Cuando la vocación florece en armonía con la vida | Mario Fleitas | TEDxITECSUR

Quick Overview

Mario Fleitas Díaz concludes that true vocation, which he defines as the intersection of what one wants to be, what one can be, motivation, and success in life, is achieved through the daily act of teaching and leaving a positive impact on others, drawing lessons from his upbringing involving family, nature, and education.

Key Points: Fleitas Díaz defines vocation as the convergence of desire ('Quiero ser'), capability ('Puedo ser'), motivation, and success in life, culminating in 'Propósito y Vocación'. The speaker emphasizes that his vocation led him to become an Agricultural Engineer, teaching him to listen to nature and learn from its silences. His upbringing, characterized by a large family structure that included professionals from various fields, provided fertile ground (values) for his vocation. The speaker highlights the importance of daily vocation, stating it 'begins in the patio, the classroom, in every human gesture' (05:31). He stresses that the real impact of one's work resides not just in technique but in the lasting mark left on others, exemplified by the positive engagement of students in agricultural projects (06:59). The essential ingredients for a vocation to flourish are likened to a seed: fertile soil (Values), water (Daily Practice), and sun (Inspiration and Example) (06:32). The ultimate goal is achieving 'Armonía con la Vida' (Harmony with Life), which requires integrating motivation and harmony in one's path.

Context: Mario Fleitas Díaz, an Agricultural Engineer with over 25 years of experience in teaching, research, and sustainable agro-productive development, shares his perspective on finding one's true vocation at a TEDxITECSUR event. He frames his talk around the lessons learned from his family environment, his professional journey, and the development of meaningful projects across several countries, ultimately advocating for vocation as a daily commitment that leaves a positive human imprint.

Detailed Analysis

Mario Fleitas Díaz begins by introducing himself as an Agricultural Engineer who has led projects internationally. He frames the concept of vocation using a four-quadrant model contrasting Motivation (positive/negative) versus Harmony (positive/negative). The ideal state, 'Vocación Plena' (Full Vocation), exists where both motivation and harmony are high. He shares anecdotes from his childhood, noting that his family, which included various professionals, lived in a home with a large garden, providing a 'fertile soil' of values. He credits his grandmother for teaching him that one must cultivate the things one wants to achieve. His professional path led him to agriculture, where he learned to observe nature. He then discusses the shift towards teaching, quoting his realization that his vocation multiplies when he teaches, linking this to Piaget's process of knowledge assimilation. He presents the three key ingredients for a successful vocation, comparing education to a seed: Values (fertile soil), Daily Practice (water), and Inspiration/Example (sun). He emphasizes that the real impact is not merely technical but the 'mark we leave on others,' showcasing a photo of enthusiastic students in a field project. He concludes by stating that once these conditions are met, the harvest is clear: Harmony with Life, and he is grateful for the journey that led him to this realization.