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Welcome to theLieLlama! We lie more to ourselves than to anyone else. A thought-provoking podcast that wants to take you on a transformative journey towards self-actualization. Our mission is to uncover the intricate web of lies we tell ourselves, unraveling the illusions that hold us back from self-actualization and realization of our true potential. The podcast is targeted towards folks who introspect on life and living to grow and become better every day. In each episode, our hosts, Gunja ...
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The adage "Do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life" has proved false. There comes a day when that love and passion ceases to inspire, crushed by office politics, hustle culture, and the rat race. In reality the only choice you have is to either do whatever it takes to get the lifestyle you want; or, accept the lifestyle you get b…
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Is learned helplessness another case of self-gaslighting? It is known to be a condition in which a person has a sense of powerlessness. The psychiatry says that it arises from a traumatic event or persistent failure to succeed and is thought to be one of the underlying causes of depression. Listen. Ponder. Engage... and subscribe - https://theLieLl…
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Pranks and jokes subtly test our social boundaries and relationships. They reveal how well we know someone, how they react under pressure, and the strength of our bond. It appears that over the last decade or so, social humor is almost dead. Is that also the reason why depression and similar other mental illnessess have increased? Listen. Ponder. E…
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It is said that money does not change you, it simply amplifies what you already are! There are two thresholds of money - financial independence (also know as FI money), when you feel secure enough to not be worried about earning. The second threshold is know as F*** You (FU) money, when you feel liberated from the obligations to people around you. …
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Law vs. Justice. When laws get misused, the courts stay mute
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The more laws there are, the more corrupt the society becomes - Lao Tzu (paraphrasing). Do laws really bring justice to society? Every law, introduced with best of intentions, has unintended consequences that then requires that the legislature adds more laws. Soon enough we have a heap of laws that are so intermingled that an old communist saying c…
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When is the right time to quit the rat race? Why is the 'hustle-culture' becoming a norm and is celebrated rather than a pursuing a meaningful and fulfilling life? Listen. Ponder. Engage… and subscribe - https://theLieLlama.com
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If marriages are made in heaven, then why are they lived in hell?
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There are a million jokes on marriage. Most people, when asked, will claim that the jokes do not apply to their marriage. If you ask their friends and family, a different picture emerges. Almost everyone looks at the other couple and wonders - why are they still married? Is it all black and white or are there shades of grey when it comes to complex…
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We revisit the topic of economic slavery triggered by a comment by Mr. Narayan Murthy (founder of Infosys) about working 70 hours a week. Is it economic slavery if you have an idea that requires that you work all your waking hours to bring it to life? Is it economic slavery if you are extremely passionate about what you do? Listen. Ponder. Engage..…
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What are your New Year resolutions? How long do you stick to them? Why do we see the same resolutions being repeated year-on-year with similar results? Is there a better way than making and then breaking New Year resolutions and then feeling miserable about them? Listen. Ponder. Engage... and subscribe - https://theLieLlama.com…
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When you are riding the gravy train, how to do you find balance in life? Will you walk away from a choice that will turbocharge your career and resent later? In this episode we talk to Preethi Madappa about how to find balance between work, life and be content with the choices you have made. Listen. Ponder. Engage... and subscribe - https://theLieL…
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Is masculinity all about power structure, aggression, and demonstrating 'manly' behavior as described by the social norms? Is masculinity only limited to men or can women exhibit the same behaviours? What would you consider as genuine or fake masculinity? Listen. Ponder. Engage... and subscribe - https://theLieLlama.com…
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Do you gaslight others or are gaslighted by others? Psychological manipulation of someone to benefit from it got termed as 'gaslighting' based on a play in 1938 and is now used to describe any kind of provocation. Have you ever considered that the person we most 'gaslight' are ourselves? Think about it after you listen to this episode and let us kn…
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How many inspirational books does it take to inspire you? Self help books, podcasts, lectures, videos and plethora of other content gets consumed everyday. Yet, we do not see anyone inspired to do what they claim they want to do. While many have pivoted their lives with the motivation from one single quote, most other jump from one book to another …
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These days we consume media like drinking water from a fire-hose and fall prey to narratives, rumors and influencers that are manipulated through money and ideologies. The challenge will grow as the social media, and now artificial intelligence, generates more information than it is humanly possible to consume. Listen. Ponder. Engage... and support…
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Reevaluating choices when effort exceeds the reward
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The usual narrative is that we should focus on developing on our weaknesses, but here we talk to Sherry Hashim who has gone from strength to strength. Would you walk away from a relaxed, easy life on a coffee plantation to carve out a path based on who you are? Do you have the courage to be true to your authentic self, without caring about what the…
