The pandemic years (2020–21) were life-changing for most of us, especially those who lost loved ones. For the first time in this century, people came face-to-face with a virus that impacted the whole world in unprecedented ways. The phrase, “new normal” was coined to indicate that people would now have to learn to live (through social distancing, isolation, masks, vaccines, etc.) with the COVID virus and its variants for a long time to come.
There was one takeaway, however, that all of us understood clearly. Health and wellbeing are paramount for human life. Also, being physically fit does not necessarily mean being healthy and well. This came to light with stark reality when many seemingly fit people in their 30s and 40s died suddenly.
Having been in pastoral work since 2008 and in organizational development since 2015, it was during the COVID years that I began to formulate a life-coaching program for well-being called Life Skills Journey. It came about as a result of asking basic questions on how to optimize life for wellbeing. Answers came primarily from Scripture, which was verified by nature, science, and biology.
My purpose in writing this article is to share some of my ideas for your enjoyment in the hope that you will find yourself in a better place in terms of overall well-being.
The intelligence of life
All of us are familiar with our physiological and psychological profiles, but there is something called the life profile in each of us. In fact, the life profile is found in all living things. In humans, the life profile causes us to grow and develop physically in the womb and then after birth until the ages of 18–20 years. Vaccines work because the body becomes resistant to disease after vaccination. During sleep, the life profile repairs and rejuvenates us completely. Have a listen to this Ted talk by scientist Matt Walker on the importance of sleep for wellbeing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MuIMqhT8DM&t=1030s
Further life is the intelligence working in migratory birds, butterflies, and fish that travel miles to mate and reproduce. I quickly realized that if one could tap into this intelligence and energy, clearly evident in nature and in us, it would improve wellbeing.
The life matrix
Human experience has shown that there are four aspects of modern life that affect our wellbeing. These are security, relationships, health, and finances, in no particular order. These are linked as in a matrix so that when one or more of the four is affected adversely or positively, the others are impacted. If your finances are out of whack, it will affect relationships, health, and security, and vice versa. A state when all four aspects of the matrix are optimized is what we call “Peace” in English, “Shaanti” in Hindi and Sanskrit, and wellbeing in modern vernacular. I have come to believe that by tapping into our life profile, we can see significant improvement in all these aspects.
Creativity and performance
The following article in Time magazine discusses the state of flow.
https://time.com/56809/the-science-of-peak-human-performance/
During flow, neuroscientists say our performance increases up to five times. It is an optimal state. The state of flow exists between Alpha (daydreaming) and Theta REM (Rapid Eye Movement), or just before we fall asleep, states of consciousness. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain best known for self-monitoring, gets deactivated. Self-monitoring has to do with the inner critic and deals with our past as well as the anxieties of the future. In a state of flow, an individual is completely focused on the now or present. If you watched Matt Walker’s Ted talk I referred to earlier, the benefits of sleep include increased vitality, memory, longevity, and immunity against diseases. What if, by engaging the life profile, we could enter a state of flow, 5X our performance, sleep better, and do well financially?
Purpose and value
An observation of the natural world would clearly show that everything that exists contributes. During my hikes to the hills near my home, sometimes I come across poisonous reptiles and arachnids. I have often wondered the purpose of such a creature’s existence, until sometime back I came across herpetologists who collected snake venom for use in the treatment of cancer, pain, high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.
Author Dr. Myles Munroe wrote about purpose: “The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without a purpose. When purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable“. What if we could discover purpose through the life profile and be effective contributors to humanity and life on the planet? Imagine the positive impact it would have on others’ and our well-being.
Information verses intelligence
We live in an information age where search engines are now being complimented by Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT. For all the value of these tools, identifying and solving individual and societal problems would require intelligent use of information. My parents tell me that when I was 2–3 years old, I had severe boils on my head that would not heal. Even though I had access to modern medicine and doctors at that time, it did not get better, leading to a lot of discomfort. However, my grandfather, a medical doctor himself, permanently solved the problem. Instead of prescribing the regular English medicines, which he often did in his practice, he advised my parents to apply a paste made out of Bengal gram (Kadalai Paruppu in Tamil). They tell me the boils disappeared immediately. Intelligence acquired through experience solved this problem. What if, by listening to the life profile, we used information with intelligence to solve problems for others and ourselves?
Friends, I hope you have enjoyed reading so far about some aspects of the introduction to the life profile. If you have questions and want to know more or understand the scriptural basis for the life profile, please feel free to contact me via email or the WhatsApp number listed below.
WhatsApp: +6738619388
Email: satish.christopher@gmail.com
Happy wellbeing!
