The one who has conquered himself is a far greater hero than he who has defeated a thousand times a thousand men.
-Buddha
Who is a hero in your eyes? Is it a heroic image of a larger-than-life figure who defeats his enemies and does the unthinkable? Someone who conquers every curveball thrown in their face and never falls? Or perhaps someone who achieves the unachievable and overcomes all challenges. But most of us face life as it comes, live through the pain, and survive the insurmountable. In that sense, aren’t we all heroes of our own journeys?
Last week, we kicked off a very special (and brand-new) webinar series hosted by Coacharya alumna Avril Quadros, a best-selling author, mindfulness coach, healer, and musician. This webinar series focuses on bringing us stories of heroes around us who have stepped up in the face of adversity and made a difference. For this webinar, Avril was in conversation with Venerable Tenzin Namjong, born and raised in Hawaii, USA. He received a BA in Philosophy from Princeton University before a short career in management consulting in New York and London. Before embracing the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, he studied and trained in Zen and Theravada Buddhist traditions. He has been studying in the Geshe study program at Sera Jey Monastery in South India since 2007 and received full ordination vows in 2011 from His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Even though my learning from this webinar has been immense, here are a few takeaways that you can have through this webinar:
- It’s okay to have big goals and expectations from ourselves. At the same time, it is essential to be gentle and not put too much pressure on ourselves. We sometimes get too busy focusing on all the things we have to achieve. However, being in the here and now and not letting our expectations strain is of equal (or much greater) value.
- Being a hero is not so much for others as it is for our own selves. True fulfillment is about being at peace with oneself. Sometimes, the most heroic thing you can do is to just get through the day. Living, learning, and loving.
- More often than not, suffering seems insurmountable. It seems as if there is and never will be, anything beyond this moment. It is also a recurring theme across many heroes’ journeys. Within suffering though, also lies a door, an opening to be something better and greater than what we have been so far.
- Balancing the short-term and the long-term goals is key to enjoying life while working towards a higher purpose. The importance of taking breaks is severely underestimated and we all need to understand that the body needs rest and we need to relax too!
- Kindness is evergreen and altruism helps everyone, including the one who practices it. As His Holiness, The Dalai Lama says, “If you want to be happy, practice altruism. If you want others to be happy, practice altruism.”
- When Venerable Tenzin Namjong mentioned having humility, I was reminded of how coaching is not about thinking you’re going to change the client’s life. It’s not about considering yourself to be the expert. Having the humility to connect with people on a human level is the only way to connect deeply. The moment a separation comes in, you’re distanced from the other person.
I would encourage you to watch this webinar to know more about what a Hero’s Journey looks like and to hear about the inspirational journey and wonderful explorations of Venerable Tenzin Namjong. Please do share your thoughts with us on CoachNook or in the comments below.
