Television broadcaster Ria Tanjuatco-Trillo joins us for a deep dive on Kabbalah’s remarkable effects on business and life as a whole.
Making money is often viewed as a daunting task, by pretty much everyone, worldwide. The thought of opening a business–if seen through the lens of those who have made it–appears to be rosy, until you run into the dozens of pitfalls that can potentially grant any operation a death sentence. Some of those who have reaped success, on the other hand, may be making a killing in their respective industries, but in doing so, have let go of other essential aspects of their lives, such as time for family, friends, and themselves. In fact, the overused adage “it’s lonely at the top” still rings true for many entrepreneurs.
Lots of factors come as gaps that bar us from reaching our goals as professionals and individuals, and we tend to overlook one of the biggest stumbling blocks: ourselves. The truth is that poor leadership or a few bad decisions are all you need for a business to take a major hit. And sometimes a leader ends up digging too deep a hole for a business to fully recover.
In lieu of this, by gaining a better perspective on effective communication and the impact of transmitting positive energy in the workplace, we can become vessels for empowerment that positively affect everyone and everything around us, including our financial welfare and the organizations that we work for.
This fact is underscored by Kabbalah, a school of thought rooted in spiritual Jewish teachings that is currently gaining popularity worldwide. People from all walks of life–from successful entrepreneurs to college students–have learned much from its principles as they reach each of their goals and experience more fulfilled lives. Considered a secret during ancient times, it harnesses the power of spiritual energy as an instrument for peace and healing, with its concepts applicable to all parts of one’s daily routine.
The Philippines has caught on with Kabbalah largely through the efforts of television broadcaster Ria Tanjuatco-Trillo, who was instrumental in establishing Kabbalah Center Philippines–the first in Asia. An official Kabbalah instructor, she has empowered many young people and professionals to have healthy relationships with spirituality.
A personal breakthrough
“Kabbalah teaches us the spiritual rules of the universe,” Ria explains. “When we understand what spiritual rules are and how they are at play in our lives, we are able to gain a better perspective on everything that is happening around us, and we develop the ability to make better decisions and consequently, we experience better outcomes.”
Through these rules, Ria has made a habit of seeing the bigger picture in most scenarios, as well as identifying the areas of her daily life that need more attention, from her work to her relationship with her kids, down to the food that she eats. She has taken charge of her reality, imbuing it with refreshing positivity that radiates not just to her Kabbalah students, but also to the people she interacts with, in the office, on the road, and at home.
Getting into Kabbalah was automatic for Ria, whose curiosity was piqued when she saw an old friend wearing a Red String. Questions were asked; tales were exchanged; and she wound up reading God Wears Lipstick by renowned kabbalist Karen Berg, which she finished in just a couple of days. By then, life immediately had a more positive spin to it, with Ria forging a new bond with spirituality, one that she didn’t think she needed previously.
“But I think what attracted me to Kabbalah was the fact that its principles were not pie-in-the-sky concepts, but ones that you can readily apply to your life and see results from. It’s extremely practical yet profound,” she shares.
One may fear that Kabbalah could get in the way of one’s religious beliefs, but Ria assures us that, if anything, the practice has strengthened the religious ties between its followers and their respective faiths. After all, genuine positivity breeds respect for everyone, including higher powers and divine beings. And with that positivity, she has gained new meaningful relationships as a Kabbalah instructor and bolstered existent ones in her immediate circles.
Kabbalah’s enrichment of Ria’s life is undeniable, but we wonder how it applies to the cutthroat and complex realm of business. Fortunately, she happens to be a former host of a TV program centered on the finer points of opening up and running a business. And she has a lot to say on the matter.
Kabbalah in the corporate realm
“Kabbalah can elevate one’s mindset into a more positive one. If a leader transmits this to his team and co-workers, [then] their productivity and efficiency will improve. This then awakens the organization’s potential for revenue growth,” Ria says, noting how the effects of a positive mindset can cascade from the top down to every member of the organization.
A motivated individual, after all, will work hard to pass their deliverables and achieve targets, going the extra mile even, to ensure positive results. Furthermore, Kabbalah can shape leaders out of potential managers, and it all begins with embracing spirituality. One need not infuse lectures and meetings with sacred scriptures and the like necessarily, but adopting the outlook and dynamism of a religious minister can certainly help.
“True leadership has spirituality at its very core. If you think about the qualities of an effective leader, those qualities are highly spiritual: putting others first, a sense of caring and nurturing, balancing strictness with kindness, walking the talk, being able to make decisions that will serve the greater good in the long term,” Ria explains.
In doing so, leaders are able to strategize and implement directives with little to no influence from destructive emotional responses. Motivating their staff to become their best selves at work, in turn, comes easier since people generally respond better to positive reinforcement or constructive criticism backed with rational explanations, possible resolutions, and a hopeful outlook, all framed within the context of inspiration.
