Viral video: This man left his comfortable life in Canada to live in India, here's why

At a time when many Indians are moving abroad in search of opportunity and comfort, one Canadian has chosen a very different path for the past eight years he has been calling Bengaluru home.

In a now-viral Instagram video, Canadian content creator and father Caleb Friesen explains why he moved from Canada to India in his twenties. He says his motivation wasn’t career-driven or strategic. It was very personal and rooted in what he calls “passive evolution”.

“It’s the kind of evolution that doesn’t require any planning. It happens when you change your environment,” Friesen says in the clip.

Friesen says he wanted to become more mentally and emotionally resilient. “I wanted to live in a place where evolution was inevitable,” he says. For him, that place was India. The discomfort of adjusting to a new culture, climate and lifestyle pushed him to evolve, not by design, but by default.

The video begins with a question Friesen is often asked: Why would anyone come to India from Canada when so many Indians are trying to leave? His answer lies in his effort to become “stronger”, not just through external challenges but through internal transformation.

He recalls a turning point in his youth -- a 40-day fast in which he ate nothing but water and air. He lost 18 kilograms, but what he gained was what he calls a life-changing realisation: “When you commit, growth can happen, even without any action.”

 

 

 

 

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This idea of ​​growth through endurance, or what he defines as passive growth, resonates in his life decisions -- from moving to India to becoming a parent. He says fatherhood is another form of growth that doesn’t depend on conscious effort. “My son exists, and so does my growth,” he muses.

The viral video has garnered over 22,000 views on Instagram and several comments.

"I am moving out of my house too it's inspiring to hear your story I hope I will also grow as a person," wrote one user.

"That's a totally new dimension to define passive growth," wrote another user on Instagram.

"That's spiritual growth if you may consider that," commented a third user.

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