Meaningful Success: When You and a Bengal Tiger Share The Journey: When You and a Bengalese Tiger Share The Journey

By Bettina Gallego

Stressed out? Lacking time and energy? Looking for your ideal partner? Want to devote yourself to your passion and make a living out of it? Want to flow and be at peace with yourself and others?

Meaningful Success is an adventure of transformation and reconnection with the very essence of the human being. It is also a manual on

• Language: English
• Publisher: EBL Books
• Release date: Sep 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9781524328467

Bettina Gallego

Bettina Gallego Tolkmitt, was born in The Hague (the Netherlands) to a German mother and a Spanish father. After living for many years in England and the United States, she now resides in Madrid, Spain.Integrating her experience as an executive coach and her background in investment banking, Gallego has developed several methodologies to help with stress management, motivation, and leadership skills; enabling to focus and recover the values, vision and mission of managers and their organizations to facilitate transformation and give meaning to success.Her passion is learning and contributing to social development. Her motto is: "smile at the world and the world will smile back at you."Connect with the author at www.bettinagallego.com

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Meaningful Success

When You and a Bengal Tiger Share The Journey

Bettina Gallego

Meaningful Success

When You and a Bengal Tiger Share The Journey

First Edition: 2023

ISBN: 9781524318369

ISBN eBook: 9781524328467

© of the text:

Bettina Gallego

© Layout, design and production of this edition: 2023 EBL

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distrib­uted, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the Publisher.

It is customary to dedicate a book to one or two loved ones in particular. In this case I want to thank all the people who have accompanied and supported me in this adventure.

In memory of my father, for his encouragement, for always believing in me and for his idealism.

To my mother, for being my best friend, for her unconditional backing and for bringing me down to earth.

To my husband, for being my best friend, my traveling companion, my confidant, my encouragement and with whom I learn every day, for being pure generosity and having a huge heart.

In memory of my grandmother, for being like a second mother to us, for wrapping us in her arms and educating us, and for being the one who sowed in me the seed of spirituality.

In memory also of my German aunt and uncle, for being like second parents.

To my brother, for being one with me, for being the other side of the same coin and for being one of the most beloved.

To my sister-in-law and my nieces and nephews, for being our teachers and our continuation.

To my husband’s three children, for their affection and acceptance, and for serving as a mirror for me.

To my ex-partners, soulmates, friends and co-workers, for always being by my side in the happy moments and also in the difficult ones, for sharing so many experiences and for inspiring me over and over again.

To my teacher Swami Sivananda, for being a guide and light on the path.

Table of Contents

Statement of Intent 13

Credits 15

Adventure of transformation

Preamble 19

0. Start or Search for Purpose 23

1. Earth: Solidity and Vision 49

Stages and Lessons Learned 54

2. Water: Fluidity and Trust 87

3. Fire: Inspiration and Motivation 125

4. Air: Connection and Essence 139

5. Ether: Union and Balance 149

6. Love, Sharing, Buddhism 173

Discovering our Origins 205

7. A Haven of Happiness 225

8. Infinite End or Finding the Meaning 247

Transformation keys

1. Stress Management and Energy Enhancement 273

2. Mindfulness, Self-leadership & Transformation 287

3. What Is the Path to Success? 295

Interview Responses 299

Inspirations 305

Guide to the Eight Steps of Your Transformation 307

About the Author 313

Author’s Note 314

Bettina’s book is summarized as she describes it: An executive who puts his heart into everything he does is not a mere administrator, but in his decision making he highlights human needs and is guided by his intuition. A leader with principles, such as integrity, coherence, empathy or trust, leads by example and inspires not only his team but the entire organization for the benefit of society.

- José Luis Blázquez Vilés

In these times, where uncertainty surrounds us on many (too many!) fronts, I invite you to read this fascinating book by Bettina which will help you find success and happiness, providing common sense from a more than necessary exercise of personal honesty. Excellent reading!

- Carlos Milans del Bosch

This work is a magnanimous exercise in self-discovery and growth, a call to share life with its lights and shadows, its joys and pains, its disappointments and surprises. Drawing from her own experience, she guides you and opens a new path for you. It is an entertaining and enriching narrative; more than self-help, it is a conversation with a friend.

