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Hello, everyone! I am so excited to be here. Thank you very much for having me. I brought my brand here, but I'm going to change it a little bit because it makes me a little self-conscious. So, we'll start with the title of this talk, which is "Finding Purpose and Cultivating Spirituality."
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I want to start with something— a statement. While society tells you to obsess about work and wanting more, I believe that you should obsess about self-awareness, about mental health, and about deep connections with others. That's what I call self-mastery skills, and that’s what we're going to talk about today: how to gain these mastery skills.
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Let me tell you a little bit about myself. My name is Andrea Guendelman. I am a tech founder, a former lawyer, an immigrant, a mom, Latina, and Jewish. Why do these descriptors matter? Because they have affected my spiritual journey. All the experiences I went through—immigrating from one country to another, facing various challenges—shaped who I am.
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All of us who are ambitious will inevitably face deep challenges. It is with the spiritual tools—or an abundance mindset—that we can access life's creative agency, claim life as our own, and design our separate paths, which will be different from anyone else's. These are the spiritual tools and mastery tools I want to discuss today.
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Before we dive deeper, let me share a little more about me. I was born in the U.S. but raised in Chile. I left Chile when I was 25 and came to the United States. I went to Harvard Law School, which was an amazing experience. After that, I practiced law at a prestigious New York law firm and then worked at a federal agency.
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While thriving in my career, I felt I was repressing something deep inside. I couldn't quite identify what it was, but I remembered the creativity and passion I felt as a child, which I no longer experienced. After years of therapy, by the time I was in my late 30s, I decided to leave my legal career.
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I quit without a specific plan but knew I wanted to do something creative. So, I joined art school for a semester, studied film, and got into editing. Then, I found myself creating a significant entrepreneurship event in Chile called Common Pitch Chile, where we brought in prominent figures like Al Gore and had tons of success. I realized, 'Ah, I'm an entrepreneur!'
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After that, I launched a tech company, even though I wasn’t from the tech field originally. I was a lawyer, but my passion drove me. We secured funding, gained co-founders, and the press covered us. However, setbacks began to occur, and that’s when fear crept in.
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I became overwhelmed with anxiety—fear of competition, fear of losing everything I had worked for, and fear of being judged for investing all my time and resources. In the midst of such anxiety and depletion, I realized that willpower alone wasn’t enough, and I was burdened by limiting beliefs.
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Finding spiritual tools that allowed me to connect with myself, access energy, and not take things personally became essential for me. I believe everyone, regardless of age, race, or circumstances, can live their fullest potential and on their own terms.
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Currently, I am a tech entrepreneur in my third startup. The previous startups I started were part of an evolution. Even if others might define my early attempts as failures, they were stepping stones to discovering my purpose. The first venture was a social network for Latinos, but back then, companies had little interest in diversity.
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That shifted my focus to creating Wall Breakers with a new partner. We formed a new model that addressed diverse talent acquisition, but convincing companies, even in the early 2020s, was challenging. By the end of 2020, Wall Breakers exploded in growth, attracting major clients.
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As my journey continues, so do the challenges and the high stakes. The tools I want to talk about today are tools I utilize every day. Let’s start with the most important one. I am going to ask you to do a little exercise to help you connect within.
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Please close your eyes. Imagine that you have the sun shining brightly on top of your head. Visualize the rays of sun radiating down into your belly. This light circulates throughout your body, illuminating your arms, legs, and core. It feels warm and clear.
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Now, focus on the center of your heart and imagine that beautiful light wrapping around your heart, soothing it. After picturing this, push the light back out towards the sun, connecting with that energy. Inhale warmth from the sun and radiate it outward. When you’re ready, open your eyes.
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This is what I mean when I say 'You are the universe and the universe is you.' The universe is not just outside yourself; it exists within you. People often say, 'Trust the universe.' What it really means is trust yourself and recognize that you are connected to that light, to the eternal life and energy that flows through us all.
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How do you achieve joy and self-realization? I argue that you find it through mindfulness. Sure, we often say we will be happy when we achieve certain milestones—like a promotion or buying a house—but those external sources of happiness are fleeting. True joy comes from within.
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You cannot allow your happiness to be dictated by what happens outside of you. Instead, focus on how to feel fulfilled now, even before those external accomplishments. It's crucial to be a creator of your own happiness.
