Over the years, this morning ritual that I call One Apple A Day has evolved from simple writing practice to serve many purposes. Some days, it's a space for self-reflection and introspection; other days, it's just a way to share some stories; many times, it's just my way of recentering before facing the day ahead.
Some morning it's also a valuable space to dump something I have in my mind before it gets lost amid the many things to do and think about.
This is one of those mornings.
Yesterday I was reading an article about taking care of people in business, and I crossed a framework called the five elements of wellbeing. And I strongly felt that something was missing.
So, I went back to the Five Layers of Awareness framework - based on the Vedic concept of Pancha Koshas that we shared in the book Subtraction, and I felt that it is a perfect framework for true Wholistic Wellbeing.
My Five Elements of Wellbeing then are as follow:
Physical. It is about answering the primordial need for existence: I exist. It includes everything related to the material needs of a human being, such as food, health, safety, a house, financial resources and so on.
Social & Emotional. It is about answering the primordial need for love and belonging: I feel. It means feeling loved, supported, welcomed and accepted. Feeling that we belong and that we give and receive energy.
Mental. It is about providing an answer to the primordial need: I do. It's about self-worth, affirmation, recognition, career and success. It's also about learning and acquiring new skills and knowledge.
Meaning. It is about answering the primordial need to express our gifts: I realize. It is about living our life with passion. And passion is an output, not an input. It's the outcome of doing something meaningful that allows us to express our potential and talents. Unfortunately, too often, this element of wellbeing is overlooked.
Spiritual. It is about answering the primordial need for transcendence: I am. It's about having the space to explore and relate to the unknown. To be in the neverending quest for who we are, asking the questions with no answers.