Building a Life of Flourishing Through Service and Self-Care with Dr. Tenzin Dadul

When I was younger, I used to, you know, juggle here and there. Now I realize, okay, there's a system to it, and I have to make a system. So I make sure that I do only things which I'm passionate about, even though I'm really good at other things. I don't do that because I want to make sure that I focus my energy in the right direction.

Foreign what if a moment of failure can become the very spark that turns you into a healer, teacher and a global leader in flourishing? I'm Ashish Kothari, and today I'm joined by Dr. Tensil Dadul, a Tibetan American whose extraordinary life embodies resilience, purpose and service. Born in a refugee settlement and once expelled from school, Tenzin washed dishes to survive get. Through mentorship, relentless study, and the guiding principle of others before self, he rose to earn multiple medical degrees, a PhD in leadership and recognition, and one of Michigan Ross's best and brightest MBA graduates. Today he leads as a physician, professor and a social entrepreneur, delivering free cancer and medical care to more than 150,000 underserved people worldwide through his not for Profit while mentoring hundreds of students to carry the torch forward. In this conversation, we explore how he integrates Eastern wisdom with Western science, why flourishing means lifting others as you rise, and the daily practices that keep him grounded in service. This is a story of a failure turned into fuel, of mentorship as a golden ticket, and what becomes possible when perseverance meets purpose. Tenzin, I am so excited, my friend, to have you on our Happiness Squad podcast. Thank you for joining us from Michigan.

Thank you, Ashish, for having me. It's always nice to talk to you and also to watch your TEDx. It's really helpful for everybody in the business community.

Thank you. Look, but you know, I was taken by youth. Henzing. It's almost a year ago since we met, almost a year and a half at the center for Positive Organization Scholarship. Right. And I was just so taken by your story. Where you started, where you are, the impact you're making in the world, you know, you are for me. And hopefully as our listeners get to know you, you are an inspiration for me. You are a reminder to always believe in the human spirit and that anyone, right, anyone from anywhere, if they put in the time and they do it with kind of the good of others in their heart, can have so much impact. Right? You to me are a testament for that. And I let my listeners decide for themselves. But I think what they're going to find is that I'm not overselling you. I'm only underselling you for what you, what you're doing and what the impact you've had. So share a little bit. Tenzing, tell us about your early life. Tell us what it was like growing up and how that shaped your values and outlook on flourishing.

Yeah. First of all, thank you. I think you really well articulated everything we do in our life. And you are inspiration to many of us. And thank you for your outstanding coaching and teachings at the center for Positive Organization at Michigan. Ross is very valuable for everybody, I would say, at least for me, it was very valuable. So I'm a Tibetan American, so I grew up in the refugee camps of Dalai Lama. So basically it's more like, you know, you don't have that much care when you were young. So. So I'm very. So I'm very grateful for that because there were more than 10,000 or 15,000 kids in those refugee camps. So we get food, shelter and, you know, clothing from Dalai Lama and good people around the world. You what's happening right now in the world. And after that, you know, kind of studied a little bit here and there at school. I kind of studied a little bit, but our mind was more towards, like, fun, you know, playing soccer, you know, going out, having fun, you know. So initially I did okay, but later on I didn't do that well. And then I basically got kicked out from the school, you know, so that's where I. It hit me, oh, my God, what. What I'm going to do. And that time I became more or less like a homeless, you know, So I kind of figured that out. And then I started learning cooking because I don't know anything else to do. A little bit of cooking, little bit of dishwashing here and there. And that's where. And I'm very grateful because most of the kids go through that journey from that area. What is happening now around the world. And it's always been, I think the world takes a turn, you know, sometimes east, sometime west, sometime Middle east, everywhere, you know, so that was the thing. I'm very grateful to all my teachers, my mentors, and also particularly to Dalai Lama for giving me both modern education as well as traditional education, both in a very beautiful combination.

Wow. So take us forward. So how does a Tibetan refugee who's kicked out of school, starts washing dishes and cooking, go on to become a DDS, an MDS in medicine and radiology, has MS, has, was running, you know, was a residence at UNC Chapel Hill? You have a PhD in leadership from Andrews, you have a specialization from Harvard and just completed a degree where Pots and Quandt gave you an award, right. As one of the top students with impact at Michigan. Ross, tell me a little bit of the steps in that journey and the story that got you from kicked out of school for not doing well to like, I mean, if I start counting the number of degrees, three letter things in your thing, I mean, you know, it's just crazy. It's like the whole Alphabet.