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Spirituality, to me, is about finding joy, wellness, calm, and self-confidence within yourself. It's not contingent on validation from others. Achieving that realization is essential to navigating life. But doing this requires practice.
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Just like going to the gym, connecting with your inner self takes effort. The exercise we did with the sun is an example—if you could envision the sunlight filling you up, it suggests you are in a good mental space. However, connecting with your inner self is a challenge if you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed.
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Essentially, inquiry and self-observation are vital. Ask yourself what you can do to feel calm or happy in the moment. For instance, if you're criticized at work, explore why that made you feel insecure. Separate yourself from that feeling and refrain from reactive emotions.
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This self-inquiry and observation are crucial to developing a deeper connection with yourself. After connecting with yourself, you discover your truth and your voice. If you spend quality time alone with yourself, you will find it joyful.
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The deeper you understand yourself, the more confidently you can express your needs and thoughts. Imagine how this self-awareness will elevate your relationships, both personal and professional.
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Moreover, when you connect with these inner truths, you can enhance your relationships by eliminating co-dependence. You won’t seek validation from others because you will know you have everything within yourself.
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Now, let’s discuss finding your superpowers. It’s about being in the flow, where everything feels effortless and enjoyable. When you’re leveraging your strengths, you find inspiration and creativity in the work you do.
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Identifying your 'zone of genius' means recognizing what you excel at and what makes you feel passionate. You need to explore different tasks and roles in various situations to figure out what brings you joy.
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Create a skill map by listing out your skills and rating them from 0 to 10. Identify areas of high competence and passion, and aim to gravitate towards those. While it’s realistic that you will also face tasks that are not in your zone of genius, the goal is to increase your focus on what you truly enjoy.
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At work, you can use this skill map to approach your managers and discuss opportunities where you can contribute most effectively, showcasing your confidence in your strengths.
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Managing energy is another crucial topic. When you’re aligned with the energy within you, you can manifest your desires effortlessly. Thus, creating space for positive energy allows ideas and creativity to flow into you.
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However, you also need to protect yourself from negative energy that others might project. Understanding how to manage this energy is essential to maintaining your well-being and staying focused on your positive intentions.
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Let’s take a moment to reflect on a fear or anxiety that you might be experiencing right now. Acknowledge it and allow it space instead of rejecting it. This process of acknowledgment is similar to comforting a child who is crying—a simple cut to the heart of the matter can help you transmute fear into a more manageable space.
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Now, let’s talk about limiting beliefs. Everyone has them, and they can greatly influence our choices and mindset. For example, when I first became an entrepreneur, I thought I couldn't scale a company because I was a woman.
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We had a great exchange in the audience about limiting beliefs. Acknowledging your limiting beliefs is the first step toward disarming them, and then taking small steps to challenge those limitations is key to overcoming them.
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For instance, I pursued an MBA to empower myself because I felt insecure about discussing financial strategies. By arming myself with this knowledge, I was able to tackle those beliefs more effectively. But it took time and careful consideration.
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Another essential shift is moving from a mindset of victimhood to ownership. A victim mentality places blame on others or circumstances, while an owner mentality seeks to find solutions and take responsibility for personal reactions.
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This shift is about asking: What can I do? Instead of who can I blame? Recognizing you have the power to change your situation, accept it, and grow from it is crucial.
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Here’s your next challenge: embrace your limiting beliefs and find ways to work through them. Remember, one cannot tip their hat at fear and expect it to disappear. Name it, acknowledge it. You will see that they lose their grip on you. Take on tiny challenges to build up confidence.
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I would now like to discuss affirmations and living visions. If you use affirmations, you could try claiming your power and ambitions—write them in the present tense, centered around your emotions. This practice reinforces what you want in your life.
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Living visions, on the other hand, involve crafting a specific narrative about your ideal day, written as if it’s happening now. Visualize every aspect of fulfilling days—what you want and need in your life to thrive.
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The essence is to believe that what you desire is not only achievable but already taking shape.
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In summary, keep engaging with this journey of finding purpose and cultivating spirituality. Let’s cultivate better mental health and well-being through self-awareness, self-confidence, and above all, choose joy. By doing so, you control not only your happiness but also impact the environment around you.
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Thank you very much! It was a pleasure to connect with you today. Feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn if you have questions or would like to discuss spirituality or my work.