Empresa Viva – a commitment to life
Psychoanalysis and Desire
Empresa Viva, Liliana tells us, ‘carries the meaning of a commitment to life.’ That same commitment that she had begun to plan since she was in university and, for various reasons, had not realised until a few years ago when she encountered psychoanalysis.
Liliana says that, ‘from a very early age, she had to take care of herself, her decisions and her future.’ This, Liliana continues, ‘led her to immerse herself fully in work and study. She built what she defines as ‘a vague identification or idea of herself and a firm professional stance. She focused on occupational health and safety. It was there that she found a name, a place, a role from which to respond to the world.”
For a long time, Liliana continues, ‘that role was everything. Her life revolved around work. Her actions revolved around her achievements, what she accomplished, how much she gave.’ This, “without realising it, had reduced her existence to functioning, performing, sustaining, not being. Her work and her identification with her role became something that can be summed up as: what gave meaning to everything. ‘
‘Today I can say it clearly: I worked to please, to shine, to meet other people’s expectations. I got used to controlling, anticipating problems, living in a constant state of alert, and the fear of losing took hold of me. What others saw as success began to take its toll on me. My body and mind could no longer cope. ‘
That is how her search began: Liliana says she sought answers in alternative therapies, various spiritual approaches, shamans, astrological charts; I travelled all over the country looking for guidance. I handed over my responsibility to others, but nothing could touch my core.” According to Liliana, ‘I continued to work at an unsustainable pace, convinced that stopping meant losing. If I didn’t produce, I was worthless. I couldn’t show my weakness.’
The breakdown came. ‘I couldn’t take it anymore, I had to stop. I walked away from work due to exhaustion, my ghosts caught up with me, and I entered a period of total darkness.’ Liliana ventured into different fields. ‘I tried new paths, I made mistakes, and I fell. Until I reached a point of emptiness: no job, no company, no clear professional identity and no financial stability.’
That’s when psychoanalysis came along. “I arrived with no answers and many questions. More than rebuilding myself, analysis has allowed me to listen to myself. To stop running away. To face what I was avoiding. I understood that not everything in life has to hurt to have value. That suffering is not a merit, and that love is the way. ‘
Liliana goes on to say that’ the process of analysis has marked a before and after. I returned to my professional knowledge and skills from a different place, no longer from a place of demand or sacrifice, but from a place of life. Thus, Empresa Viva is becoming a knotting point between my experience, my history, and a new way of being in the world. ‘
‘Empresa Viva is not just a company; it is a stance. I ask myself every day: how can I be of service? It is putting more than twenty years of experience at the service of people, caring not only for the processes, but also for those who inhabit them. It is understanding that health, safety and well-being cannot be separated from subjectivity. ‘
‘ Psychoanalysis has taught me something fundamental: there is always something you can do for others, but you must respect their uniqueness. Every day, I try to work from that perspective. More calmly and with clearer thinking: living better is not a luxury, it is a responsibility to oneself.”
Today, these are the words that seek to tie my life together, the ones that my psychoanalyst, Yoany Rendón, reminds me of time and time again as my path: Lili(ama) – Lili(loves)
Empresa Viva is just that. A company that beats.
Liliana concludes by saying, ‘I choose how to live my life.’