Yes, Ashish. That's very interesting how you said it. You said in a very eloquent, very fun way. So how it happened was. So when we met, I told you when the school kicked me out, I would say I took full accountability responsible for that because I didn't study. So I flung the high school and then after that I went to, as we are talking, there's a place called Rishikesh, right? A land of saints, beautiful place, right? And there I started my career as, you know, an onion peeler, you know, and cut, chops onion, put dishes here and there. When I was doing that after almost two years, what happened was I met couple, you know, westerner couple, I would say American couple from Colorado. So they were saying, you know, the man came to me, the gentleman said, hey son, you know, why are you wasting your life over there? You know, why don't you do something? Then I was thinking what to do, what not to do, but that really kind of, kind of like, like how God or my karma has hit me, you know, in my life. Yes, the universe sent that person to remind me of that. Then I started doing some little bit of study here and there after work. So most of the work starts like from, you know, 4 o' clock to night, 10 o', clock, 11 o'.

Clock.

Because it's more like a spiritual tourist zone. So night I used to study, you know, day I used to sleep like that. So I started like studying a little bit and I went back to the school. This is a great school. And then I told them, how can I take the retake the exam, you know, So I flung in high school they said, you have to fill up a form, but we cannot help you because you already flung. And it's been over one to two years, right? So they said, but we can say, you know, you are from our school, we have done some study from before. So they give, I'm very grateful they gave me a certificate saying that, oh, you can take exam, you know, so we have to do. They say you have applied somewhere in Chandigarh or New Delhi or somewhere. And I'm like, very remote that time. I really don't know what's going on. So I asked some of my friends. They said, oh, you have to send this application here and there through your school. They did that. And suddenly they gave me, like, those exam card, right, where you get exam card with your picture on it. And I'm very thankful to all the, you know, energy, God, goddesses and my Dalai Lama and everybody, particularly my teachers. I really don't have that much money that time because they said, you have to study. I flung basically in physics, chemistry. So I got a book. Those days, they have something called, like, a guide, right? They say guide. You go, yep, yeah. And then in my pocket, there was only like, maybe like 50 bucks, you know, and all the guides were like, 400, 700, 800, like that. So I went there and I asked the, you know, shopkeeper. And then the shopkeeper said. I asked him. He's the cheapest one, you know, and the easiest one and cheapest one. He said, that's a difficult question. So I got the. You know, he gave me something. He handed over, you know, some pages with a beautiful book. And I don't know what's inside the book. I just memorized everything. I basically mucked up everything, you know, from up to down. And I really prayed, you know, and then I went like a meditation zone for, like, two, two months. I did everything what I could, and I gave the exam, and I gave the exam. My friends were there. My friends said, you really don't take this exam because no one has passed if you pass or you do something else, you know. But I said, let me try. And. Yeah. And then after a few months, results came. Wow. I passed. You know, I passed. And, like, then I went, oh, my God, I passed. You know, So I couldn't believe it. I thought, I can do okay, but with physics, I was a little scared. But physics also, not just. I passed, I think, from our school. I was one of the toppers of the school in physics, you know, even though I flung and retook it, you know, But. But it was.

It was quite amazing.

