The HappierMe Project was born from a tragedy. A children’s hospital was accidentally bombed in a war zone. I was deeply moved and felt human beings could do better; we must do better. I felt that if we could just connect with our own innate wisdom, which comes from a deeper self-understanding, many problems which begin in our thinking could be avoided and more easily solved. These include mental health problems, relationship conflict, addiction, violence, divisions in society, low self-esteem, and war. This understanding is simple, but the impact on our lives and on the world, can be profound. I think if we can share this with every child, we could change the future of humanity.

1 in 10 primary school children and 1 in 5 secondary school children report a mental health problem. This can be reduced by helping children understand their mind — and giving them the skills to respond to situations with their wisdom, rather than just react from their unconscious conditioning influences, whatever they may be.

I left my career as a spine surgeon in 2018 and began working with children in schools. I would sit with them and say — ‘I am the same human being you are. What would you like to explore today?’. And so, our conversations would begin exploring different subjects like stress, friendship, fear and so on. I made an amazing discovery, which every parent and teacher in the world needs to hear. Children already have this innate wisdom within them. It is just waiting to be drawn out of them. We can do that by asking questions and letting them find the answers. The word Education comes from Educere, which in Latin means to draw out. I was amazed at how their unconditioned minds could arrive at the truth of things quickly. They were open, bold, and fearless in exploring the questions I asked. Here are a sample of the nuggets that 10-year-old children came up with:

How can we end war?

‘Realise that we are the same ice-cream — just different flavors. Chocolate would never go to war with Vanilla, just because it appeared different.’

What is the root cause of fear?

‘It’s just your imagination playing up.’

How can we get over stress?

‘Realise it’s just the difference between how things are and how we want them to be. If we can accept things as they are — our stress can end.’

Dialogue with an 8-year-old — video:

This wisdom comes from self-knowledge and understanding how our mind works. It is simple to learn and to teach, but the impact can be profound. This wisdom can help children be excellent human beings, who are emotionally intelligent, mentally healthy, in charge of their own well-being, and who live with compassion for themselves and others. It can also boost their resilience, communication and relationship skills. Imagine the heartache that could be avoided if we could give them the wisdom to avoid the perils of addiction which affect 10–15% of the population, or to avoid anxiety which affects a third of teenagers. A talk at the World Education Summit — March 2023

Imagine how their lives, and the world, could change if we could bring the teaching of this wisdom into education. With good mental health support in schools, we offer students a better chance at understanding their minds. Young people I meet tell me this is very relevant to their lives, and they wish it was part of their education. The beauty of this approach is that it is not based on any book or ideology, just looking and learning about ourselves. Education, after all, is all about learning.

Exploring belief with children — video:

At present, we only teach children about the world around them, and not about themselves, and this omission needs to be addressed urgently. Most of what they learn in school can be accessed on their phones anyway, and yet we insist they memorise and repeat all that we teach them in exams. Exams cause so much stress and achieve so little. They destroy the love for learning that is the most important gift we can give young people. Wisdom comes naturally when you learn about yourself, and this is a life-long journey of learning. It allows us to make the most of our time on earth and live in peace — with ourselves, each other, and the earth. I believe if we could bring mental health resources in schools, and every child in the world, we could change the future of humanity.

The HappierMe has separate sections for Teens and Adults — in one app. was born from a tragedy. One for parents and children is in the pipeline. Follow us on social media:

To get in touch with us and explore ways we could collaborate email us: team@happierme.app

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