The thing that struck me most is that there is no complicated formula to reach this kind of contribution, but a simple point: presence.
Being present means being able to focus on what’s happening in the here and now. Not being distracted by your thoughts, your emotions, your concerns for the future or your brood for the past.
It’s a simple thing, but not an easy one.
We have grown up in a society that focuses on the individual more than on the context.
The way we act reflects an education system that nurtures fear and individualism more than openness and care for each other. Collective growth and sharing are suppressed by a working system focused on individual performances utilizing war jargon of conquering and separating.
Were you attracted by “you look like the smartest person in the room” thinking? If so, it’s normal. Thinking is rooted sometimes in toxic soil, watered by dirty water and under the shadow of skyscrapers instead of under the light of a warm sun. But once you notice where your attention is pulled you reclaim your agency.
And we can start walking and moving to another way of living our life.