Unlocking Success and Spirituality with Sunil V V
Welcome to the first episode of Doc Diaries.
Let’s start with a brief introduction. Doc Diaries is Dr Preeti Sharma’s labour of love. It was born out of a decades-long dream of becoming a medium for people to speak their truth. It is a platform for ordinary (yet extraordinary) people to share their “not so ordinary” stories. Stories of their dreams, relationships, and struggles. Stories of what makes a meaningful life, of self-discovery, of finding purpose. After all, ‘’stories make us who we are today”.
Doc Diaries focuses on stories of personal growth, not professional achievements. The first guest of the show is Sunil VV, Director of Product Management & Chief Information Security Officer at CustomerInspire. Let’s get to know more about Sunil, the person.
When probed with the foundational question of the show – “Who is Sunil?”- He calls himself a ‘catalyst’ – someone who inspires and uplifts people.
How can we know about the adult Sunil without knowing what his childhood was like? Born in Palakkad, Kerala, in a joint family, Sunil has fond memories of a pampered childhood. Later, he remembers living in a loving family setup with his parents and younger brother in Visakhapatnam.
He also recounts developing a passion for joining the armed forces during his school years. Alas, it was not meant to be. Though Sunil prepared with great zeal for the NDA entrance exams, he missed qualifying by just two marks! Despite his passion, he did not try again and joined an engineering college in Kerala.
This is where his love affair with hockey started. Sunil was captivated by a hockey match in college and decided he wanted to be a part of the sport. Despite never having played hockey before, he showed up for the selections and, buoyed by fate and skills, was chosen for the team.
The lessons sport teaches us about life are invaluable, and Sunil agrees that he learned a lot about teamwork, leadership, and managing people, thanks to Hockey. He concludes by saying how hockey taught him that if you want something, imagine that you are already in that moment, relish it, and be present in that moment completely. This practice of mindfulness is the essence of “manifestation”.
In an interesting segue, Dr Preeti asks Sunil about how his interest in spirituality began. Sunil recollects how he met his friend Sampath after joining ITC in Bangalore. Sampath became a spiritual guide and introduced him to the wonders of meditation. Thus began Sunil’s spiritual journey. Interestingly, Sunil also met his wife through Sampath.
When asked what spirituality is, Sunil defines it beautifully and simply as connecting to one’s own self and walking one’s own path. To explain the concept of spirituality, Sunil uses the “Fish Tank Analogy”. He muddies the water in the fish tank and asks Dr Preeti to pick up stones of a particular color from the tank. Understandably, this proves to be difficult until the mud settles down and the water in the tank is clear.
Sunil tells us how the fish tank represents the mind, filled with various thoughts, positive and negative. A chaotic mind makes it difficult to see and choose clearly. Once you allow the mind to settle, you gain clarity and self-awareness. Meditation helps with hushing and settling the mind, to be present in the moment, so that you can see things as they are and make conscious choices. This is the essence of mindful living.
Next, we take a light-hearted break where Dr Preeti plays Bollywood Rapid Fire with Sunil, and he talks about his favorite movies, actors, and dance steps. As a treat to our viewers, Sunil also demonstrates a few of those famous Hockey moves.
Coming back, the discussion on how spirituality has changed his life resumes. Sunil shares how spirituality and meditation played an important role in his becoming a vegetarian. He recounts how his friend Sampath took him to Pyramid Valley, a meditation center near Bangalore, where he got acquainted with “The Pyramid Spiritual Societies Movement” or PSSM and its founder, Brahmasri Subhash Patriji.
PSSM and its 18 guiding principles provide directions for spiritual practices while leading a normal life. These principles can guide anyone on a path of physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Busting one of the biggest myths about meditation, Sunil clarifies that one does not need to try to stop their thoughts during meditation. Instead, those thoughts should be observed while trying to gently return to one’s breath. Over time, this practice of mindfulness leads to a “no-thought state” or “nirmal stithi”, allowing one to receive cosmic energy and feel inner peace.
Further, Sunil discusses co-founding the International Federation of Spiritual Scientists (IFSS) to bring scientific temperament and spirituality into the common man’s life. IFSS aims to integrate spirituality with science in every walk of life, and all IFSS volunteers work without pay.
Elaborating on how spirituality can be connected with science, Sunil explains that there have been many studies on the benefits of meditation for stress management. He explains how a research study on mice demonstrates how trauma and emotional patterns can be passed down through generations via DNA. The study showed that these patterns could also be reversed. Sunil emphasises that “Every moment you have a choice, be it in action or speech”.
Sunil’s contact details and IFSS and PSSM website details are available in the video. Viewers are encouraged to reach out to learn more.
Sunil maintains that spirituality teaches self-awareness, enabling individuals to make conscious choices. As a closing thought, he quotes beautifully, “You live life by choice, not by chance”.
So, if the question is – Is integrating spirituality and career a possibility? Can spirituality help with finding a purpose in life? Very much so, as demonstrated so effortlessly by Sunil. Dr Preeti concludes this interview by reiterating how Sunil’s spiritual journey led to personal growth and was also reflected in his work-life balance.