Lalit Kumar shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Lalit, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Work can get pretty intense—it’s fast, analytical, nonstop. So lately I’ve been intentional about unwinding in ways that feel grounding and creative. Poetry and the outdoors are my reset buttons. After long days, nothing clears my head like a motorcycle ride at dusk—just me, the open road, and that gold California light fading into blue. Or going for a swimming in the pool, water calms the mind. On weekends, I switch gears —hiking, reading, writing.
I recently led a workshop at the Tahoe Lit Fest earlier this month, and being surrounded by people writing about mountains and stillness reminded me why I do this. It’s my reset button: physical movement for the body, creative movement for the mind.
And yes, a cup of coffee is pure bliss!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Lalit Kumar, a poet and adventure writer based in California. My work lives at the crossroads of landscape and emotion—where a trail, a mountain, or a coastline becomes a mirror for the inner journey. I’m the author of two poetry collections, ‘Yosemite of My Heart: Poems of Adventure in California’ and ‘Years Spent: Exploring Poetry in Adventure, Life, and Love,’ which was a BookLife Top 3 Select in Indie Poetry.
I also write a regular column for India Currents, where I explore topics around travel, adventure, outdoors and identity. My poetry brand, if you can call it that, is about movement meeting mindfulness—poems that breathe with the rhythm of hikes, rides, and changing light.
Lately, I’ve been leading poetry workshops like “Landscapes of the Soul” at the Tahoe Lit Fest, helping writers use nature as both mirror and muse. In short, I write to remind myself—and hopefully others—that every place we walk through has something to teach us, if we just slow down long enough to listen.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
A moment that really shaped how I see the world happened on a hike years ago — standing at sunrise over Yosemite Valley. The first light spilled over the granite walls, slow and deliberate, and everything—my breath, the wind, even thought—paused. It was humbling and electric at once. That moment taught me that the world doesn’t need to be conquered or explained, just witnessed. Since then, I’ve tried to live and write with that awareness: to see things as they are, to listen before naming, and to let awe be a form of understanding.
That single moment also paved the way later for my book of nature and adventure poetry – ‘Yosemite of my Heart’.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
If I’m honest, the fear that’s held me back the most is doubt and hesitation in high stakes moments. That small hesitation before the leap: before twisting the throttle on a motorcycle, stepping off a rock into cold mountain water, or trusting my grip on a climb. I’ve learned that courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s the conversation with it.
Adventure sports taught me that lesson again and again. The first time I swam across open water, skied down a steep run, or rode a motorcycle into the night, the fear was loud. But so was curiosity. Somewhere between those two voices—risk and wonder—I began to find my balance. Now, whether in life or writing, I treat fear as a compass, not a wall. If it makes my pulse quicken, it’s probably worth doing.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
The project I’m committed to—no matter how long it takes—is the lifelong act of writing itself. Writing, for me, sits in that strange space between selfishness and generosity. It’s selfish because it begins as a conversation with myself—trying to understand, to translate, to name what I feel or see. But it’s also the most altruistic thing I know, because the moment you finish a poem or an essay, you’re offering that understanding outward. You’re saying, Here, this is what it felt like to be alive—does it echo for you too?
Writing teaches me more than anything else I do—more than climbing, skiing, or riding—because every page is both a risk and a revelation. You start unsure, maybe afraid, but the act itself changes you. So the belief I’ll keep chasing, however long it takes, is that the written word can bridge the gap between solitude and connection—that if I keep showing up to the page with honesty, something true will outlast me.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Yes—quite a few times. Climbing the corporate ladder gave me what I thought I wanted: titles, recognition, a seat at the table where decisions are made. And yet, when I reached those milestones, the view wasn’t as complete as I imagined. Achievement alone doesn’t fill you—it sharpens the question of what now?
That’s why I still reach for things outside of work—writing, poetry, adventure. Those are the places where learning feels alive again, where there’s no finish line. Writing humbles you every time; it demands honesty, not metrics. Hiking or climbing reminds me that risk and discovery belong in more than just business decisions. Together, those pursuits keep me grounded—they remind me that success isn’t a summit you stand on, but a rhythm you keep between purpose, curiosity, and wonder.
Both my corporate career and writing outside work keep me fully alive.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lalitkumaronline.com
- Instagram: @lalitk06
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