At what point did we start to believe that to live well we only need to have money?
We live in a world that is rapidly advancing in technology, productivity and innovation. But Are we advancing at the same pace in our ability to listen to, understand and care for ourselves?
I see with great concern how taking care of our emotional health is becoming a luxury: health systems with increasing barriers to access, retreats and workshops that are valuable but priceless for many, harmful information that is difficult to ignore example: social networks, constant comparison, excess of news and even foods for which we must pay more to be healthier.
But my biggest concern is that we begin to believe that emotional well-being depends only on our economic capacity. Although access barriers are real and addressing our mental health requires resources and professional services when we need them, we also We can cultivate our well-being by recognizing what we feel, understanding ourselves, building healthy relationships, and facing everyday challenges.
Taking care of our emotional health is not just an individual responsibility. It is also collective. It is present in how we lead, talk to our children, treat our colleagues and recognize their needs.
Likewise, to take care of others, we first need to learn to take care of ourselves.
In an air emergency, we must put on the oxygen mask first and then help others. Something similar happens with our well-being: we need to recover our oxygen to be able to care for others.
For years, my purpose has been to contribute to building a society in which we live with well-being. That’s why I help people and organizations reconnect: breathe consciously, observe yourself, listen to yourself and recognize the beauty in yourself. In doing so, we regain a sense of our own worth.
When I recognize what I like and what I don’t about myself, I open up the possibility of accepting myself more and embarking on a path of greater well-being that also positively impacts others.
In coaching processes I meet people from very diverse backgrounds and roles. Everyone, including me, We share the desire to live with well-being and the challenge of continuing to seek it.. Some people don’t know how to achieve it; others say they do not have time for themselves and others, perhaps the bravest people, They recognize the fear that comes from knowing themselves completely.
And knowing each other requires courage. Taking that path means prioritizing ourselves.
Coaching invites us to do this: through reflective questions and conversations, it allows us to observe ourselves and recognize that we see the world from our experiences, beliefs and interpretations. When we broaden our perspective, we also expand our possibilities of acting and relating.
It also invites us to ask ourselves: where do I listen to the other? What emotions influence me and others? What possibilities appear when I change the conversation?
By knowing ourselves more deeply, we better understand the impact we have on others. It is not enough to seek our own well-being: we can learn from ourselves to contribute to building communities where we all have space to breathe, observe each other, listen to each other and connect.
Julio Olalla, a reference in ontological coaching, in his book From Knowledge to Wisdom, reflects on our relationship with the community and the importance of learning beyond the individual. Our well-being is not built in isolation, but also in our relationships.
Therein lies our responsibility: not only to take care of ourselves, but to create spaces where others can breathe, feel heard and live with greater emotional well-being.
Perhaps the challenge is not only learning to take care of our own comprehensive health, but also recognizing how much we influence the health of others. Because a more humane society is built when care stops being a privilege or a solitary task and becomes a shared responsibility.
