Mars 29 September of 2015 Antonia Arevalo, Director of Human Resources at Laboratorios Ordesa, Life&Executive coach
Like every year since the first, the past 4 June I attended the presentation of the Factor Humà Mercè Sala Award. Regarding humor and optimism, all the interventions at the event were exceptional, but I would like to talk specifically about that of the Founder of the House of Tibet in Barcelona, Thubten Wangchen. A man with a bright look, permanent smile and contagious laughter (ha ha ha), who invited us to be happy despite our problems, despite what life brings us.
“Happiness is not something that happens. It is not the result of good luck or chance… Does not seem to depend on external events, but how we interpret them… People who know how to control their internal experience, They are able to determine the quality of their lives, That's the closest we can get to being happy.”
(Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi)
Like every year since the first (2009), the past 4 June I attended the delivery of the Mercè Sala Human Factor Awardwhich is a recognition of people, projects, teams, initiatives, etc., which are the practical concretion of the principles and values that she represented: innovation, pragmatism, global vision and humane treatment.
This year it was around the motto: “The humor factor in every situation in a positive way”. The act, how could it not be otherwise, under the organization of the Director of the Human Factor Foundation, Anna Fornés, ¡It was a humorous success!
All interventions were exceptional.
in this space, I would like to share specifically the Thubten Wangchen (Tibet, 1954) buddhist monk, Founder of the Tibet House in Barcelona and member of the Tibetan Parliament in exile, where he represents Europe.
That bright-eyed man, permanent smile and contagious laughter (ha ha ha), He invited us to be happy despite our problems, despite what life brings us.
He invited us to change the language, change that “despite”, to be happy with what life brings us. It opened the doors for us to reflect on the fact that, In fact, Being happy or not depends only and exclusively on our attitude.
Thubten did not have an easy childhood, He really had a very hard childhood.. When I was four years old, China invaded Tibet., lost his mother and, with his father and thousands of other Tibetans, They embarked on a flight to Nepal, crossing the Himalayas, opening non-existent paths, going up and down mountains that take you from the sky to the underground and vice versa. Without proper equipment, as he says, no trains, nor meters, n public transport (ha ha ha). In Kathmandu he was a beggar boy, They emigrated to India where he was also a beggar until the Dalai Lama asked the Indian Government to collect those children who were the future of Tibet.. The Indian Government was generous and thus he found himself supported and trained, although in a tremendously strict and harsh environment. To the 16 years he entered as a monk, with good Karma (no, Mrs. Carme ha ha ha), the Dalai Lama accepted him into his private monastery for eleven years. Of all the learnings from that time, Thubten highlights that the Dalai Lama always taught him the importance of being happy.
“… If you have problems, be happy, forget jealousy, pride, that instead of defending you, They generate more bad mood and distance from your loved ones., ¡¡¡not even the dogs come near!!! (ha ha ha).”
Finally he arrived in Barcelona where he founded the House of Tibet..
"Although” all of it, remember that he was a happy child, despite the problems, He kept his smile and his humor because from a young age he was taught that life has a lot of strength., many possibilities to move forward, to evolve the spirit and to take care of the body. Healthy body in healthy mind.
Thubten reminded us of the importance of humor for human beings, that human life has a lot of power, many values. It doesn't matter who we are, We have that power and we have to take advantage of it as much as possible., because life doesn't last forever (ha ha ha). That in life there are ups and downs, successes and failures. The fact is that at any moment we can decide to be happy, no complaints and, however, we are always in a bad mood, with a bad face, discouraged.
From birth we experience suffering, but… ¿why focus on sadness? We have to look in a positive way that opens our hearts and makes us feel happier., happy, experience happiness. and this, dice, It has nothing to do with religion, not even with Buddhism. It has to do with life itself and the human essence. Practice patience, respect, don't hold a grudge, be generous, give thanks or not only think about your own problems, They are attitudes that help us on this path.
As I listened to Thubten, fragments of reflections came to my mind Viktor Frankl, reflections that surely many of you know and have heard or read (“Man's search for meaning”), but that we do not always keep in mind:
“(…) If it is not in your hands to change a situation that causes you pain, You can always choose the attitude with which you face that suffering. (…) Ultimately, Living means assuming the responsibility of finding the correct answer to the problems it poses and fulfilling the tasks that life continually assigns to each individual. (…) Love is the highest and most essential goal to which human beings can aspire.… the fullness of human life is in love and is realized through it (…).”
Of course we all know the theory and, sometimes, when life wakes us up, we do the reflection, We stop and tell ourselves that we have to change something, but again we let ourselves get buried in the problems, in the circumstances, in complaint and victimhood. And we convince ourselves that life is gray. ¡¡NO!! When two characters like Viktor Frankl or Thubten Wangchen, who have lived in circumstances of extreme need and cruelty, They tell us that we always have the option of love, of the election, of freedom of reaction, of the satisfaction of safeguarding one's own dignity (happiness)… I take off my hat and hang my head, ashamed of my reaction to certain everyday circumstances., that really don't have the slightest importance.
“Don't just think about your own problems.”, open your head and heart more. Don't worry so much, worrying is not the solution. If you have problems you have to find the solution, By searching we find the solution and inner peace. So life can improve. positive attitude. I don't know if it helped, but it came from my heart ha ha ha.” (Thubten Wangchen)
Well, thank you a million Thubten for opening us up and letting us into your heart.
