We Are the Sum of Our Lives ???

Life can be too complex to put into words—our experiences, networks, friendships, and even the newsfeeds we scroll through shape us. We often see success stories and smiles on social media, but the truth is many of us face challenges backstage.

Anxiety, frustration, sadness, and even depression are part of life—and that's okay. Yet, as Joseph Campbell says:

"We're not on our journey to save the world but to save ourselves. But in doing that, you save the world. The influence of a vital person vitalizes"

We often find ourselves swimming in these emotions alone—without a companion to share our struggles, a colleague to confide in, a sibling to discuss our fears or a partner to support us on our journey.

In those moments, it can feel overwhelming, as if the weight of the world rests solely on our shoulders and the tensions get stored in our bodies. It's okay to sit with those feelings, to experience them fully, but then we need to find the strength to move forward.

I’m sharing this article in reflection of ?? International Mental Health Day (celebrated on October 10th), but we need this kind of reflection more often, it's a challenge even for me.

As a researcher and creative person grappling with self-doubt about my abilities, a book that provided support during my challenging moments is Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Over the years, I’ve applied different anchors that have helped me overcome my low moments, such as joining a running group, talking to a therapist, adopting a dog and after some years adopting a cat, cooking more often, having longer calls with my sister, and even growing my vegetables. Each of these activities had a different intensity and power and contained some magic power and meaning for me.

Currently, I’ve found comfort in this BBC podcast: Rory Stewart: The Long History of... IGNORANCE. You can listen to it here.

In the beginning, we may not recognize our anchors; they reveal themselves during moments of reflection. However, as we often hear, “We do not have time to reflect.”, we need to take some action.

If you’re feeling down or know someone who needs support, talking to someone, getting moving, or reaching out for help are some examples that make a difference. We are not alone in this journey, and acknowledging those moments of vulnerability is a step toward healing.

Going out in nature, talking with someone, cooking, and doing things that might serve us as our "anchors" as Andrei (my former trainer at Whisper - Center for Strategic Change mentioned to our Change Strategy class), are important for our body and mental health and wellbeing.

If you resonate with me and need to make a change in your life or if you need a person to help you in this journey, you can find my #ChangeStrategist description here.

Based on my work as Startup & Tech Research Editor at The Recursive for the AI Report, here I found some startups focused on well-being and mental health in the #CEE region and beyond:

1. ???? Feel Therapeutics (Greece) - is transforming digital health by integrating objective data and passive measurement for mental health management.
2. ???? Rolla (Bosnia and Herzegovina) - is a social fitness platform that blends virtual and real-life workouts, connecting users with community features.
3. ???? VOS.Health — Your Way to a Balanced Life (Czech Republic) - is an app offering daily mental health exercises, insights, and personalized support.
4. ???? Wellbit (Serbia) - offers workplace and personal well-being challenges designed by psychologists and life coaches to build healthy habits.
5. ???? 365care.io (Slovakia) - is a telehealth solution integrating AI to enhance the monitoring of vital functions and diagnoses.

These startups are part of The Recursive database, which encompasses AI startups from the CEE region, and the list will be published in the upcoming AI report. Sign up now to be the first to receive the report when it launches on October 29th: https://lnkd.in/dt7XcAg9

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This piece is an ongoing, evergreen reflection. I'll revisit it from time to time to refine my thoughts and incorporate new ideas because I embrace the freedom to evolve and change my mind.