HISTORY

INTRODUCTION

So you want to hear a little about our history? Well let me tell you how we came to be.

Hi I'am the founder of LearningIsLiving. My name is Ronni Kahalani, with a successful carreer as a software developer, architect and mentor for more than 25 years.

At age 50 I felt that I had lost the greater purpose in life, besides working and caring for my precious son and wonderful wife, who I first met when I was 16 years old.

I had it all, a lovely little family and all the material possessions I thought we needed, but I was missing something inside, the chaos came from within, it was something metaphysical and philosophical.

Why was I one of the lucky humans, who got to get a fortunate life? And why then, did I feel I was wasting my life and potential? And where was I going?

A more nihilistic version would be: What is the purpose of it all, when we were all just waiting to die anyway and have to live with sufferering and mandatory deep sadness and chaos over loosing our loved ones?

Life is not always as easy as we might wish. No matter who you are and where you come from.

YEAR 2017

After years of searching for my higher purpose in life, my wife and I decided that I should leave my professional past and spend a few years to conquer two new knowledge domains, neuroscience and game development, which I've always wanted to explore.

Neuro-science, because it tells a story of who I am, from a biological and psychological perspective and game development, because it's one of the most creative domains matching my technical skills and the fact that there is almost no limits to the kind of visual and auditory experience you can create, with your imagination and fantasy.

I've always been possessed by a drive of aquiring new knowledge and competences. So my lovely family and I went on this journey, together.

When leaving the known territory (order) and stepping into unknown territory (chaos) it will challenge your courage, when the deep fundamental and existential questions comes to mind, to you (and your family), it's questions like:

• How will I get the necessary income?
• Will my partner still love and respect me as much, if I earn 1/3 of my normal pay, which may even be less than what my partner earns?
• Which jobs can I get, when I start all over from scratch?
• Which luxury do we have to live without, the house, cars, pets and other plesures?
• Will the kid(s) have to change school and friends?
• What will our family and "friends" think and say?
• Am I fair to my family and myself?
• Am I taking the right decisions and how do I rationally defend these decisions?
• Am I just weak, looking for excuses for not just doing what has to be done?

These are hard questions to answer.

But I was lucky because I could trust my wife to encourage me and not put me down when I was fumbling around in chaos exploring my dreams, options and the new domains of competence.

So how do you get an income, while studying two complex knowledge domains "fulltime"?

Again I got lucky and took a night watch job, as a personal caretaker for 2 brain damaged citizens with respiratory problems.

It took a week of studying and a exam to graduate. With 14 work nights, each for 10-12 hours, I managed to earn about 3,000 USD a month (after my tax was paid), so my wifes income and mine was enough to keep our head over the waterline, having a car, a rented house and a summer cottage in Sweden.

Through the nights, while the patient were asleep, I spent my time reading great books and watching online science lectures and debates on neurology, psychology, biology, philosophy and game development, which I often had planned in advance.

Here is the list of books i've been through.

Here is the science lectures, debates and entertainment I've been watching.

The best and most unexpected thing was, that I felt I had mountains of free time to use with my loved ones and my projects.

On my journey through the mountains of knowledge, I found many interesting personalities, who had great insights on how one could find the best version of himself, by solving the difficult challenges, which had been neglected through life.

With all this new knowledge, I wanted to complete my own graduation project and create a philosophical and enlightening game, that would help young souls to valuable knowledge about themselves and the human brain.

Challenging and motivating them to mature and find the meaning in their lifes, making them just a little better to handle life and all its chaos.

First I wanted to write an educational book about gamifying the learning processes of the human mind and soul, for young kids and their parents, but I was missing something. An imaginative and creative game universe with no boundaries, which Unity3D made possible.

I had found a new purpose. Wanting to take all the stuff I've learned and make it into an educational and entertaining game, called Mental Sage.

YEAR 2018, 2019

A few years went by, while I was

• Working at night.
• Studying and exploring biology, psychology, neuro-science, neurofeedback technologies like brain- computer interface (BCI).
• Studying and exploring Unity3D game development and creating the game MentalSage.
• Creating this website, preparing to share my insights.

YEAR 2020

Wow what a journey. I'm back, ready to use my new competencies on novel solutions that makes a difference to human kind.

Here is a list of the stuff I've done lately.

Published articles on LinkedIn:

• Coding neurofeedback apps via the brain-computer interface (BCI) in a few minutes.
• Mental Sage, gamifying the learning process of human mind and soul.

Published articles on ancient memory techniques, creativity and neurofeedback technology, on this site blog.
Check the blog.