Contribution and Your Unique Self
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
Remember that contribution is in the “People” column; through contribution, a central goal is to maximize the well-being of others. Topics that have more to do with the individual self might include self-compassion or meditation. This being said, contribution can lose its meaning when the one who contributes starts to forget about their own needs. In other words, if you are eager to start practicing contribution, remember that harmony is best found when we maximize and balance our individual growth and well-being with the growth and well-being of those around us.
You might think that contribution has more to do with forgetting yourself than recognizing yourself. However, by reflecting on and utilizing your beautiful, unique self–all of your innate abilities and hard-earned skills–you might find that your contributions towards others are even more meaningful and heartfelt. If you need help orienting yourself to what you truly love to do and what makes you unique, explore our Purpose Module.
Consider pondering the following to gain a better idea of where your contributions could best thrive:
Passions- What activities do you gravitate towards? Sports? Music? Art? Think about how you could transform your passions into contributions for other people. If you love art, a meaningful contribution could be starting an Instagram profile where you share your artwork.
Skills and Personality- What skills have you acquired or mastered in life so far? What is your personality like? Maybe you have great interpersonal skills that would allow you to reconnect a group of friends from your past. Or, maybe you are an introvert, and this allows you to spend more time on a personal contribution project. Whatever your strengths may be, they are meaningful and useful!
Community Needs- We all live in different communities with different needs. Maybe your community includes underprivileged children who could use someone like you to offer extracurricular activities in a safe space. Maybe your community is struggling to get back on its feet after a natural disaster–participating in a disaster cleanup could help you to feel a sense of interconnectedness with those suffering from similar problems as you are.