When The Ground Shifts

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Dear listeners, you know, like I was just thinking, I mean, there are moments in life when um the ground beneath us shifts. Then you can also say when everything we thought was solid, it cracks open. And we find ourselves fighting battles that we never saw coming. Some people freeze, others search for the answers in all the wrong places. But but a few discover something deeper, a kind of strength that doesn't come from willpower alone, but from the faith, from resilience, from a conviction that I'd say even in the darkest valleys, there is a way forward. Yeah. And today's conversation is all about exactly that about facing life's battles head on and discovering like what it means to live victoriously, not by avoiding the struggle, but by walking through it with courage and grace. So hey dear listeners, welcome back to another powerful episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life. I'm your host, Avik, and I'm really, really glad that all of you are here today. And as you all know, this is the show, it's all about the real conversation, real challenges, and the real tools for building a healthier and more resilient mind in our everyday life. And today we have a very, very lovely guest with us. Please welcome Mr. Raj Sparalki. So welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_02 1:51

Thank you very much, Avik. It is nice to be with you.

SPEAKER_01 1:55

Thank you. Thank you so much, Mr. Raj. And uh dear listeners, like before we get into the discussion, I'll just quickly tell you about him. So um, Mr. Raj has walked through tremendous personal and the professional struggles and emerged with insights about faith, leadership, and the inner resources that carry us through, I'd say, the hardest seasons of life. So we have a very, very uh uh great discussion uh that uh we have in uh in lineup. So where we will be talking about overcoming life's battles with the faith and resilience. So I do not want to take much of your time. Let's get started.

What Counts As A Real Battle

SPEAKER_01 2:40

So um, so Mr. Raj, like I definitely want to ask you about like when people hear this phrase like life's battles. I mean, most of us we hear sometimes, right? And they often think that it is all about surviving the crisis or maybe trauma or something. But you have talked about battles being uh much more varied and uh sometimes uh uh quieter, also. So uh according to you, what do you think? I mean, what is the most common misconception that people have about the uh what constitutes a real battle in life?

SPEAKER_02 3:22

Uh that is a very good question. Again, it is very good to be with you as you introduced. My name is Dr. Raj Javalagi. I'm a Christian author, speaker, and a business consultant. The question you ask is truly a good question. The I would answer very uh honestly, many of us truly don't understand battles. And battles, let me make it more clear, we battles are unavoidable. No matter who you are, what we do, in our lives we face all kinds of battles, such as emotional, mental, spiritual battles, including fear, anxiety, worry, depression, addiction, loneliness. So when you go through all of these battles, we think that you know what, I can fight these battles on my own. I don't need anybody's help. That is misunderstanding. On our own ability, on our own strength, it is extremely difficult to combat and overcome mental challenges, spiritual challenges. That is where one has to be honest and sincere about their battles. So the my answer to your question is very straightforward. Don't fight your battle alone, recognize the severity of the battles, and if you start doing on your own, you are not going to win, you are going to lose it.

SPEAKER_01 5:12

That is definitely true, and like uh I mean I mean, I think that's so so important, um, kind of naming the struggle actually. So because uh we often uh kind of downplay like uh uh I mean what we are going through, right? I mean, uh and at the same time uh we tell ourselves that it is not serious enough to matter. But I mean, but it's uh if it's stealing your piece, it's real, and uh giving it that recognition is the first step towards addressing it. I mean, that is my take, obviously. Uh sure.

Naming Quiet Struggles Without Shame

SPEAKER_01 5:59

So so like I mean, so if someone is facing one of those quieter battles, maybe um something internal or uh I would say relational that does not look dramatic from the outside, uh so how do they start recognizing it as something that deserves attention and effort as well? I mean, what do you say on this?

SPEAKER_02 6:23

Yeah, that is again a very good question. You know, as humans, we tend to hide our struggles. We don't want to expose them because we want to please people and we want other people to know that we're doing good. So many of us suffer silently while maintaining that what I call it fake facade, and that is not going to help you. You have to realize your internal struggles are yours. They do not go away when you go to work. Your mind does not stop toxic thoughts when you go to work. So that constant battle is there. The most important thing is to realize is this you are genuinely facing it and recognize the severity of this and accept it and be open to it. And as you said in the beginning, Avik, the analogy gave us a good one, the earth underneath is crackling. And people can see that. You see, the applying spiritually, your heart is crackling, your heart is breaking, you are shattered, your dreams are shattered, and your behavior is going to change. You are paralyzed by such as fear, you are paralyzed by anxiety, the peace is taken. Just like when it is obvious to see, the ground underneath is crackling, people can see in you inside something is wrong. And it is important to realize that. So don't hide it, be open to it. Be honest with your struggles. When you are honest with your struggles, you relate to people. People relate to you. Your relationship becomes strong. Maybe spouse, maybe friends or a family member. That in order to build relationship with others and you yourself with God, you need to be genuine, you need to be authentic, you need to be sincere, and you need to know you are really walking through this struggle, but don't walk on the crackling ground, meaning don't live with a cracked heart, shadowed dreams. I hope I answered uh your question.