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Health is wealth, we are all told. The problem is we trade one for the other at the wrong time and may end up losing both when we need it most. Listen. Ponder. Engage… and support - https://theLieLlama.com
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Do your duty and your rights will be taken care of
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The saying goes - if you take care of your duties, your rights will be taken care of. If that really true or is it just another ploy to pile up more guilt trips on us? Is it duty if it done out of love? Listen. Ponder. Engage… and support - https://theLieLlama.com
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Has the fake feminism taken over the narrative of what was meant to uplift women? Do such social causes hurt more than benefit the beneficiaries? What if some women use it for an unfair advantage or to get even with someone? Listen. Ponder. Engage… and support - https://theLieLlama.com
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How do you express your love and affection? What if the way you express is not appreciated by the people you love? Do men expres love differently than women? Are men in love underrated? Listen. Ponder. Engage …and support - https://theLieLlama.com
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Do you hope for the best and prepare for the worst? What if the worst you expected never happens? Do you enjoy the best? What if we tell you that you should prepare for the best? Listen. Ponder. Engage … and support - https://theLieLlama.com
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The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step - Lao Tzu. When we started on this journey we did not have a goal of time or number of episodes. One year later we believe we have just started warming up as the list of topics continue to grow along with our audience. In this anniversary episode we would like to thank all our listeners and guest…
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Humans are truth seeking animals but are prone to lying. An engaging discussion with Anurag Wadehra on why we lie and what purpose it serves in evolution and our survival. How to understand that a course correction is needed to avoid falling in trap of our own and other people's lies. Our guest, Anurag Wadehra, after graduating from IIT, took a sce…
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Is it better to be a jack of all trades or master of one? In today's world where specialization seems to matter, one gravitates towards specializing in one. The risk becomes when the specilization you have loses its value or becomes irrelevant as the technology advances. On the other hand, being a generalist does not prepare you for any jobs that, …
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Most of us claim that we are unbiased in our opinions. Yet, we exhibit biases in almost all aspects of our lives. We are as unaware of our biases as a fish would be unaware of the water around it. Listen. Ponder. Engage… and support - https://theLieLlama.com
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Live for others. Do charity. Giving makes you happy… We discuss if altruism can truly exist or is it a narrative we are fed by the society to serve its own purpose? Listen. Ponder. Engage... and support - https://theLieLlama.com
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To achieve big, you need to dream big! So, goes the narrative. Are dreaming big and achieving co-joined activities or independent of each other? What if you are not achieving your dreams but dreams of your parents or what others expect of you? Does that achievement lead to happiness and fulfillment or frustration and a feeling of emptiness? Listen.…
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Money is the root of all evil, yet no one would be willing to part with what they have! Investing in market is like gambling, yet the index funds across the globe are at their historical highs. We all should save for our retirement, but then we refuse to spend and enjoy our retirement. Money matters are full of lies we are peddeled throughout our l…
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With so much information and resources to verify it available to us, why do we still fall into the trap of 'fake news'? How does one discover the truth? Or is it better to ask ourselves if we can ever know what is true? Listen. Ponder. Engage… and support - https://theLieLlama.com
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Tribute to Gunjan's grandfather - Manohar Lal Minocha
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A special episode in memory of Gunjan's grandfather, whom they lovingly called 'Bau ji'. Gunjan shares some heartfelt stories about him as we discuss the important role grandparents play in our lives and social fabric. The icing on the cake is Gunjan's poetry. She turned out to be a closet poet, and a great one at that! Listen. Ponder. Engage... an…
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What does it mean to be bold and independent? In this wide ranging discussion with Kavitha Kanaparthi we learn what it takes to be bold and independent woman. A serial entrepreneur, a single mom and a techie who has defied all the social norms and lives life on her own terms. She is a true inspiration for all women who want to find a way to pushbac…
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Peer pressure and social conformity drive us to do things that we would not have done if left alone. Is it for good or does it create stress and unhappiness in our lives? Listen. Ponder. Engage… and support - https://theLieLlama.com
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What do you fear and what makes you angry?
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The typical ice-breaker question in corporate events turns into a deeper discussion on mediocrity. While you listen to the discussion, ponder on these questions for yourself. Listen. Ponder. Engage…and support - https://theLieLlama.com
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Why does success feel so hollow? Why does a small wave of criticism overshadow the ocean of love we get for our work? We discuss the perils of early success and the journey of two times award winning author, Sankalita Roy. Website: https://www.sankalitaroy.com/ Insta handle - @sankalitar Twitter - @Sankalitar1998 FB - https://www.facebook.com/profi…
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Can a woman be more successful than the man?