- Ana Arjona

There are good books; there are fantastic books. There are books that grab you, that you can’t stop reading, accounts that make you dream. And then there is Meaningful Success. Never before has a story given me so much. Not only is it a manuscript that grabs you, but it fills you up; it transforms you. A must-read. Thank you, Bettina, for sharing your experiences with everyone.

- Javier Rojo

I found it very easy and enjoyable to read this novel/manual. It is like a conversation with the author; you feel very close to her. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to transform their life into something much better. Bettina shows with her example that it is possible to achieve your dream if you set your mind to it. It brings you closer to India from the inside, revealing encounters lived by the author in that incredible country... It contains very useful keys for personal reflection as well as concrete tools used by Bettina in her conferences.

- Jaime Olalquiaga Loewe

I had never read a book with which I identified so much or in which I discovered so many parallels with the author’s life. Undoubtedly, a different kind of book, but one that does not leave you indifferent. I bought it without knowing what it was about, and it has fascinated me. My takeaways are: If I only had one year left to live, would I dedicate myself to this? And if I still had fifty years to live, would I live them as I have lived them so far? Think big with your heart, and the small will be included. Thank you, Bettina, for sharing in depth, greetings from London.

- Marta S.

One of the most inspiring and eye-opening books I have read lately. I have traveled, felt and decided many things thanks to Bettina’s Bengal Tiger. Thank you so much for so much!

- Jose Maria Cervera

A story to treat yourself to, to feel, and to enjoy. I loved it!!! I warmly recommend this novel and its amazing author Bettina. It opens your eyes, heart and mind, and I advise taking lots of notes. A book to keep close by. Thank you so much for writing it!

- Javier Iglesias

A greatly acclaimed guide to finding your personal formula for success and navigating your way towards it. Bettina is a great coach and mentor. And her personal experience is a source of inspiration. A gift.

- Judith Janssen

A manuscript to read more than once because every time you open it you find, depending on your state of mind, a new message. Each incident described in this book very much applies to the concerns and challenges we all, more or less, face in our daily routines, and it adapts itself perfectly to any situation the reader faces.

- Stelvio Salomone

The writer has a vast gamut of experiences ranging from the most difficult of investment banking to the profoundest deliberations in diverse environments (yoga, mindfulness, conscious leadership, travel to India, Nepal, Israel etc.). This breadth of vision is perfectly captured in the narrative and offers the reader a guide to see their professional and personal life from multiple perspectives, thus allowing for deep reflection. Revealing.

- Alberto L.

A practical and inspiring way to reconnect with who we really are. Not only through the events it illustrates but also through the possibility of immediately applying it to our lives. Suggested for all of us who are trying to get out of the ego and trying to connect with our true Self.

- José Almansa

This book is a manual on how to succeed in life with integrity. It develops a methodology for stress management, motivation and leadership and gives us keys and tools that can be applied to our personal and professional life. Its purpose is to demonstrate that it is possible to unite the business world with the spiritual world, bringing from this latter one ancient knowledge and understandings to solve current problems.

-Elisa Martinez

When I was a student at Columbia University in New York City, I kept looking for books that approached business and life in a connected fashion. This one, written by Bettina Gallego, a Wharton MBA graduate and former Goldman Sachs banker, was one of my favorites because it explains how professional and personal decisions are related. She also manages to bring spirituality into our daily lives (the Camino de Santiago comes to mind). I highly recommend this book to other American readers like myself who are looking for more than your usual leadership advice manual.

-Tom Nicocelli

Statement of Intent

I have dedicated many years to investment banking, and, therefore, I am aware that one does not have much time to reflect upon life. That’s why my sole desire is to offer with this book the most useful and practical revelations in a condensed form so that, without your having to undertake great journeys or sign up for all the courses that I did, you can transform yourself step by step and live in the most fulfilling manner.

The challenge is to bring together the business and spiritual worlds without renouncing either: from showing the reinvention of a path in economics to exploring the mysteries of our existence and searching for ways to find ourselves more in harmony with ourselves and the environment. Reaching the point of being able to flow and realize our dreams.

I advocate for success with meaning, executives with soul, and leadership with values. When you give meaning to success, it becomes "consensual" and, moreover, true and lasting because what you do favors and serves others. It is the meaning, the purpose, that brings value to success, and, thanks to success, that intention becomes a reality. Therefore, they nourish each other.

