Financial Wellbeing — Why it matters

Find out why we need to make room for Finance within Wholistic Wellbeing

Rich or poor, we all need Financial Wellbeing.

I was not always as wealthy as I am now. I was born into a humble, lower middle class family in Patiala, Punjab, India. My mother took care of our family at home while my father was a field hockey champion, who went on to coach future successful players. Today, being a successful sportsman is one of the most lucrative jobs one can have; but back then was a different time. My father was not an opulent man bolstered by his success, but a humble parent who nurtured his pride and passion by passing it onto younger generations.

This display of generosity, coupled with my Sikh upbringing, nurtured my own desire to give back to the community, and spurred my search for purpose and passion that culminated in the foundation of RoundGlass seven years ago.

Guided by the North Star, I founded RoundGlass after experiencing severe symptoms of burnout, owing to years of excessive work. After stints at Expeditors International and Microsoft, I launched my own healthcare technology company, Edifecs, working as CEO for twenty four years. The work was challenging, invigorating and addictive. But it was also unsustainable.

I turned to the values taught by my parents: humility, perseverance, and generosity. Banking on my own corporate experience, I thought of a way to channel these into a new company. That company would become RoundGlass, and the philosophy on which it is based is that of Wholistic Wellbeing.

Wellbeing is not Happiness: it’s what drives you towards Happiness. It’s not a state of mind so much as a set of lifestyle choices that promote sustainability, self-care, and empathy.

So what place is there for Finance within Wholistic Wellbeing? Proverbs would have us believe the two are antithetical; that money can’t buy us happiness; that the rich are restless while the poor sleep peacefully, as in the Punjabi saying: Kothi wala roye, chhappar wala soye.

Yes, money can be a drug to those who constantly want more of it; who are driven purely by financial gain; who equate money with happiness rather than seeing it as a facilitator. But it is also wrong to cast Finance out of the picture altogether.

Financial Wellbeing is not about having lots of money: it’s about how people understand their relationship with money, and about the control they have over their financial future. Poor Financial Wellbeing can cause stress, anxiety, economic problems and tunnel vision, as it hinders one’s outlook on the future. By contrast, strong Financial Wellbeing can help people better plan their futures and elaborate plans and strategies in both their personal and professional lives that allow them to meet their goals, and ultimately find Happiness.

I first came to the US on a ticket that was paid for by a bank loan and pocket money from my Aunt. My American geography was patchy and I had no idea of what to expect. I was a stranger in a strange land, alien to the customs and practices of this great new world — never imagining for a moment that I would become a successful entrepreneur. But here I am today, the former CEO of Edifecs and founder of RoundGlass, on the first step of my bright new journey as a seeker of Wellbeing, hoping to become a mentor to others.

I know where you think this is going: “the American dream is not dead”, “anyone can become a billionaire”, “success is just around the corner”. But that is not the case. My story, like all other success stories, is more complex and multifold than this. And maybe you won’t get so lucky, or become so wealthy, or find success on such a grand scale. But the moral of my story is relevant and applicable all the same: practice good financial wellbeing, and you will always be ok.