• Bio

Cesar Gamio

César is a Master Educator with the Chopra Centre for Wellbeing and a highly profiled wellbeing consultant who also serves as Senior Advisor to the Global Centre for Conscious Leadership. Under the personal training and guidance of Dr. Deepak Chopra, the global leading authority on mind-body medicine, César has been helping individuals and organisations for over a decade to effectively manage stress, attain work-life balance and improve their overall physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing. For 15 years, César led a successful career in two Fortune 500 companies in the technology industry, holding executive leadership positions in various regions across the world. Having experienced first-hand the demands of working in a global and fast-paced industry, he managed to effectively deal with the pressure as well the volatile and changing environment of the industry by applying the principles, methods and techniques which he now teaches. Equipped with his own personal experience and the latest scientific research and evidenced-based tools and practices, César has delivered comprehensive lectures, seminars and workshops to thousands of people and hundreds of organisations in every continent helping them to achieve higher levels of wellbeing in all aspects of their lives. Through his work, participants have been able to acquire the practical knowledge required to be more productive and creative at work and raise their energy and engagement levels. César’s contributions have been influential in helping clients in Fortune 500 companies to find their source of inspiration, enabling deeper, more meaningful and substantial collaboration in multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams. César’s corporate clientele extends across many industries, including IT, financial, media, pharmaceutical, oil & gas and consumer products to name a few. He also serves as a personal wellbeing consultant to government, sports, arts and entertainment personalities.

Given his passion for science and his devotion to bringing peace and happiness to the world, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, along with the best and brightest scientists, created the Mind and Life Institute to foster collaboration with western science.

A few years ago, the Dalai Lama commissioned a scientific study to a very large group of the most prominent social scientists and physicists, to study the concept of happiness. The questions that drove the project were: What makes us feel happy and fulfilled? How can we attain personal fulfilment? Two years later, the scientists returned with their findings and a happiness formula : H = S + C + V

H – stands for happiness

S – stands for the set point in the brain

C – stands for conditions of living

V – stands for voluntary choices

The variable “S” (set point in the brain) refers to our mechanisms of perception. We all have a semi-fixed place on the happiness spectrum based on our outlook on life. Happier people see the opportunities, where unhappy people see problems depending on how their brain is wired, in other words, how their neural network is configured. The set point determines 50% of our happiness experience on a daily basis.

The variable “C” (conditions of living) refers mainly to career and material success as well as personal wealth. This value in the happiness formula determines about 12% of your daily happiness experience.

The variable “V” refers to the choices that we make on a daily basis. Choices for personal pleasure bring transient happiness, while selfless choices bring inner fulfilment through purpose and meaning. For example, by making other people happy, meaningful relationships bring more permanent happiness. Voluntary choices account for 38% of our happiness.

One of the conclusions of the study on how we can attain personal fulfilment, was that it is fine to have career success and material comforts around you, but that will only account for 12% of your happiness. To really be happy, you need to expand your awareness and overcome your egotistical mind and then choose selfless actions, or ways to be of service to others. This leads to true and lasting happiness and wisdom.

And what about our brain’s set point, which accounts for 50% of the happiness formula – are people that are biologically predisposed to be pessimistic, doomed from the start?

Find the answer in my next article.

César Gamio

Chopra Center Master Educator