As a result, the flow of communication is quick and seamless as apprehensions are kept to a bare minimum. Openness among individuals and within the organization is promoted, thus errors within the system can be swiftly mitigated, then dealt with through a pragmatic approach.
“We learn that the world we see is a mirror. If there is something about someone in our team that triggers us, this means that we have some aspect of that issue in ourselves. If we have a sincere desire to change things within our team, we need to change ourselves first. This removes ego and blockages so that authentic communication can flow freely,” Ria shares.
The remarkable effects of Kabbalah in the workplace extends to an organization’s staff. In fact, they benefit just as much as their superiors. Dealing with less disposable income as their managers in most cases, regular employees can leverage Kabbalistic principles en route to seeing their true value as professionals and finding areas for improvement in regard to performance, thus putting them in a better position for salary raises and promotions.
Moreover, by subscribing to Kabbalah’s teachings, they will have the courage to extend the communication channels to their supervisors should they feel that they deserve fairer compensation, rather than holding every sentiment in until all the pent up frustration lead to a series of regrettable decisions.
If the company does not grant them their request, they will have the emotional fortitude to take things astride as they make strategic shifts and adjustments in their careers. This lessens the likelihood of employees jeopardizing their future by causing harm to any member of the organization or destruction to company property.
Kabbalah for start-ups
Extensive research, planning, adaptability, and a strong marketing campaign may be a budding entrepreneur’s biggest allies, but practicing Kabbalah can work wonders for anyone who intends to put up a business if we are to go by the tenets that make up a part of Ria’s belief system. She actually has the candor to acknowledge that under no circumstance is starting a business a cakewalk, giving credence to her Kabbalistic background.
“It’s really tough working on a startup with or without spirituality, and that’s the reality. Kabbalah can help a person work on their reactive emotions and ego that could potentially hinder their success,” she admits.
Anyone who has ever started a business knows that the earliest stages are often the toughest: a system and pricing scheme have yet to be established; the brand is still unknown to its market; and losses are to be expected during the first few months. Not having a grip on one’s emotions can impact decisions that can potentially spell the success or downfall of a young company.
For instance, experiencing losses early on without having the presence of mind to account for relevant figures, like a steady growth in sales – albeit in small increments – or the earliest signs of a buzz on social media, can lead one to resort to drastic measures that are counter to the company’s objectives. The owner could immediately choose to sacrifice quality, instead of focusing on marketing or incentivizing the sales team’s operations, in an effort to recoup losses, which could turn off loyal customers or worse, alienate the business’ target market entirely.
With the help of Kabbalah, entrepreneurs can nip such problems in the bud as they are less prone to making emotional decisions. The pragmatic mindset developed in Kabbalah classes aids decision makers in weathering the storm of concerns present in new ventures before making the necessary adjustments to positively influence sales.
“If there is room for growth but it is failing to manifest due to, say, challenges in communicating or navigating a particular business transaction, the wisdom and application of Kabbalah can provide a person with the tools to work through that,” Ria enthuses.
“Often in a business, we can be too focused on the bottom line. While that is very important, we cannot ignore the role that our consciousness and mindset play in getting a business off the ground,” she adds.
A spiritual commitment
While the impact of Kabbalah is indeed significant, Ria would be the first to tell the public to not take her word for it. After all, not everyone carries the same level of commitment upon entering an engagement like a spiritual class or receiving the weight of the obligations suggested by its principles. But she encourages people to give it a try, particularly those who have a genuine desire to improve their lives.
As a Kabbalah instructor, Ria has witnessed the practice’s transformative effects on students who seek fulfillment, be it in their job, family life, or on a holistic level. Conversely, she has also seen her share of those who seem keen to imbibe the nuggets of wisdom afforded by the practice, but do not have the dedication to assimilate them into their lifestyles.
“The ONLY way to know if Kabbalah is for you is to try it – not because someone told you anything good or bad about it. We always tell students, ‘Do not believe anything we tell you.’ I could talk to you about some very powerful Kabbalistic teachings, but it could potentially just be interesting information,” she opines.
Like what Morpheus stated to a yet-to-be-fully-enlightened Neo in The Matrix, there is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path. And for one to reform reality and make it work for them, a conscious effort is necessary. Living out its teachings is the only way for Kabbalah to work, or any new practice for that matter.
However, for those who are ready to take a dive into a spiritual, life-changing affair, Ria prefaces Kabbalah with a rather eye-opening introduction.
“Through our spiritual growth and efforts, we connect to our purpose in the world. This is extremely empowering and enlightening. We go from merely being an effect of our surroundings to being a creator of it.”
Now that’s quite a statement. Going back to The Matrix references, you’d probably want a Kabbalistic red pill at this very moment. The truth of reality awaits. The Kabbalah Centre Philippines has a series of seminars under its program, Consciousness at Work (CAW) which caters to all levels of an organization. It also has an award-wining program called Spirituality for Kids (SFK) which teaches spiritual principles to kids. For more information, visit http://philippines.kabbalah.com/.