Yeah. Inspiring for me. And then I don't know what to do. So that was a turning point. Then I started. I really got confused after that because now I have to think through my life. So now I cannot do the dishes again. Now I have to, you know, think something else. So we really. Tibetan people really believe in Oracle, like, mantra. They do. Oracle. So I went to oracle. My teacher, Sakya Rinpoche, and I did an oracle with Sakya. I have like 2, 3 bucks in my pocket and I give it to him as my gratitude for him. The moment he did that, he shook his head and he said, you know, he didn't say much. And then, and then he put his index finger on his tooth, you know, like this and tooth like this. And I thought, what's going on over here? But he didn't say anything to me. And there are so many people in line. I'm not the only one. So they kick us out, right? Okay, go, go, go, go, go. You know, next. So then around that area, I was thinking what he's really trying to do by putting his index finger on his tooth. Then I asked people like, what is this about? Then I kind of figured out that, that he wants to say, start with your career from dentistry and then you can do something later on, you know, and then, and how things. And that's this thing. And. And then I applied to many schools. Everybody rejected me because of my, of my history and credentials. So unfortunately what happened was, you know, I applied at one school in Madras, now called Chennai. Right, Madras. And then that actually accepted me. Now looking back, when I reflect on it, I think it's really an energy connection, happiness connection. Because that school name itself is Balaji, you know, it's a God energy name, you know, that accepted me. Now when I reflect back, and I kind of did, okay, I studied, made some friends and I'm very grateful to all my Indian friends. You know, they really taught me well. Most important, my teachers, they're very nice teachers. I received very grateful for that. And after that I never looked back. And then it kind of. I polished my confidence, my communication skills, tried to talk to people more, you know, and then, yeah, and then after that I got into a good school called Savitha Medical College. It's now considered one of the best in the country. I think now people are saying that now, I don't know. Before it used to be aims, you know, all in the Institute of Medical Science. Then now they talk about aims, they talk about Savita. So Savita took over and then that gave me a really good, a continental or global exposure and I received very good education and from mostly inspiration from my teachers who passed away. One of my best teachers, Dr. Nyana Sundaram, after that I kind of felt that, okay, you know, what, what should I do? Because after you finish that, you can do a lot of things. You know, so many of my friends, they said, why don't you go to Australia and make print a lot of money there, you know, so people do that. I said, no. I said, let me go back to my community who gave me things and gave me education when I was young. So I went back to Ben Children's Village, which is also a school. I started seeing patients for free, you know, when I was having pain problem that time, I tried to give pay forward to them. Then I also work at many of the. The monasteries, you know, where there are a lot of. We call it gompas, you know, monasteries where we can give, you know, pro bono. I won't say free, but I would say something. I can help them because I have a good background in now in dentistry, medicine and radiology all together. So my cocktail was very good. Tools were very good. Yeah. And I never used this to, you know, just to do a business like that. So I did more to pay forward and help the people like me, basically where I come from.

Right.

And that was good. And you know, work with Dalai Lama very closely. And then that worked with some of the key organizations. Then I realized that, oh my God, like I cannot do it alone, so what can I do? So then I started a small foundation called, you know, Cancer medical dental Organization. And it started with two, me and my friend. Now it has grown like, you know, over 600 members we have all around the world. So we pull this up and then every year we try to do free cancer medical dental treatment. Now we have also integrated education, we have also integrated psychology, business. One of the main reason I did MBA was I really don't know what business is and I don't know how to figure these things out. So I realized that, oh my God, I have to learn business, how business people think, business for good, for the world. And that kind of really gave me good perspective on the language of business, the accounting, the finance, and also mostly the. The leadership skills. Right. How we can do. So long story short, then after that I got a job at the. Because I did a research on a cancer called submucos fibrosis, where in the west we have very few people who are expert in that. Yeah. And then I work at the University of Minnesota as an assistant professor, then worked there a little bit, then went to University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, did my radiology residency. Like American standards, you know, everything we have to do. Uh, yeah. And then. And it, it turned out to be very good. It opens like the whole American door for me. You know, everybody want a piece of me. And I decided to choose, you know, Michigan and University of Detroit Mercy, and then started helping people a lot over there. And I learned a lot in that time. And yeah, in between when I was working, I was also trying to. I was getting bored actually. Then I thought, let's do PhD in leadership. And you know, and so, so I did that PhD over time. Um, yeah. And it really made me appreciate what business and human communication trust is about. And that's the story. Then I came to Michigan and I really polished some of the things I need to learn and I met you there, you know, and I'm very grateful for that.