Credits

I would like to thank Jeffrey Oxford for his invaluable help with the proofreading and copy editing of the book; my teacher Ana Esteban and my colleagues from the Fuentetaja writing workshops for their encouragement; Miriam Vélez Mañas for her dedication, style and creativity involving promotion; my agent Thinking Heads for their support, and EBL publishing house (Editorial Planeta and Lantia) for the distribution of the book.

Adventure of transformation

Preamble

In life everything needs a beginning. That is the hardest part. Continuing, in a way, is easy once we have "started."

I am in front of a blank page... Write a book. Again and again I ask myself, Why should I publish a book? And again and again I answer myself, You have no choice, you simply must proceed. While writing, I feel I am on a personal quest as I describe my journey. Who am I, and where am I going? What is my purpose and the meaning of my existence? Couldn’t I pursue what springs up from within without ever looking backwards, regretting having not done something different? That is my motto; every moment I want to be in harmony with my inner self, and that automatically leads me to aspire to fulfill my outward self. For that reason I must finish this work because not to do so would be to turn my back on the inspiring force that accompanies us and on everything I believe in, on the need to share what the path of life has taught me: to assimilate sincerely and spread the message. Likewise, to have maintained during so many years of the project the motivation and the dream to continue without abandoning it is proof enough that it is not a matter of choice but simply something that has to happen, and it has its own expression.

Here I will disclose very personal experiences with you. Perhaps it is time to take off our masks, abandon our adopted roles and show ourselves for what we are. If we could truly share, our relationships would become more humane, alive and real. I invite you to be original. When and with whom will you have your next authentic conversation? It is better to jump into the pool than never to swim, to contribute, even if it’s just a grain of sand because many grains will form a mountain. And as the boy said to his father as he picked up the starfish from the beach to throw it back into the water: I don’t intend to save the world, but at least this starfish will survive. My dream would be for the book to inspire many people, to transmit both simplicity and depth, to make people laugh and cry, to dream and at the same time to act, to grow and to collaborate. My idea is to speak to the inner voice, to the courage we all possess, to touch the soul and awaken the sensitivity to transform ourselves and the world.

And what better way to get involved than by cooperating with an NGO providing education, shelter and support to those in need? My hope with this manuscript is to assist in different ways. So, apart from hopefully being useful to those who read it, a percentage of the proceeds will go to the social work of the Vicente Ferrer Foundation. Every occasion you buy a copy of the book you will be aiding someone, which I thank you for. Because success also means contributing.

With no intention of convincing or recommending, here I only relate my experience. This is both an autobiography and a personal development guide with the aim of encouraging everyone on their own path of metamorphosis. I could have separated the testimonial part of the work from the growth guidelines section, but then there would be people who would miss out on one of the two. Something that makes the narrative innovative is that it is also an applied, self-help book that shows through real encounters exactly that: the balance between professional and personal life is possible. We can grow in all aspects. It is aimed at people with a desire for continuous improvement, those in search of self-perfection, of inner and outer peace, of their mission and fulfillment. For this reason, I have included a combination of anecdotes, stories of transformational journeys, learning experiences, deliberations, keys and small revelations or clicks that have served me throughout this process. Some of these introspections, appearing years after the events, are quite deep. I encourage you to review these parts carefully because if they are closely examined, I assure you that they are useful and applicable to our daily routines.

I may later release a manual to summarize the methodology and main ideas, but until then it would be a good idea for you to take notes, underline, and write down your own conclusions. Because, as Tony Robbins, the world’s No. 1 motivational coach, stresses, leaders are readers. Precisely in order to know ourselves better and move forward, reading is recommended since it awakens curiosity, increases understanding and activates the emergence of ideas. It is up to each of us to develop this theory and put it into practice. In the same way, I would like the spectator to accompany me throughout this adventure, to reflect, to undertake and transport himself to the specific stage and mentioned place. Therefore, the work is mostly expressed in the present tense although there are time jumps, and it is not a strictly chronological account. I challenge the reader to open their mind and let themselves be carried away without expectation or pre-judgment. I, myself, for those who know me, am — or rather, was — extremely rational, and I don’t believe anything until I experience it. But I have realized that occasionally it is worthwhile to be guided by intuition or to make a leap of faith, to show some guts and to trust your heart, as Bruce Springsteen says in his song Leap of Faith.

