Shubhra Saxena discusses conscious living, purpose of existence at SALF 2026

HEMIKA NAG

GANGTOK, : IAS officer and author Shubhra Saxena spoke about her recently released book, “It Matters a Lot”, at the Sikkim Arts and Literature Festival in Gangtok on Friday. Exploring themes of conscious living, self-reflection and the purpose of existence, Saxena shared how the book draws from her personal journey and the different roles she has embraced in life, encouraging readers to question their choices, look inward and live with greater awareness.

“How we live needs to be thought about. When we go through life, are we living consciously? Are we actually thinking about our purpose?” she said.

Saxena spoke about the inner suffering caused by “unconscious living”, and how it, in turn, projects outwards as well.

“Any good life begins with questions. Mine began with the question, 'Why am I here?',” she said, recalling her journey of personal growth.

Her book explores such themes, questioning the purpose of existence. She says, "If we all start asking questions, only then will we find answers. If we don't ask ourselves questions, and follow everything blindly, living a scripted life, then we'll never get the answers we need".

She added that her book doesn't contain her experience as an officer, but rather as an individual going through different roles in life. She expresses that she feels fortunate to have a multifaceted experience through life, fulfilling those roles. "What we see on the outside, is the world that is visible, but what remains invisible is the world within", she said.

Saxena, who was visiting Sikkim for the second time, also expressed admiration for the State, culture and “positivity” of its people.

She appreciated the initiative to organise the arts and literature festival, saying she was impressed by the enthusiasm and openness towards learning among the people.

“It's good to be receptive to different ideas, opinions and people. If you stop doing that, you stop growing,” she said.