What if the voice you’ve been searching for has been within you all along?
A Colloquy by Author Chetna Shridhar is a personal and playful exploration of the relationship between the everyday self and the Higher Self.
Part spiritual memoir, part philosophical inquiry and part candid conversation, the book explores identity, anxiety, loss, karma, mortality, consciousness and the search for meaning in modern life.
Building on her earlier work, A Soliloquy, Shridhar transforms an internal monologue into a dialogue with the wiser consciousness within. With warmth, humour and curiosity, A Colloquy encourages readers to look inward and listen to their own inner wisdom.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
1. What inspired you to write A Colloquy, and how does the book approach spirituality differently?
A Colloquy is a deeply personal exploration of the relationship between our everyday self and the Higher Self.
I wanted to reframe spirituality from something intimidating or rigid into something much more intimate: an everyday conversation.
We live in a world that constantly demands our attention. There is always another notification, another opinion or another person telling us what we should think, feel or do. Against all that noise, A Colloquy is a gentle reminder to listen to our own inner wisdom.
The book combines soulful depth with a lighthearted and conversational tone. While it is partly a spiritual memoir and partly a philosophical inquiry, I also see it as a kind of survival guide for the modern soul trying to find stillness amid chaos.
2. What inspired the idea for the book, and what expertise or experience do you bring to the subject?
The seed for A Colloquy was planted in my first book, A Soliloquy.
A soliloquy is an act of speaking one’s thoughts aloud when alone. That book became a space where I processed my own thoughts, vulnerabilities and internal questions.
But as I continued writing and reflecting, I realised something profound. When we sit in silence, perhaps we are not actually alone. There is a deeply wise, calm consciousness within us that can answer back.
That realisation transformed my internal monologue into a dialogue. A Colloquy was born from that shift—from a solitary voice in A Soliloquy to an active, playful and soulful conversation with my Higher Self.
My expertise does not come from rigid academic theology. It comes from lived experience and from navigating human vulnerability. I consider myself a practical seeker.
Having written A Soliloquy, I spent years observing the patterns of my own mind—its fears, anxieties and tendency to overthink. What I bring to this subject is the ability to translate complex metaphysical ideas into candid, everyday language.
I don’t speak from a pedestal of perfection. I speak from the ongoing practice of listening to the soul amid modern chaos.
3. What are some of the most valuable insights or takeaways readers can expect from A Colloquy?
There are several ideas I hope readers will take away from the book.
The Voice of Wisdom vs. the Voice of Fear
Readers are encouraged to distinguish between anxious thoughts and the calmer guidance of the Higher Self.
Fear is often loud. Truth can be quiet.
You Are Not Truly Alone
When external distractions fall away, we may discover that we are not empty—we are finally in a space where an internal dialogue can begin.
Spirituality Can Be Playful
I want to challenge the idea that spiritual growth requires rigid solemnity, austerity or renunciation. Perhaps the universe has a sense of humour.
Curiosity and playfulness can have a place in our spiritual journey.
The Power of Perspective
When we view life’s struggles through the lens of a conversation with the Higher Self, we gain some distance from our immediate circumstances. That distance can help us witness our challenges without being completely consumed by them.
Inner Self-Reliance
Ultimately, the book is about self-reliance. In a world where we constantly look outward for validation, answers and authority, A Colloquy encourages readers to recognise their own inner consciousness as an important source of guidance.
4. What was one of the biggest challenges you encountered while writing the book?
The biggest challenge for me was transitioning from the mindset of my first book, A Soliloquy.
In a soliloquy, I was essentially speaking to myself. It was easy to become caught in an echo chamber of my own anxieties. Writing A Colloquy required me to step back from that loud inner chatter and create space for another voice to emerge—the quieter, steadier voice of the Higher Self.
Another major challenge was making the subject matter accessible. Spirituality can often feel intimidating or overly serious, and I deliberately wanted to move away from that.
So, I infused the book with candid humour and playfulness. I wanted to show that our relationship with spirituality does not necessarily have to feel like a rigid ritual. It can feel more like a warm, supportive conversation with someone who knows us completely—and perhaps has a better sense of humour about our problems than we do.
5. How do you hope the book will help readers navigate the pressures of modern life?
We live in a world filled with conflicting advice, influencers, social expectations and constant pressure to seek validation from outside ourselves.
A Colloquy encourages readers to look inward. I hope readers become more self-reliant, trust their intuition more deeply and become less dependent on constant external approval.
I also want to remove some of the intimidation surrounding spirituality. You don’t need to spend hours meditating on a mountaintop to be spiritual. Spirituality can become part of ordinary life—in traffic, over a cup of tea, during a difficult deadline or simply in an honest conversation with yourself.
Ultimately, I hope readers discover that they have an important source of wisdom within themselves.
Start the Conversation Within
In a world full of noise and external opinions, A Colloquy by Author Chetna Shridhar invites readers to pause, reflect and listen to their inner wisdom.
Discover A Colloquy: Main aur Mera Higher Self Aksar Ye Baatein Karte Hain.
Order your copy on Amazon today and begin your own conversation with the Higher Self.