Well, my friend, what's amazing about that story, right, is I think there are several elements here that I think are great sources of inspiration for anyone. I think, number one, humble beginnings, right? We started with that. Number two is even if you fail, you're not a failure and you can re begin. And I think that's a very important lesson which you exemplified, right? I mean, today that kid who was cutting onions is doing such amazing work, right? You, you are the head of the department. You're running a not for profit that's making such a difference. I think the third is, you know, you're a model of. If there is one thing that's true in our world right now, and a most important skill is a continuous mindset of learning and growth. Not letting a degree define you, but continuing to learn and grow. And what's beautiful, especially over the last several years of what I've seen you, is not just learn and grow in technical, but frankly learning and grow on human skills. And how do we get, you know, how do we transform systems and get more out of people? And by the way, all of that journey is fueled with a deep sense of purpose, humility, gratitude and community. Right, Tenzin? That was so clear to me. You know, in our model Sunflower, all of these practices show up and you're a living, breathing embodiment of the effect of when we actually do that, when we consciously grow, when we are aligned in service, when we are grateful, when we cultivate community, when we focus on well being, how anything is possible. Anything is possible. So look, I want to talk a little bit about, you know, you've talked about healthcare as a universal right, and I think it's so true. And you talked about it, you know, how the not for profit you run offers free cancer, medical and dental care, you know, to, I think almost 150,000 underserved individuals. Can you share some stories or experiences from that that really stand out for you?

Thank you, Ashish. Yeah, that was a Very deep and, you know, meaningful question. First of all, before I answer, I want to give credit to all my team members who have been with me for the last, over now, 12, 13 years. Because of that we, we have achieved, we are able to achieve this much number and now we are going to more in this. The background is when we were young, that time we have really no or less access to medical activities. Right. Or treatment, I would say. And that has really, you know, left a mark. Many young kids dying in the refugee camps, you know, and I see the moms, I see the dad, the parents, how bad they feel. And also as a community, they also, I mean, even. It's a loss of a community too.

Absolutely.

Yeah. And we were trying to, you know, I started very small. I started from monasteries and from small refugee schools, you know, like Dalai Lama schools and other. And. And then we were so lucky because our team became very strong and we started going to neighboring places like, you know, Nepal and then Mustang in those areas. So we, so we try to give. At. At the end we realized that it's really about healthcare is a right for everybody, you know, and we have some of the best physicians around the world. They come and join us and they just have fun with us, you know, and they treat patient happily. And then. So I really learned a lot from my team members and now we try to continue grow in that area more. And now I realized that it's not just healthcare, it's also about prevention of diseases, you know, so we work a lot on educating people, you know, on prevention, like as you said, you know, inspiring people, right? So when I go back to the school where I flung, they really like it because as you said, if a kid like me can do things, then there's a lot of possibilities for everybody. So that's the background of how the healthcare and the freed cancer treatment came into play.

We hope you're enjoying this episode and would love your help in spreading awareness and furthering our mission to help a billion people Rewire for happiness. Please consider leaving us a review and sharing this podcast with others in your personal and professional life who you feel could benefit from some of these very insights. It's a really simple way to extend and spread positivity. Also check out Rewire, our proprietary offering to move you from knowing to doing on the Happiness Squad website, www.happinesssquad.com Rewire uses the science of habit formation and the power of comparison community to help you build happier habits in five minutes or less daily. Now back to the episode. Beautiful. You've also had a deep passion for mentoring. Right. You've mentored, I think, over 400 medical and undergraduate students from underserved communities. Talk to me a little bit about how you approach mentorship and why you so selflessly give your time and what that means for you.

Yeah, Ashish. I mean, this is very deep. It really goes into my DNA as a Buddhist, as a practicing Dharma practitioner, we really believe in teachers. Right. In good teachers. We really believe that the teacher is the guiding light which can open unlimited doors. Right. So whether it's in Asia or America or Europe or anywhere, I think a teacher is a teacher. Right. I got this privilege to do that. I realized that I reflected back about 15 years ago, and I thought, my life is going at least in a. In a better direction. And I realized, oh, my God, it's all because of my wonderful teachers. You know, some beat the hell out of me, you know, and sometimes, you know, give me some sweets, you know, and some, you know, you know, taught me in a nice way. And I thought it's my responsibility to pay forward to my colleagues or students or anybody, whatever term we call it, because I realized that if you educate one person, it can change generations.

Absolutely.

