About

Beatriz Friedmann is a school counselor, yoga instructor, IT consultant, researcher and traveler. Her school counseling incorporates mindfulness to help students develop self-awareness and self-control. She recently completed a 27-year career at IBM, where she held numerous positions, including as a business value consultant, project executive, application development manager and systems analyst. She worked for IBM in Brazil, Canada and the United States. Beatriz earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Technology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, a Masters of Business Administration degree from the Institute of Financial Markets in Rio de Janeiro, and Master’s degree in Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. This episode is perfect for anyone interested emigrating to new countries, balancing the mind with the heart, finding new purpose, and becoming present one step at a time. IN THIS EPISODE Beatriz describes growing up in Brazil and her brother having Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LSG is is a complex, rare, and severe childhood-onset epilepsy). She talks about when she was 9 years old losing her mother to cancer and how she internalized her mother’s death. She explains the role of Logosophy in her life (Logosophy is a philosophy of conscious evolution and metacognition). She shares a memory of sharing a diary with a friend and what it revealed. Beatriz describes beginning her career at IBM Brazil, the life she lived, and choosing to leave Brazil behind. She tells a story about saying the name of her daughter. She describes emigrating to Canada, the challenge of being an immigrant parent, and how she felt about leaving her country of origin behind. Beatriz discusses emigrating again to the United States and adjusting to life in Chappaqua, New York. She describes turning 40 years old, entering therapy, coming to terms with the death of her mother, and questioning her career. She talks about moving again, this time to Charlotte, in search of belonging. She shares a summer of emotional pain when her career ended, her father died, her dog died, and her youngest daughter left home. Beatriz discusses finding solace and meaning in yoga, meditation, and a new career as a school counselor. She shares her plan to emigrate again, this time to Portugal, and the metaphor of walking as a way of living. plus Mark’s Personal Word Essay: The Second Mountain To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning