Your Soul Is the Home of Your Happiness

Welcome to the Soul of Innovation podcast. I am Thomas Anglero, and I want to ask you a question. Do you realize that every action you take, every left turn, every right turn you make, has a huge implication on someone's life? That the things that happen to you are not sometimes just for you or because of you. That is, it is because you are meant to be in someone's life at exactly the moment they need you to be there. Let me tell you a story and you understand. The other day I was flying back, going through the airports as we all have done. And as always, annoying going through the security check where you have to take off your belt or your pants and all these things and put it in the box. We know the drill. And as I do that, I told the gentleman that I wanted to opt out. I refused to go through the scan machine. No problem. They sat me down. They made a big deal out of it, which I'm used to. And they sat me there for 20 minutes just waiting, showing their power. No problem. Or at least that's what I thought. I thought they sat me there for 20 minutes to show that they're the kings and I'm in their domain and that I have no options but to be subservient. It was not that. Something clicked in my head when I sat there going, there's got to be more to this moment than just sitting right here. So I started listening to their conversations. Unfortunately, they spoke a language I understood, English. And they're just people. They were talking about overtime and how they're so happy to be getting— they'll be working 60, 70 hours a week this week and how to— what to say to the boss and what to say to this, this boss, this guy and this woman so that you get more overtime. Everything was about about getting as much overtime as possible. And when you get overtime, you don't work hard at all. They're just normal people. And I sat there and I was like, wow, this is a gift. I said, what happens if every time something happens where I'm not in control of my time and I think somebody's wasting my time, like sitting in traffic or being stuck on a train that's not moving or a bus What happens if all those things are meant to happen as a gift to you? So as a gift to me in that moment, I was listening to him and I relaxed. It's not that I was trying to dip into their conversation. I was enjoying the fact that we are all just people. Just hearing that again and understanding that again was wonderful. So finally the supervisor came and very professional, they got an eyewitness because they had to pat me down and they took me to a private room. I went into a private room, locked the door, the whole, the whole nine yards, and it was fine. Didn't mind, gone through this a million times. Well, not a million times, but many times. And after it was all done, and this whole thing took 45 minutes, Unfortunately, I had plenty of time to catch my flight, which again is part of the story. These things don't happen until you miss your flight. These things happen because you're supposed to be someplace exactly at a specific location for someone other than yourself. And that's how I was thinking. That's exactly what I was thinking. Why is all this taking so long? And everyone is so polite and wonderful. No one's being rude. No one's hurting me. Everyone was courteous. Finally, they were done with checking me and they said, please go speak to our colleague. He will scan all your contents of your luggage. And once you— he's done, you can collect your stuff., and continue traveling, go to your gate and continue on your way. I said, thank you very much. I went to their colleague, my very last person to get through this ordeal. This was the nicest, most jovial, wonderful smiling man I've seen in an airport probably in a very, very long time. I can't remember anybody being so happy. He was 62 years old, I later on found out. And was the happiest man. We started to talk and he asked me, "Where you headed to?" And I said, "To Oslo, Norway." And he said, "Oh, you work in oil and gas?" And I go, "No, I just live there." And he stopped and looked at me. He goes, "I didn't get that one right, huh?" I go, "Nope." And then said, "Can you guess that I'm from a poor neighborhood growing up, but now I live in a nice neighborhood in Oslo now that I'm grown up?" And he stopped. He put down my bags. There was no one else around. It was a quiet period, which is unusual at these security things. And he approached me, and I remember him putting his hand on the table, just like sort of fingernails on that silvery aluminum table that's so cold. And he said, "I'm just like you." In the humblest of voices, very gentle. I'm just like you. I too was brought up in a poor neighborhood. The projects, as they call it, a ghetto. And I went to an elite private school. From the projects to an elite private school. And my classmates were the wealthiest people. And one of my classmates was blah, blah, blah. He mentioned somebody who's a famous actor who starred in many movies. I'm not so good with names of actors and movies. I apologize to him. He laughed, said, no big deal. I said, I understand the point of your story. And then he said to me, But here I am, and I'm 62 years old, and I'm playing with people's luggage. And his chin fell to his shoulder and his shoulders shrunk down. And without hesitation, I looked at him just as our eyes were about to lose contact. To keep contact. And I said, "What you do now does not determine who you are now." He lifted his head and began to smile and look like a kid again. The energy and youth and vitality came roaring back into his body, and he just smiled at me and nodded and started to nod faster. And then he went to get my other bag and was nodding faster as he walked away from me to get the bag. And as he carried all my bags back to me, he says, Thank you. You're all done here, but thank you. And I said, of course. He paused and said, no, thank you. And he turned around from me and he started whistling and acting happy-go-lucky and positive. And I collected my bags, put on my belt, put on my shoes, walked away. And just before I turned into the duty-free section that's always near those security things in airports, I looked back at him and he was standing at the X-ray machine tapping it with his fingers and nails, playing some sort of beat. He taught me so much. He knew he was more than a guy who checks people's luggage all day. His happiness, his ability to put a smile on people's faces from all over the world who are in different mindsets, who are in the middle of a very uncomfortable procedure, being at airports, practically undressing, and then having people going through your private stuff. That's his job. And he turns around and he makes sure that everyone has that experience with a smile on their face. With a memory of a positive, wonderful man. What a gift he has. What an amazing person who can do that, who can take a negative moment for every person from every culture, every language, any background, any negative life experience you have, this man will guarantee and put a smile on your face. Isn't he the most amazing person you ever heard of? I will never forget him, and neither should you. What we do is not who we are. What you do from 9 to 5 your job, your situation, the family you brought into, the marriage you're stuck in, or that never really existed, bad children, bad friends, bad financial situation, bad habits, bad addictions. All those things don't define you. You define you. And for every moment of the day, you have a new chance at every new moment of the day to define you. He for a moment thought of himself lesser than what he was. He forgot who he was and the gift that he has and that he gives to everyone, the gift of happiness. And when he told me who he was, in a momentary lapse of knowing his power, his presence, his essence, his love, He became sad, but with a few words, I just rekindled that inner flame he had, and he came roaring back, ready to bless all those coming to the airport with his smile and his presence. You're allowed to have bad moments. You're allowed to have moments where you think less of yourself, where you think everything is negative and not going right. But your essence of who you are, it never changes. The magnanimous power you have to make others feel happy to change other people's lives for the better. That is your power. And it's always there. That is who you are. Your situation that you're in now, that probably no one should be in, and I'm very sorry that you're in it. It's not who you are. It's just where you are right now, but that doesn't define you. What defines you is you, who you know who you are in your own mind, in your soul. Not even in your mind, it's in your soul. Because mind, we think of it as being the brain between our temples. That has— that's nothing. That's something physical, but your soul It goes— your soul is within you and your soul extends around you. It's your aura. Your soul is everything about you. Your soul is what you leave behind when you leave a chair. Your energy and your soul is still in that chair. When you leave a memory in someone's mind, it's not just a memory, it's a piece of your soul. Your soul is everything. Your soul is beautiful. You are beautiful. And that is who you are. It is not your current situation. It is your soul. Go forth and spread beauty and light from your soul to everyone when you're ready. The 62-year-old man needed a moment to remember, and then he was ready. So take a moment, go for a walk, take a shower, take a nap, go to sleep, wake up the next moment, morning, whenever you're ready. Your soul That is you, your soul that is always rich, your soul that is always surrounded by company of people that love you and you love them, that respect you and you respect them, that cherish you and you cherish them, that lives in a world of harmony, of massive food, never being lonely, of people always hugging you. Of people always smiling to you. That is where your soul exists, and that's always inside you. That is who you are. I'm Thomas Anglero. That's just my name. But my soul is like your soul, always loving, always caring. And I truly love you and care for you. So go forth and spread beauty and light. You are perfect and you are wonderful. Take care of yourself. Until next time.