SPEAKER_01 9:01

Exactly, yeah, yeah, definitely.

Why Pain Keeps Coming Back

SPEAKER_01 9:04

And like in your own journey, um both personally and in academic leadership, uh what do you think are the deeper root causes that uh make certain battles so persistent? Like why do so I mean why do some struggles keep showing up even after we think that we have dealt with them?

SPEAKER_02 9:31

Yeah, it yeah, you know, you Avik, that's such a good question, really is battles, battles are not one time, battles keep coming because the enemy is not silent. Let me give you my personal example. My wife and I faced many, many challenges. For instance, uh, our daughter died after 21 days. That really, really affected our lives. I mean, I can't even explain when your daughter dies only after 21 days. And while that happened, my wife also went through 20 years of severe migraine headaches. That many people understand what severe migraines are. They are debilitating and they paralyze you. And while she was going through those difficulties, she also had ongoing battles, fibromyalgia, hypertension, back pain, stomach pain. So, as you put it, the series of struggles keep coming, keep coming. But at the same time, while she was going through those difficulties, I myself had two major heart attacks within one day, within six hours. Talk about the struggles continuing for more than two decades. Talk about the heart attacks I never, you know, nobody thought I would survive. But all of these battles taught me one fundamental truth. The truth is that hang on to your faith. God is real, God is not silent, and he sees your pain, he sees your struggles, and he is there for you. He is not abandoned, and he gave me what we call it grace to walk through. But that experience taught me wonderful lessons. I used that experience. I wrote a book, Conquering Life's Battles. Again, the title of the book is Conquering Life's Battles and Living Victoriously. That book is truly and you know how I went through this, how God helped us to get through, how the battles are real, how the battles keep coming and keep coming. Don't give up, don't get stuck. Those are the important lessons I learned. And after my wife died a couple of years ago, my battles did not end. But still I was resilient. I hung on to my faith. I continued to seek God's wisdom, that what helped me to grow spiritually and mentally and emotionally. That is what we need. When a series of things come, situations come again and again and again. Don't get stuck. Hang on to your faith, hang on to God, and He will see you and He will help you. That is what I learned. That is in my book, Conquering Life's Battles.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

Thank you so much for sharing that. Um and I'm really, really sorry to hear about your daughter and um about both of you. Thank you so much. It's really painful, I'd say. Yeah. I mean that shift from um I'd say like from managing to healing is it's very huge. And it is a difference between putting up a kind of band-aid on something and actually letting it close from the inside of it. And it it definitely takes honesty, courage, and often often a willingness to the discomfort. So yeah, definitely. And

Making Faith Practical On Hard Days

SPEAKER_01 13:45

so I I definitely want to ask you on our daily life part, like uh when you talk about overcoming the battles with faith and resilience, um how does that actually show up on a kind of uh suppose if I say Tuesday afternoon, when someone is exhausted, discouraged, or just trying to get through their day? So what do you say?

SPEAKER_02 14:17

Okay, so the how uh the question is how others can see, am I right? Um yes.

SPEAKER_01 14:28

I mean, yeah, definitely. Yeah, yes.

SPEAKER_02 14:30

So the in other words, how others can see that you have overcome the battle, and what how does that display in our attitude and behavior? That is the don't not closing it, exposing it. So that is again a great question. Your question automatically leads to the answer is that don't hide those things inside your heart. So just like uh honestly awake, to be very honest with you and your audience, in my book, Conquering Life's Battles, I have honestly opened up myself, my struggles. And I know in the beginning it was very difficult for me to do that. I wanted to hide them, and I hid them many years. Then when I was writing a book, it became extremely evident why I want to hide it. Let people know that I wrote this book not to hide our struggles, fear, anxiety, depression. Let people know these are the problems I faced, these are the problems I overcame by faith in God, and that what I want them to know. And when you see that, when others see your genuineness, your sincerity, then they try to change because they have seen the change in me. They also see the struggles are real, they also see that it's not a one-time, you know, fixing the situation or a problem. They do come, but you have to walk through strength that comes from God. You have to walk through grace that comes from your faith. So putting making a faith the center of your life, you have to be honest, genuine with God, and be open with your family members and friends, and always be willing to get the help. First God, seek wisdom and your family members. Friends, get help. That becomes more real and you turn into your struggles to triumph. You are not fighting your own battles, you are really on the way to freedom, on the way to breakthrough. Whatever you are facing, fear or anxiety, this is what other people need to see in you. You can really barrel these struggles, you can really conquer these struggles through faith by opening your struggles, and you can truly become a conqueror of these struggles.

SPEAKER_01 17:21

Exactly. Exactly. That is really amazing, I'd say, and uh and I love that because uh it makes faith tangible and it's not about like all the answers or feeling strong uh all the time, but it is it is about choosing to trust the process, right? Yeah, I mean trusting the process to believe that there's a purpose, even when you cannot see the whole picture yet. So yeah, very true.

Handling Setbacks Without Losing Hope

SPEAKER_01 18:01

And also, I'd love to talk about the setbacks part because I feel it is also a part of our life. So um, because they are inevitable. So even when someone is building resilience and living with the faith, in our days, like when it feels like everything falls apart again. Uh so on that perspective, uh, how do you handle those moments and share like and also how do you sustain change over the time without losing any hope?

SPEAKER_02 18:36

Yeah, that is a tremendous, tremendous question. I'm so glad you asked that. That question automatically leads to once you are on the path to freedom, on the path to breakthrough, it doesn't mean that your road is linear, your path is straight. You're bound to face struggles and setbacks, and that is the real thing. We live in a world not free from struggles and challenges. That is the world we live in, whatever they may be: loneliness, shame and guilt, lying and unforgiveness, they bound to come from different aspects, from different sides in our lives. At that moment, when you are facing setbacks and struggles, you don't you have to realize looking back, you have to look back, looking back, I have won this battle, I know what I'm facing too. Now I have given, I don't want to get stuck in this moment right now. I don't want to lose my strength, my courage, my hope, my faith. That is where you have to train your mind and listen to your listen to the voice of God, listen to your heart, move on with the strength. In order to move on, you need genuine, authentic courage. Take bold steps. Those bold steps come from knowing in the past you have won the battle. Knowing in the past your faith has sustained you. Knowing in the past your grace has given you strength. Knowing in the past God has not abandoned you. Take all those past experiences, get up, move with the courage, move with resilience, and put God and your faith and God first. And I tell you, you will gain such a strength, such a resilience, and that gives you to move forward, and then you know how to face the monumental challenges or how to climb the mountains that seems impossible again because of the struggles and setbacks.

SPEAKER_01 21:02

Exactly. Exactly true. That is really amazing, and um I also definitely love to say here that um I mean definitely that's the that's the message uh people need to hear. And uh especially in a culture that often uh equates speed with the success, uh, healing and growth are not linear, uh, as I always say, uh dear listeners. Um there are setbacks, there are slow seasons as well, but every small step, every choice uh to keep going builds something which lasts long. So true.

Three Principles For Victorious Living

SPEAKER_01 21:44

Uh yeah, and uh and Dr. Raj, I mean if you can share like uh any any advice, any concrete advice if you have to give to the listeners today who are listening, uh what that'll be.

SPEAKER_02 21:56

Yes. I I want to know uh Coming from one heart, that you are not meant to live defeated. Let me say that again. Struggles, challenges are real. But the truth is you are not meant to live defeated. You are created to live victoriously with your faith in God. That is number one. Number two, as you alluded in the very beginning, the ground underneath is not going to be solid. It is always going to crack. Knowing that, true victory begins when you stop fighting your battle alone, but trusting God. Let me repeat that please. I learned this important principle. True victory begins when you stop fighting our battles alone and begin depending on strength and guidance from Almighty God. That number two. Number three, God wants people, God wants you and me, people, to break free, break free from emotional, mental struggles because he knows your emotional struggles, mental struggles paralyze you. They steal your face, they dwindle your courage, and they also harm your relationship with your spouses, family members, and friends. And you don't want to do that. God wants you to have genuine freedom, genuine breakthrough, and he wants you to live with unshakable peace, unsakable strength, unshakable hope. That what he wants for his people, for his followers, to live victorious life by conquering emotional mental struggles. These are the applications I have given in my book, Conquering Life's Battles. And any of your audience want to live victorious life by conquering fear, anxiety, depression, loneliness, name any of those, then this book will be a tremendous resource. And I am an example myself after losing my wife, losing my daughter, I almost lost my life for two heart attacks, but I'm still alive. That is because I understood that victory begins the moment you stop, fighting our own battle alone, but trusting God, living with our faith, that what our listeners want them to know. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 24:54

Exactly true. And lovely. That's really lovely.

How To Connect And Final Takeaways

SPEAKER_01 24:59

And yes, uh yeah, and if listeners was to connect with you, how they can connect.

SPEAKER_02 25:06

My website is victoriouspathway.com. Victoriouspathway.com. And there they will learn about me. They'll learn about my book. And there's also an uh email address. They can contact me. I'll be happy to have a conversation with your readers. Again, victoriouspathway.com.

SPEAKER_01 25:33

Amazing. So, uh dear listeners, what I'll do is I'll put all the links, everything into the show notes for easy reference. And um like I'll just say uh the real victory is not the absence of the struggle, it's the uh learning to walk through the fire and come out stronger, more grounded, and more free. So uh thank you so much, Raj, uh, for sharing your perspectives, your story, and your wisdom today. Uh, it it's definitely uh gonna help people to learn from it. And at the same time, uh thank you every for everyone for being here today. And I hope that this conversation reminded you that whatever battle that you are facing, you don't have to face it alone, you don't have to uh have it everything figured out at all. Faith and resilience are not about just being perfect, but they are about showing up, asking for help, and trusting that even in the middle of any mess, there is a path forward, or there's a way forward. So I'll just say thank you so much, everyone. Take care of your mind, take care of your life, and I'll see you in the next one.