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Why should a relationship turn sour if the woman becomes more successful than the man? Are men's ego so fragile? Or, it is assumed that a man always has to be more succesful than the woman? They say that men do not like bold and independent women. Is that true? Listen. Ponder. Engage…and support - https://theLieLlama.com…
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Someone said, "if I could die right this moment, I would be the happiest man alive". On the other hand, another quote that is often used about death is, "most men die at 20 but are buried at 70". The question we ponder upon is how would you like to die. Listen. Ponder. Engage…and support - https://theLieLlama.com…
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When your loved ones disown you over whom you love
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When does love become the reason for hatred? Is love only about sex? Does your hatred for something overshadow your love for your friends and family? Explore the paradox and contradictions of love in this heartfelt discussion with Dr. Monica Chadha. Insta handles (@bodability, @browngirlbreathes). FB - https://www.facebook.com/monica.chadha Listen.…
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Is everything in life a zero-sum game? What is the difference between a closed vs growth mindset? Why is it important to create a growth mindset in yourself and your children. Listen. Ponder. Engage, and also support - https://theLieLlama.com
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Do we mistake ego for pride? Is it really the ego that gets hurt when we say - my pride was hurt? Gunjan believes that it is the pride but Rajeev is of the opinion that it is always the ego that gets hurt. What do you think? Listen. Ponder. Engage - https://theLieLlama.com
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Is social media good or bad? On one hand we speak of its evils and on the other we envy SMIs (Social Media Influencers) who earn millions from it. Everyone appears to be in a race to get the maximum followers or likes. Join us on a wide-ranging discussion with Shweta Rohira (@shwetarohira), a SMI on Instagram. Follow her to find out why Rajeev call…
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Do you have the courage to confront your dark side? Each of us has what Carl Jung called 'the shadow'. This is the deepest and darkest side of us that we never confront and are very scared to face because it will reveal, within us, what we despise or condemn in others. Unless you come face-to-face with your dark side, you will not be able to realiz…
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Why do we live our lives through others rather than experiencing it ourselves? Is it because we are afraid of taking risks or lack confidence in ourselves? We discuss this innate desire in all of us of telling others how to live or taking pride in others' achievement as if there were some meaningful contributions to their results by us. Listen. Pon…
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We discuss a controversial topic of 'Model Minority' based on our guest, Dr. Manpreet Sahota's, research on immigrants. Although, her research is based on South Asian immigrants to Canada, we debate if the same rules apply to migrants within a country. How was this narrative developed, how to recognize it and how to not fall into the trap? Join us …
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Why do today, what you can push out to tomorrow? In this episode we uncover the lies that hide behind the curtain of procrastination. Although Gunjan believes that this is a feel-good episode, Rajeev thinks otherwise. In his opinion, this discussion will make many folks uncomfortable who hide their laziness and lack of decision or risk taking behin…
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What problem are we trying to solve when we push for gender equality? Are we approaching it the wrong way? Will we end up creating a larger problem or better equality over time?Rajeev thinks that we are treating the symptoms and not curing the disease. Gunjan partially agrees but has difference of opinion. What do you think?Visit https://theLieLlam…
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Gunjan and Rajeev talk to Anjali and discuss the topic of kindness. Where we get conflicted and the paradox of how not choosing kindness in the short term actually is being kind towards someone in the long term.
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Is our life predestined or do our choices shape our destiny? What about the choices or decisions we refuse to make? In this episode we discuss how choices and refusing to make a choice (which, paradoxically is also a choice) define our lives.Visit https://theLieLlama.com to comment, like and share.
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Don't take life so seriously that you forget to live it
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In this episode, we remind you to embrace the lightness and playfulness of life. We delve into the profound truth that "Don't take life so seriously that you forget to live." Meet our hosts, Gunjan and Rajeev, a duo who embody the spirit of Tom and Jerry. Just like these classic characters, they bring their unique personalities and perspectives, of…
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In this guest episode of theLieLlama, we invite Rajeev's 'better half' and embark on a raw and transformative exploration of one of the most complex relationships between two people - marriage. Our impromptu guest, along with the hosts, share their personal stories of triumphs and struggles, leading to a spirited and honest discussion on the path t…
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In this episode, we invite you to explore the ever-present concept of "going with the flow." We challenge the traditional notions surrounding this philosophy and present you with four distinct perspectives: Go with the flow, be the flow, resist the flow, or manage the flow.Join us as we delve into the depths of these approaches and examine the bene…
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In this episode, we challenge the prevailing notion that the pursuit of happiness is a guaranteed path to fulfillment or even happiness itself, while unraveling the layers of deception that surround this fundamental human desire. We examine the complexities and contradictions of this ideal and question whether our relentless pursuit may actually be…
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