So I realized that. And we never look as education as a job. We never look at education as a. To live a life. We look at education as a very simple way, like a golden ticket, you know, like going to the. To the movie theater to get that movie, you know, I can watch that movie, you know, and it really changed. And that's where all my curiosity developed, and I'm so thankful. And also, I learned a lot from my mentees, too. Now they are all around the. All around the world, particularly here. Many of them, they are in Michigan. They are in Harvard. They're everywhere, so. And they're doing great in their career. Right. And we meet, we talk, and many of them pay forward to how we do it. And I was actually learning things. And your question is so powerful because mentorship and coaching is kind of like, it's good, but kind of like more like a business, you know, here. So I was looking back and thinking, oh, my God, if we can do this and help people, young kids, I can. They can really make difference in their personal life and also in the community around them or around the world. Right. Where they go or where. Or where they will live. Yeah.

I mean, I've benefited my whole life from sponsors and mentors and my teachers. Right. Starting with my mother and my father, you know, being the first teachers and. Yeah, right. It's I never say no to somebody who says, hey, can you help me or can you get on the call because of that? Because there's so many, you know, who have helped me in my life. So yeah, no, I love that. And yet, you know, in our busyness, so few actually mentor. And I think as you said, it's a golden ticket. And when you are giving your time. I loved how you said it. Tenzing, you're not just changing a life, you're giving a ticket. You're affecting generations. Right? You're affecting generations. And you know, there are many people right now who want eternal life. They're researching all kinds of things to prolong life. I think if you want to prolong life, you affect a lot of lives because you live in them. You live in their memories and their kids memories because you helped uplift somebody. And I think that is a lot, I think cheaper and longer sustaining way to increase your impact on the world than trying to live for 10 years more. You know, I'm talking about the 90 plus, you know, all the people who are researching 80, 100 different things I'm going to do to myself to just stay young. Right, Us.

That's very beautifully articulated. Yeah, I think you nailed it here. Exactly. Yeah. On that way.

So look, both as a student and a practitioner of leadership who's done his PhD and obviously involved with the center, I want to talk a little bit about flourishing, what it means to you and specifically your perspective on why are doctors and nurses and those who are trying to really help the whole world get well, are suffering from burnout and unprecedented levels. So talk to first about what flourishing means to you and then reflect a little bit on why are those who are supposed to help us not able to help themselves.

Particularly for me, flourishing means how we can make the world a better place. That means how we can help our collaborators, our people around, in business terms, stakeholders, everybody, you know, and also really try to first, you know, going back to the identity. For me, what really helped me was I grew up with nothing. So I'm very happy because now I have a lot of things to offer to and help. So the more I help people, whether in terms of mentorship or healthcare or anything, in a, in a fine way, it really helps them. That means flourishing. So I would say flourishing is more for me is because the school where I grew up, I'm very thankful to that school. The motto of that school is others before self. Now when I look back, it is so nice because it really helps others in that way. So I would say flourishing in that way. That one I would say, and this is the first question, first answer for you and the second one is, my thought on burnout is it's really practical and very true what you said, you know, about the burnout of healthcare professionals. Many healthcare professionals are switching careers. You know, they're moving into, you know, I don't know, they're going to different, different areas. Consulting, you know, finance. They're doing it. And yesterday I have my friend and he said, hey, Tenzin, you are so smart. You, you know, you're going more into business. I said, that's different for me. I'm trying to learn the business and trying to make my things bigger. He said, I'm really burned out. So I said, I can help you. We can work together. So we have. And he's amazing. He's over, you know, over 65 and he has a lot of things to offer. Amazing experience, you know, and when these great practitioners leave, the healthcare is such a big loss all over the country. So like that we have. I think the main reason is for me particularly what has really helped me. I really don't differentiate between education or diplomas or degree or personal hygiene or well being. I really believe in my identity. I believe in, you know, okay, I'm a Dharma practitioner, so I try to stay happy first and, and then I will help people more. You know, now I'm pretty confident because now I learn things here and there so I can talk to people. Hey, you know, we did that PhD, but there are some things we don't know, right? And there are many things we don't know. So that's why we do research. So that really gave me self confidence to not just talk, but walk the talk in that line. But yeah, it's a really big problem. And it's. It was already there before, after the pandemic, it hit even more. And yep, now people are leaving left and right. And you know, there are many. I cannot name the names of the hospital. Three big hospitals in Michigan has to either shut down or merge with bigger hospitals.

What is the root cause, Tenzing? What is behind the burnout epidemic?

So I think they take care of people so much, but they never update on themselves. I'm not blaming them. I'm talking about myself, you know, So I take accountability for that. The moment I was cutting onion, I realized, oh my God, if I have to stop doing this, then I have to invest in myself. I have to work on myself. Now I say the same thing to my friends. You cannot Blame the system, right? You cannot blame the government or the system or anything. You better work on yourself so you can bring out a lot of possibilities, right? So that is my philosophy, but I respect everybody perspective on that. Some people have a blame game, you know, this is not good. This is not good. I mean, if I don't do well, I mean, it's. If I'm getting burned out, there's something wrong with me. And either. If I have to blame somebody, you know, so. So I would say the way you are, educate, educate in life. So there are two kinds of education, right? One is modern education, which gives you bread and butter. And one is like holistic education, which is your cultural or traditional values. Whether we are American, whether we are from any parts of the world, right? So we have to really pull those tools from each other, right? Some people are good only in one area and they call themselves expert in that. That's true. But when you're burned out, then you don't have other tools, right? So you better go somewhere and learn with the expert. Right now, expert could be anybody. It could be his Holiness, Dalai Lama, it could be, you know, Sadhguru, right? Or it could be Lord Shiva. It could be Jesus Christ. It could be Mother Mary, or it could be Allah. It could be anybody, right? So I would say they have to really look deep in themselves and try to spend at least some time with themselves, you know, because I won't say the reason is one solid. I think people may have different perspective and we all grow up very differently and uniquely, we may have different challenges, right? If I have challenges, I may talk to you and Ashish may say, tenzin, there you go. This is as simple as that. I learned it when I was five years old, you know, wow.

You know, so no, I think for sure, you know, and I, you know, I do wonder, you know, and from all the research that, you know, the McKinsey Health Institute has done that we've been doing, you know, what I find is, look, in workplaces with 20% thrive and 80% struggle, that's a broken workplace. There is always, I think, you know, and more and more, Tenzin, as I'm getting older, I'm recognizing the fallacy of a polarity of a pole. And Buddhist philosophies are all about the middle way, the third way, dark and light, good and bad, left and right. The system or me. The system's to blame. I am to blame, right? Nobody needs to be blamed. The answer is the middle. Maybe it's a mix of both. Maybe we are so focused on providing value to others, we realize our cup is run old. But if we come awareness, as you're highlighting, if we become more aware, if we cultivate awareness, maybe we'll get closer to knowing when we are running on really, really empty and we have to take care of ourselves. And so instead of giving up our dharma, our mission, our noble work of healing others because we fall sick, we stop healing others and now say, okay, let me go do something else. If we took, maybe we increase our longevity under the curve that time spending in the profession. Right. So maybe doing less in the long term allows us to serve more. So I think there is an element of that. And then, you know, as people go up in the system, I think it's also to think about. And that's what I mean about the third middle way. And if so many people are struggling and they are not able to get there, one, how do we create those kind of check in processes into our teams? So you, you know, maybe as leaders, when we run check ins, maybe we get people to stop and tune into how they're feeling right now. What's their level of energy? Right. And then when you realize that people are running on empty, how do you fundamentally address the system? How do you address those things in the system? And I think if we tackle it at a system level, we tackle it at a job or a department or a function level as heads, and then we tackle it as an individual level. We have to recognize we are part of the system, that we are blaming. The system is made by us and shaped by us. There is a fundamental nature of inter being between humans and the societies we inhabit. It's not either our we inter are as Thich Nhat Han. Right. Thich Nathan would say. I think we can start to unravel this crisis. We can start to take the strings apart one by one and go from just surviving this craziness to thriving.

