What does wellbeing mean to me?
Since the creation of A Mindful Escape back in 2023, I have been pondering on this question. I though the answer was easy but the more time went by, the more thoughts passed through my head, the more elusive the answer became. Today, on the day of the Chinese New Year, the eclipse in Aquarius and the once in 36 years conjunction of Neptune and Saturn at 0 degrees, I thought I will answer this question - for me. Even if you are not into astrology, it just sounds cool, having so many unique events happen in a tiny space of time.
Wellbeing is so personal to everyone. Hence why I have always been against the highly popularised and glamourised ‘Instagram life’. We all find meaning in different expressions in life. At times, we can feel pressure to act a certain way because social media says so. When I started A Mindful Escape, I wanted to fit into this new wave narrative - every tough moment is trauma, something said to us that we do not like - trigger, a person who is not acting nicely - narcissist. It was easy to make everything into a trauma, get triggered by something slightly off and just classify anyone we did not like as a narcissist. This side of the wellbeing wave just did not sit right with me.
I am a person of pragmatism. Although what has gotten me to where I am today is the ability to dream, to see beyond certain structures and imagine new ways of doing things. After my own moment of burnout - I thought I had to bury this side of me completely. The side which was so excited about technology, about the good that the digital world can bring into humanity, the side that thrived in creating. I wanted to shut the door and dedicate myself to wellbeing. I wanted to deny myself, the side that I nurtured for so many years. The side that nurtured me, until I burnt it to the ground. It was guilt. Guilt that I broke something important, and I was scared it was broken forever. Why am I telling you this story?
Because we cannot run away from our calling. From our passion. No matter how much I love A Mindful Escape, the work I have done and the people I have met. It will always be just a piece of what I want and can do in this world. It is a beautiful stepping stone, to what comes next. It is forever going to be a part of my story, and play a role in how I move through life. But it is not my overall wellbeing, my overall purpose and my overall fulfilment.
My personal wellbeing is tied into my career. It is tied into my creativity. It is tied into developing systems and products to make people’s lives easier and happier. I have always worked with digital and technology. The .com eroded the boundaries that so many of our parents and grandparents faced. All of a sudden the world was truly our oyster and all we had to do is dare to dream (and have a little skill of course). Nothing was out of reach, nothing was beyond limit, all we had to do was imagine it.
With AI coming more and more into our day to day lives, this barrier has been eroded even further. I see the opportunities to create and I am excited to do so. For the good of us, not for the hype. When AI became an easily accessible tool back in 2023, I saw the beauty in its application. Not to replace humans but to help humans live better lives. We keep focusing on the flashy news titles, the fear mongering and bizzare applications of mainstream AI. I wanted to look at the opportunities it sets ahead of us, to recognise patterns, to provide structure where humans fail to do so, to give precision. This is why I am creating Veraia Life - Veraia is a personal, AI driven, healthcare and wellbeing assistant. The technical engineers and healthcare professionals who are working and advising on this project, are ensuring the precision in what we are creating. An app designed by scientific principles for everyday life. To combine the beauty of technology, creativity and wellbeing. To combat problems that should not be there in the 21st century. To combat overwhelm when it comes to our personal health and wellbeing. To combat the fight, flight or freeze response when we care for someone we love and we need to act.
Join me on the path to revolutionize health and wellbeing, I can’t wait to be able to live in a better organised world.
