• The event aimed to endow the attendees with the tools and knowledge necessary for their professional and personal development
• Nena Daconte gave an acoustic musical performance at the close, which provided a golden finish to this eighth edition

Overcoming fears; trusting in personal and professional abilities; turning off imposter syndrome; growing in the face of adversities and developing emotional competencies. These were some of the conclusions drawn from the eighth edition of ExpoBienestar Canarias, which took place on Thursday, 28th September, at Infecar, Feria de Gran Canaria, and was attended by more than 200 participants.

Promoted and financed by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and organized by Infecar, ExpoBienestar Canarias hosted a programme focused on ‘Learning and development with the seven senses’, a topic that aimed to provide the attendees with the tools and knowledge necessary for their professional development.

“According to the World Health Organization, one of the main factors for the socioeconomic development of a society is the health of its inhabitants, especially emphasizing the balance between physical and mental health, ensuring that allocating resources to the well-being of the population, beyond just health, is very profitable for the growth of various communities,” pointed out Minerva Alonso, Government Councillor for Economic Development, Industry, Commerce and Craft of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, during the inauguration of ExpoBienestar Canarias.

Moreover, Alonso emphasized the need to “equip the population of Gran Canaria with new abilities for development and management of well-being, giving them access to new tools and qualified professionals, and, on the other hand, to highlight the wellness sector as a new niche for learning, growth and entrepreneurship.”

The first to take the stage at Infecar’s Canarias Room was Laura Chica, a psychologist specializing in talent management and development, who stated that “we live trying to impose on reality what it has to be, according to our perspective, so the level of suffering and confrontation with reality is very high.” Thus, Chica reminded attendees that we can “create our own world” in a ” conscious way with our environment.”

For his part, Francisco Alcaide, speaker and trainer in leadership and motivation, provided the necessary keys to learn from the best. “People who have achieved great results are those who have released their inner power,” he pointed out, for which it is essential to “have knowledge, abilities and tools to push us towards it.”

The morning session concluded with the presentation of Sol Aguirre, who analyzed how “certain situations paralyze us in our development” and for which it is essential to “name that fear and whatever holds us back from achieving it.”

The afternoon session of ExpoBienestar Canarias continued with the professor and president of the RIEEB (International Network of Emotional Education and Well-being), Rafael Bisquerra, who focused on the education of emotionally intelligent people. “Emotional education aims at developing emotional competencies to face life situations better, to prevent emotional illiteracy, and to contribute to improving cohabitation, performance, and well-being,” he stated.

Almudena Cid surprised the attendees with an intimate talk in which she explained how she managed to progress in the face of life’s surprises, “after Beijing 2008 when I put an end to my sports career, I felt helpless. I had to learn to walk through a life I did not know, in which I believed that without gymnastics, I would not find myself. Instead, the discipline learned over so many years helped me move forward when I hit rock bottom at a callous time for me.”

The psychologist Angie Rigueiro, who also acted as the master of ceremonies, shared her views on achieving professional and personal goals, “we lock ourselves in fears and see ourselves as an imposter for wanting to get to the top when we only need work, effort, and determination.”

Nena Daconte provided the Golden finish to this eighth edition of ExpoBienestar Canarias, the alter ego of Mai Meneses, who highlighted the importance “of talking about mental health openly and clearly because, although it may seem to us that only happens to a few, disorders are more frequent than we think.” After this, Nena Daconte offered the attendees an acoustic musical performance in which she revisited some of the best-known songs of her career, such as ‘Tenía tanto que darte’; ‘Marta’; ‘En qué estrella estará’; ‘Disparé or Idiota’.