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Shobhana Bhartia, Vice-Chairperson of Hindustan Times.

What does spirituality mean to you?

It is the awareness that there is something beyond me and whatever I am here and now; it is also the acceptance that there is a larger energy, and that this particular life is a short episode in a larger journey. So it is about putting things in perspective.

Do you believe you are guided and protected by a superior force?

I believe there definitely is such a force. It is up to us to feel or see it. It depends on how much we have shrouded ourselves with other superficial layers. Or at times we simply prefer to ignore the guidance and enjoy the moment here and now. Also, my mind is so racy, that it is a challenge for it to calm down and hear that inner voice or guidance --- when I try, ten things keep popping up, I think of all the people I have to call, of all the things I have to do and so on.

Do you believe you have a special mission or purpose in this life?

I believe we are given certain cards and then it is up to us to make a mess out of it, or play them in a better way. In my case, I was born in circumstances that enabled me to do more, both as part of the Birla family, and as I became involved in the Hindustan Times. Being in media offers the opportunity to reach out to so many. But I do not go too deep into imagining what it entails and how big a job I need to do. It would be both too pompous and too stressful. I just try to do my best, believing that my own karma has brought me where I am, and that I do not know if I would be given such good circumstances in another birth, so I’d better try and do my best in this one.

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