In those moments you have much to gain and little to lose. It may be that you abandon yourself to the unknown, that you go for it and, soon after, you get the proof that confirms it. Everything in the end has its explanation, its reason for being; it’s just that, sometimes, to move forward you need to trust and surrender to magic, that magic described so long ago by the Greek principle as access to the understanding of the beyond and overcoming of the individual. So, even if there may be descriptions here with which you disagree, stay with me. I even invite you to investigate before dismissing them, if that will strengthen your criticism. You lose nothing by giving it a chance. Because maybe there is something in it for you that you don’t yet know. It is no accident that this book is in your hands; notice the coincidence and move forward.

Besides, there is nothing left to do but to walk the opportune and non-transferable path with all its obstacles and teachings, so we might as well: Enjoy it. Shall we have a cup of coffee or tea and talk about life? In my case, what was my transformation process? Finding the balance between the material and the spiritual is possible; would you like to know how?

0

Start or Search for Purpose

How to build a bridge between London and Calcutta

Decision Day

Date: September 30, 2009

Venue: Inversis Bank, Management Department

Protagonist: Bettina Gallego, investment fund manager

Title of the day: Chronicle of a death foretold, or rather, Adventure of a desired birth

It’s 6 o’clock in the morning and the alarm clock goes off. I wake up anxious and excited at the same time. Today is going to be a great day, an extraordinary day, one of those that remain etched in your memory...

With a steady step, I approach my boss’s office. I am a little nervous, but even so, I burst into his office and tell him straight up: I’m leaving. Although I value my job, I need to take on new challenges, give wings to my dreams, find answers, seek my purpose, fulfill what I came here to contribute, because I can’t ‘misuse’ any more opportunities, and I have to do it now.

He tries to convince me. Think about it; take all the time off you want to attend the courses and trips you need, but don’t quit. You have a good future at Inversis. Is there anything I can do to change your mind?

This day can be considered the end of one stage and the beginning of a very different one: the point at which I ask for a leave of absence from Inversis Bank and I throw myself into reinventing myself and, little by little, creating a life with which I feel more identified. On the one hand, I am seized by a kind of vertigo full of doubts. Will I be able to start a solo career and generate enough income to be able to live from it without exhausting my savings? Even more, the main question in my mind is: am I wasting my hard-earned studies, my master’s degree and my rising career path into which I’ve invested so much effort? I am also sad to leave behind my colleagues and friends at the bank, with our daily lunches and continuous mutual support. But, on the other hand, I feel a sense of freedom at the thought of achieving everything I had always imagined and never had the time for. I guess we don’t all have to become CEOs or earn salaries with lots of zeros at the end simply because we studied and worked at prestigious schools and companies, even if the pressure we impose on ourselves or society is latent. We can opt for a somewhat "different" or "successful destination, depending on how success is defined. Obviously, with an economic cushion" and without offspring it is more feasible. Recognizing the personal circumstances of each individual, it might be necessary that some have to apply more courage, creativity and innovation. I make a note in my diary of several training courses, in addition to others related to various hobbies such as photography, drawing and dancing. As well, during this period a trip to the Himalayas with Jesús Calleja and his team, a month of advanced training as a yoga teacher, a pilgrimage to the Kumbh Mela in India and the Camino de Santiago all await me.

I had always sensed it. Now it was coming true, at the right moment. Not before, not after. Everything requires its own gestation. I had already done my due diligence and was ready. I had let go of fears, burdens and the need to prove myself to myself and to others. I had tasted professional fame and had had the privilege of being trained and working side by side with the "greats" in the financial sector.

What I Did

As an asset manager, I traveled to discover businesses, was received by the CEOs of major companies and spotted trends: I was among the first to examine new products and services and analyze their strategies, degree of commitment, excellence and returns. Likewise, I had access to the best analysts and worked in the same room as the most reputable managers, which brought with it invitations to meals at the most luxurious restaurants in London and orientation courses in New York, as well as spectacular parties such as one aboard a boat on the Hudson River with fireworks. I still remember the day of the interview for admission to Wharton, the prestigious business school at the University of Pennsylvania, going up the escalators of the Goldman Sachs building in London, dreaming of ascending them again someday to work there. I don’t know if I was already applying the science of visualization back then, but I guess my focus was such that I believed in that possibility to the point of making it become a reality.

