Authored by Renee Moorefield, member of the Global Wellness Institute (GWI)
Advisory Board and CEO of Wisdom Works Group
WHAT DOES “REFLECT” MEAN TO YOU?
That was my first question to Victor Koo during our recent dialogue about The Wellness Moonshot: A World Free of Preventable Disease. And who better to ask than a dynamic wellness leader? Victor has dedicated his life and career to advancing wellness, as chairman of Heyi Holdings, which focuses on disruptive innovations in the areas of health, genomics, and food 2.0, and as co-founder of Tianren Culture, a next-generation social platform that acts as a catalyst to foster positive global values and lifestyles. He is also on the advisory board of the Global Wellness Institute and a vital force in spreading The Wellness Moonshot across China with a focus on cultivating harmony between people and nature.
Victor has firsthand experience that as a wellness leader, we’re often on the treadmill of doing. He’s realized that reflection can bring new insight and energy to life and work.
REFLECT ON THREE LEVELS
To reflect is to look back at your experiences so that you grow from them. According to Victor, you can proactively build reflection into your wellness leadership on three levels:
- Reflect on wellness within. Adopt the principle, Wellness First. Designate a specific time of your year, week, and day to do a holistic wellness check-up, asking yourself, “Where am I on my wellness journey?” Incorporate wellness into your organization’s mission, vision, operations, and decisions—and take time as a team to ask, “Where are we on our wellness journey?” You may be surprised at what you learn.
- Reflect on wellness in the outer world. As the world constantly changes, new health and wellness opportunities are emerging. For instance, innovative technologies, such as care-at-home systems and wellness apps, are increasing individuals’ accountability for wellness wherever they are. And, nature is now being prescribed to counteract our often sedentary and screen-based lives, one study citing that 120 minutes per week in contact with natural environments benefits our health and wellbeing.
- Reflect on your personal and global vision of wellness. The Wellness Moonshot is a grand vision to eliminate preventable diseases; yet it isn’t just a global vision. It’s personal. Your friends, coworkers, loved ones—perhaps even you—may be suffering an illness that can be lessened or healed with wellness strategies. What can other cultures teach you about healthier living? Victor suggests that the Swedish and Norwegian notion LAGOM (meaning “just enough”), the Japanese wabi-sabi (“embracing imperfection”), and Tian ren he yi (“uniting human and nature”) from China are examples of wellness wisdom we all can embrace. This is about a profound shift in understanding our relationships with ourselves, each other, and the planet from a foundation of wellbeing.
DO YOU HAVE A POWERFUL WELLNESS LEADERSHIP STORY TO TELL?
This year, The Wellness Moonshot: A World Free of Preventable Disease initiative is doubling its reach to 9,000 organizations and 300 million people. Our aim? Advance #WellnessForAll. As a wellness leader, you are a huge part of this audacious vision. Each of us can accomplish more together than we can alone.
Do you have a #WellnessMoonshot story you want us to feature in our monthly articles or Wellness Moonshot celebrations? Check out the monthly wellness themes for 2022 and let Kendra Kobler ([email protected]) know how you are bringing one of these themes to life in your region of the world. And remember to invite your wellness colleagues to our Wellness Moonshot celebration on March 18!
Next month, we’ll touch on what the topic PLAN means to leading wellness. Until then, check out each of these Wellness Moonshot articles from past years with science insights and strategies to support you on your wellness leadership journey.
RESOURCES TO EMPOWER YOUR WELLNESS LEADERSHIP
- Listen to this Global Wellness Summit podcast to learn more about Victor Koo’s upbringing in Hong Kong, his startup education from Stanford and Berkeley, and his successful career as a social entrepreneur.
- Find out why Victor Koo is spreading The Wellness Moonshot: A World Free of Preventable Disease across China
- Learn how China is uniquely contributing to a world free of preventable disease through The Wellness Moonshot.
- Check out the 30+ GWI initiatives advancing wellness in every aspect of our lives.
- Donate to the new Susie Ellis Scholarship for Diversity in Wellness
- Bring the pioneering Children’s Moonshot to schools in your region.
Customize The Wellness Moonshot branding assets and educational materials to meet the needs and aspirations of your company, community, or country. Contact Kendra Kobler ([email protected]) for more information.
