A chance conversation on a flight from Bengaluru to Delhi in 2014 ended up changing the way a Gurgaon-based CEO viewed success, health and happiness.
Taking to LinkedIn, Kalyan Chakrabarti, CEO of Emaar India, recalled how a senior scientist from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) asked him a question that stayed with him for years.
He shared that in 2014, he boarded the Bengaluru-Delhi flight expecting to sleep through the journey. Instead, the man seated next to him, a senior DRDO scientist travelling to meet the newly sworn-in Prime Minister the following day, struck up a conversation.
Chakrabarti shared that the scientist first asked him what he did for a living. After hearing that he was a managing partner at a private equity fund, he replied, "Who cares."
{{/usCountry}}Chakrabarti shared that the scientist first asked him what he did for a living. After hearing that he was a managing partner at a private equity fund, he replied, "Who cares."
{{/usCountry}}Surprised, Chakrabarti wondered why he had asked the question in the first place. The scientist then clarified that he was referring not to his profession but to something else: "What do you do for your health and happiness?" he asked.
Chakrabarti wrote that despite spending over two decades in the corporate world, nobody had ever asked him that question so directly. He added that he proudly told the scientist that he walked for 45 minutes every evening. The response, however, did not impress the scientist.
"What a waste of time," he recalled the scientist saying, before explaining that running would allow him to cover much greater distances while improving his fitness significantly.
The scientist shared that he had been running for 34 years, beginning every day at 4.30 am. His routine included 15 km runs on weekdays and 35 km every Sunday. He also said he had stopped counting full marathons after completing more than 100.
Before the flight landed, Chakrabarti recalled that the scientist offered one final piece of advice. "Buy a good pair of shoes and start running. The rest you will discover as you go," he said.
Chakrabarti said that he bought a pair of running shoes the very next morning. His first attempt lasted only about 50 metres before he had to stop, exhausted.
Still, he returned the next day because, as he joked, he had already spent the money on the shoes.
Gradually, he said that 50 metres became 100 metres, then a kilometre. "Less than three months later I stood at the start line of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon with thousands of other runners. I finished," he recalled.
Reflecting on the experience, Chakrabarti wrote, "The question nobody asks you is sometimes the most important question of your life."
Social media reacts
The post resonated with LinkedIn users, many of whom praised the message.
One user wrote, "So true and so similar experience prior my First Half Marathon.... First steps, sprint helps to pass through doubts, hurdles, procrastinations and then every next marathon becomes motivation for further... All the best for further runs."
"Powerful reminder, Kalyan. We get so caught up in building portfolios and scaling businesses that we completely sideline the most important asset we own-our health. True wealth starts right there," commented another.
"So well said Kalyan Chakrabarti ! It is very easy to get lost in our career identities, and lose focus on the bigger picture of life ... we all have to constantly remind ourselves about our higher purpose in life ... thank you for sharing!" wrote a third user.