In this episode of Pivot to Joy, host Dele Downs Kooley sits down with Parul Sharma, creative director, artist, and 2024 TEDx Bellevue Women’s speaker, to explore the power of developing a "protagonist mindset." Parul shares her journey from childhood as an artist in India, through pivots in her career and personal life, to taking the TEDx stage. She details how her Buddhist practice shaped her worldview, influenced her development as both a creator and a parent, and inspired her to share her story of ...
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Timestamps:
[00:01:28] Parul on sharing her TEDx talk and the powerful responses received
[00:03:58] The concept and meaning behind "Developing a Protagonist Mindset"
[00:05:43] Parul’s upbringing, her journey from India to the US, and early career pivots
[00:13:09] How Buddhism and the concept of karma influenced her worldview
[00:19:49] Practical steps for aspiring TEDx speakers
[00:26:24] The importance of the protagonist mindset in times of change
[00:34:46] Buddhism’s role in personal development and managing stress
[00:41:10] Turning obstacles into opportunities for growth
[00:45:25] The impact of the TEDx experience on Parul, professionally and personally
[00:52:18] What’s next for Parul, and her return to making art for joy and meaning
[00:53:22] How to connect with Parul Sharma
Quotes:
"It's sort of a mindset that you very much are capable of shifting…it has such a power over you that you are, in fact, capable of overcoming it and really, like, shifting to a state in which you feel more empowered and in control." [00:04:17]
"If you think like that [this is the ideal circumstance], what it does to your mindset is that you stop thinking of your life as a punishment. Your life is not, you know, a series of, you know, like negative things that you're weighed under. But it's like, these are my circumstances, and how can I create the most value from them?" [00:14:28]
"I decided to actually sit and write down my entire talk first because my, my, the way I am built, I felt that I didn't even want to approach someone else to say, would you give me an opportunity? Until I knew that I had a talk in me." [00:19:53]
"The idea that is sensitive, if I may define the protagonist mindset, it is this idea that a change within me can change my circumstances. So while the world may be changing and shifting rapidly, and yes, it impacts you, the way to take charge in that circumstance is to say, “What can I do? What can I do?” My response is so important, you know, not my reaction, but my response, you know, because the response is more grounded in what do I want to do in this world." [00:27:49]
Resources:
• Connect with Parul Sharma on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parulxsharma
• Listen to Parul’s TEDx Bellevue Women talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZoqKtbFsUQ
• Buddhability: https://buddhability.org/
• Book: “The Buddha in Your Mirror”
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