Yeah, I really like how you articulate it from structural point of view. You know, how you categorize not just the system, but not the people, but also the in between. Right. How we can fix things in between. I think that was very nice. I would say again, I think having said that, you know, it's still a tricky question because this problem is going to continue, right? This problem is going to continue. And then. And I, I think, yeah, it's true. I mean, as we discussed before, there are a lot of research is going on in this. Right. Wellness well being. There are different terms into it. Before it was dei. Now it's turned into people wellness and so many things. I think it's a, it's a great area for not just research but how we can integrate eastern and western education together and how we can bring some tangible solutions from that. You know, even though it's very fluid, you know. So here we like all some research. Right. Some data. So I think there'll be. And people who have actually have able to integrate and made a cocktail out of east and west education. They have done quite well in any parts of the world.

Yes. So look, keeping an eye on time. Tenzin, what are your personal practices that while juggling all of these, you know, your full time job, your not for profit role, the education family. What are the practices that keep you grounded? What are the things that you are disciplined about integrating into your life to make sure that you continuously fill your cup so that you can serve so many others cups?

Yeah, that's a very beautiful question. Earlier I used to struggle because I used to, you know, when I was younger I used to, you know, juggle here and there. Now I realize okay, there's a system to it and I have to make a system for that, you know. So I make sure that, you know, I do only things which I'm passionate about. Even though I'm. I really like, I'm really good at other things. I don't do that because I want to make sure that I focus my energy in the right direction. So I do things only which are significant in my life, in other people's life. I don't do any urgent things. If it's urgent, I don't do it. I realize it's already late, not going to do it anymore. Yeah. So some, I always look at the impact if I do this, how it gonna help others in the next five to ten years or more. I really look at that then that's where I take all my work projects based on that. So what really helps me is I every day I do journaling, you know, I do journaling and I also reflect on things which went well and I say good job Tenzin. You know, I wish I never did in my life. So. And that really inspires me. And I don't work more than you know, four days a week. So the four days I just, you know, for the work and the remaining three days I focus mostly on the, on the awareness and well being, you know, and, and being a being, you know, being a Buddhist, I do a lot of mantras, chanting. I realized maybe like as I get a little older I realized there's A lot of influence from higher energy. So I try to connect with the universe, you know, whom I believe. And it has really helped me. Before I was unrealistic, before I tried to, you know, do so many things at one time. Now I realize you prepare ahead, do one thing at a time. If things goes well, that's fine. Doesn't go well, that's okay. You know, so that's how I channelize. Yeah.

Being present. Being present and taking, you know, recognizing your connection to the divine, your connection to the universe, and you know, really as a source of energy, especially when our life is in service of other. Yes, right.

Very well said. Yeah, that's how I do. And before, I'm very much into, like, if I do have to go all the way now I'm like trying to get the fine balance, you know, I would, I would say I'm getting the balance.

I also like the rest and recovery, you know. Just before our podcast today, I had a conversation with the CEO of the four day Workweek out of South Africa. She ran the work in South Africa. And it was quite stark, the impact that a four day workweek has on our level of stress, on our level of productivity, on our level of creativity, on a level of, you know, people's excitement to show the work and do the work and the kindness they show towards each other. It was quite compelling, that research and evidence. And so you're doing that. Right. You're another example of somebody who does that four days a week. And three days of my three days are really for my recovery, my reset, my recharge, my service, my religion, my spirituality, you know, thank you. Thank you for being a role model. Thank you for all the important world. Thank you for so many lives and generations that you are touching. Tenzing, it's a real joy, my friend, to know you and I appreciate you taking the time Friday evening for you to share your wisdom, to share your life journey with so many who are listening here right now.

And Ashish, I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to share my thoughts in this short time. And I really want to thank all my teachers and professors around the world. Got so much of education here and there. I think I'm nobody without them, you know. So I want to thank from teachers from his Hollands Dalama and my teachers at Ross and my teachers at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, my teachers in Madras. So I'm so grateful that I got this wonderful opportunity. Thank you.

Thank you, my friend. Be well.

Thank you.

That wraps up another episode of the Happiness Squad podcast. We hope you found the Insights Action Nibble to enhance your journey towards happiness and fill your life with more joy, health, love and meaning. Please consider leaving us. Review and share the podcast with anyone in your professional or personal life who you feel will benefit from some of these very insights. It's a really simple way to extend support and spread positivity. Take care and remember, happiness is a choice that that's available to you moment to moment in the here and now. Take care and see you next week.