The LiveLoveLaugh (LLL) Foundation has announced the release of the 2024 edition of the LiveLoveLaugh Lecture Series, hosted by its founder, Deepika Padukone. This year’s special guest is Arianna Huffington, Founder and CEO of Thrive Global. The conversation, which centers around inner transformation, redefining success, and prioritizing well-being, is a powerful exchange of ideas between the two trailblazers.
Arianna begins by addressing the way society views success, challenging the traditional narrative. She explains…
You know how we always say ‘onward and upward’? Well, I like to say ‘onward, upward, and inward’. When we go inward, the onward and upward journey becomes both easier and more effective. Ultimately, the most important frontier for me is not outer space; it’s inner space.
She goes on to emphasize the importance of focusing on sleep, food, movement, stress management, and connection as key pillars for both mental and physical health. These, she says, are the real building blocks for lasting well-being. Drawing from her own experience, Arianna shares her story of burnout while building The Huffington Post, collapsing from exhaustion. “I thought I had to sacrifice my health to be successful,” she says, reflecting on how this moment became a turning point in her life. She realized that success must include a “third metric” beyond just money and power: “I believe we should include what I call the third metric of success, which encompasses our health and well-being, our capacity to connect with our wisdom and intuition, our ability to appreciate the wonder and mystery of life, and our commitment to giving back. That’s what constitutes a complete and fulfilling life.”
Deepika echoes these sentiments and points out the cultural resistance to self-care, especially in work environments. “There’s still this notion that if someone needs downtime or takes a weekend off, they’re seen as not motivated or driven,” she explains. As an athlete, she knows firsthand that rest and recovery are essential to performing better and working more effectively.
Arianna also shares practical tools for managing stress, introducing the “Thrive Reset,” a 60-second breathing exercise designed to help people shift from stress to calm. “In just 60 seconds, through conscious breathing, we can go from stress to calm,” she says. This tool is a reminder that moments of mindfulness can make a big difference in daily life, offering quick and easy resets whenever needed.
In this inspiring conversation, Deepika and Arianna encourage a broader definition of success, one that includes inner well-being and mindful living, reminding us that true success is a balance of both external achievements and inner health.