducing, Punit saw he was able to find a pause button on reactions which made a difference to how he handled stress. “Most interpersonal interactions go negative because of uncontrolled reactions. If one can pause, think and be centered within oneself, it prevents stresses and helps improve interpersonal interactions,” said Punit.

With time, he also realised that through introspection and meditation, his intuition led him to better decision making.

“We pay a huge premium on rationality in society and that helps you navigate through life. But then, most of our important decisions are not rational — love, marriage, how we deal with our children,” explained Punit.

Taking an example, he said the most important scientific discoveries have come through intuition, and then, a rationale purpose is applied to explain the intuition to the world. “How we tap into this intuition and other resources are through different meditative tools. The introspective process helped me create a connection between the mind and the heart and then use them seamlessly to put through all my decisions,” said Punit.

Meditation is not a process in isolation

“I soon realized the amount of time you spend meditating is the least important part of meditation. Each time someone meditates, they are bestowed with a feeling or condition on a vibratory level, which one can keep with oneself. It is like the shirt you put on in the morning and forget about, but it’s still there. But with time, you also learn to use this vibration to become more compassionate, deal with failure and get better at interpersonal relationships.”

It is then, Punit said, that the place of work becomes your instrument to improve meditation and it became a self-fulfilling loop to help improve your work.

Punit’s session resonated with me on a personal level. Apart from reading and exercise, meditation is my mainstay to deal with pressure. Taking some quiet time off from the rushed spaces of our mind can settle that inner chaos. I have been practising meditation for over two decades and it has been one of the best investments in my self growth journey.

You can watch the video of the session here -

*The Kalaari Annual Summit- Every year, Kalaari hosts a Summit that highlights the India opportunity and the impact that start-ups have had on the ecosystem. Over the years, the Kalaari Summit has become a seminal platform for industry thought leaders to engage in dialogue on growing India’s startup ecosystem.

Disclaimer: The article is the independent opinion of the author and does not represent those of Kstart or Kalaari.