The LiveLoveLaugh (LLL) Foundation’s 2024 Lecture Series delivered a thought-provoking dialogue on mental well-being and success, featuring Thrive Global’s Founder and CEO, Arianna Huffington, alongside LLL’s founder, actor and mental health advocate, Deepika Padukone. The conversation centered around inner transformation and the pressing need to redefine success in a fast-paced, high-pressure world.
This year’s edition comes at a crucial time, as India continues grappling with significant mental health challenges. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that nearly 15% of Indian adults experience some form of mental health disorder, yet social stigma often prevents open discussions about mental well-being. Even though awareness has increased since the pandemic, conversations about mental health are still often sidelined by cultural taboos and perceptions of weakness.
The LiveLoveLaugh Foundation, established by Deepika Padukone in 2015, has played a pivotal role in destigmatizing mental illness and opened up conversations on mental health in India. After publicly sharing her own battle with depression, Padukone’s mission has been to spread hope and create more accessible and affordable mental health services. LLL’s initiatives focus on awareness, education, and advocacy, providing critical support to individuals battling anxiety, depression, and stress.
The LLL Lecture Series, which began in 2019, continues to be a platform where global thought leaders come together to spark conversations on well-being. This year’s event with Arianna Huffington marks another landmark moment for the foundation. Huffington is the second international speaker in the series, following Pulitzer Prize winner Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee. Over the years, the series has featured iconic personalities like Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra, reflecting the Lecture Series’ commitment to mainstreaming mental health on a global stage.
In her conversation with Padukone, Huffington challenged society’s traditional definition of success, which is often tied to financial gains and power. “We’ve spent so long prioritizing our external accomplishments that we’ve forgotten the essential role of taking care of ourselves,” Huffington said. Reflecting on her own experience, she recounted how she collapsed from burnout while leading The Huffington Post. This was a pivotal moment that led her to redefine success, emphasizing the importance of mental health, rest, and joy.
For Huffington, true success is not just about external achievements. “The most important frontier for me is not outer space; it’s inner space,” she explained. By going inward and focusing on well-being, she believes the journey “onward and upward” becomes not only easier but also more meaningful. She urged the audience to consider what she calls the “third metric” of success—health, wisdom, wonder, and giving back.
Padukone echoed this sentiment, adding her perspective as a former athlete. “In sports, you learn the importance of rest and recovery. You need that to perform at your best,” she said, highlighting how cultural notions often praise overworking while dismissing self-care. She acknowledged that while there has been a positive shift in mental health awareness post-pandemic, much work remains to be done.
Huffington also shared practical advice on how to integrate mental well-being into daily life. Through her organization, Thrive Global, she promotes tools like “Thrive Reset,” which encourages users to take short 60-second breaks using breathwork and mindfulness techniques to lower stress levels. “It’s a powerful reminder that we don’t need hours to reset; just a few mindful moments can make all the difference,” she said.
This year’s Lecture Series discussion serves as a timely reminder that success and well-being are interconnected, and one cannot exist without the other. As the pressures of modern life continue to rise, both Huffington and Padukone’s message is clear: we must prioritize our mental health and redefine success on our own terms.