So clearly it has happened to me on a few occasions, for example, when I was selected out of about two hundred people who wanted to spend a year in the United States as cross-cultural exchange students with the American Field Service (AFS) organization; out of all of them, just over ten of us were chosen in the end. I wanted to go to the U.S. with that specific organization and was fortunate enough to pass numerous interviews and difficult tests, which only increased my determination. I ended up in the state of California, near San Francisco, in Napa Valley — my preferred destination — and in the home of an amazing American family with whom I keep in touch to this day. At school I made very good friends; they invited me to the prom in the purest American style, and we even went on a trip to Hawaii.

Another key period was when I finished college. Of all the banks, I only wanted to work at JP Morgan, and I was lucky enough to be able to start the day after graduation. Some time later I was accepted into the Wharton MBA program, which was a challenge that required a lot of resolution and perseverance. I had never before prepared and worked so hard to perfect an application. I managed, among other things, to pass the GMAT — the entrance exam — with a high enough score to qualify for a prestigious master’s degree program. It became a kind of obsession; I studied all the time and deprived myself of going out on weekends for many months. Something similar occurred to me when I managed to join the four-person management team of small and mid-cap mutual funds — listed companies in terms of market capitalization — at Goldman Sachs in London after ten interviews — including a dinner during which you had an executive next to you asking you questions for a while until another executive sat down and the next round of questions started. They called it Super Saturday, and the idea was to build a team of like-minded people who fit together not only technically but, more importantly, personally. All in all, I guess the more specific and clear our vision is, the more likely it is to become reality, and the more effective it will be.

Parties on the boat, meals at the best restaurants, invitations to conventions or business trips at five-star hotels represented the glamorous side of my life. The other side consisted of coming in to work at seven in the morning, preparing for morning meetings, visiting with several companies on the same day, analyzing them, entering data into spreadsheets, preparing presentations, deciding which ones to invest in, following stocks and watching them rise or fall, suffering stress, making portfolio adjustments, eating a sandwich at my desk, following up, having internal meetings, ordering pizza for dinner at the office and leaving at eleven at night. Even so, I enjoyed my job. In fact, I came to think that I should pay to have the opportunity to fly to so many countries and meet executives from companies in so many different sectors, from the factories of industrial companies such as Air Liquide, Acerinox, Brembo, Grifols, Gamesa, Iberdrola or the Swiss sanitary company Geberit and the French street furniture and outdoor advertising company JCDecaux to the ateliers of luxury and fashion boutiques such as Bulgari, FCUK and Hermès. Not everyone has the good fortune and also the responsibility of being part of a team that manages billions of euros. Or that, as happened to me during my time spent in the private banking department, a client says to you: Take half a billion and decide where to invest it. I trust you.

I remember my time in London with great fondness; I learned considerably from my bosses and colleagues. The importance of good mentors is worth pointing out, examples of leadership in helping us to develop professionally. Special mention should be made of my boss at JP Morgan Private Banking for guiding me and teaching me how to expand. I grew a lot with her, both as a professional and as a person. One anecdote worth telling concerns the CEO of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, an American who was particularly visionary, humane and approachable when it came to leadership. Instead of staying locked up in his office, he preferred to sit among us, always accessible. To know how his day was going, what his stress level was and whether the markets were rising or falling, one only needed to look at the sleeves of his white shirt: they started the day buttoned and, in the evening, were sometimes rolled up over his biceps. He also had an eagerness to turn it all into a life experience, bringing together staff from multiple corners of the world to share diverse cultures. In the small-cap team alone there was our English boss, an American woman, a Dane, an Indian guy and me.

The intense pace of work, combined with celebrations in pubs and gala dinners, turned it into an exciting adventure. I even had the joy of a romance with a handsome Englishman, with the most purely British accent, who picked me up in his Porsche, which he even let me drive; he showed me around his native London and took me to Cornwall, on the southwest tip of England. He behaved like a gentleman: he got tickets for the Chelsea-Betis match and invited me on a most romantic trip to the Greek islands and skiing in Switzerland. He made me an indecent proposal, as we used to say. If I had to pick one person to be in a pub with, chatting for hours, I would have chosen him. What he loved most about me was that I could be his girlfriend and, simultaneously, his best friend. Eventually, our paths went in different directions. On the same day that my German friend Sabine, who