I have read far too many times from the best minds in the world about problems being an opportunity for those who are driven by the desire to serve and drive lasting solutions to the myriad of issues the world is plagued with. As great as this may sound, I think the world already has too many problems worth salvaging, and most importantly, what the world needs is people who are willing to be part of the solutions and not the problems. We have problems because some people choose to act contrary to what should uplift the human race collectively, this is seen in the decadence in our consciousness and in what truly makes us one as opposed to our differences. This decadence is rooted in the denial of the essence of who we are at the core of our beings rooted in love and peace.
The Nexus Summit in New York City brought together the next generation of Philanthropists, Impact Investors and Social Entrepreneurs into a room full of great ideas and people who are working to being part of the solutions to the world’s most challenging problems. It was a remarkable experience hearing different leaders from across the world share their stories, experiences and the many hurdles they had to conquer to make a contribution in different sectors. Something that was quite profound in the stories they all shared, was the fact that at the centre of it all ‘humans and every other life form’ are the main cruces behind every social initiative driven by them. This made me ask the question of ‘why, for who, and to what purpose do we do the things we do?’
Serving as a volunteer and delegate representing Atlas Corps at the Nexus summit wasn’t an essay task especially the one assigned to me in lifting heavy chairs and getting the stage set ready for every plenary session. I was backstage most of the time and cannot say I had the pleasure of really enjoying all that was going on inside the summit’s hall. However, this reaffirmed a lesson I learnt a long time ago, for every success the world sees and appreciates, there is real work by real people that goes into the process of any celebrated feat. Sometimes these people behind the scenes go unnoticed, but beyond recognition, the prize of service is an honour no one is worthy of conferring on you but the universe alone. I met leaders at the Nexus Summit who were actually giving back to their communities in small and big ways, and this inspired me to seek more opportunities to give, serve and be satisfied by whatever contribution I bring to the table wherever.
In a world plagued with greed and individualism, and beyond what seems to sound like a cliche, young emerging leaders need to understand that service is honourable and leadership is first truly about giving and not taking. We are never too old, young, smart or too successful to seek opportunities around issues we are passionate about, and be willing to give our services to others and be okay with just that.
Young leaders need not worry about who they want to be but what they want to give because there is always something to give. The Nexus Summit was a self-reflective experience for me on the core principles that should drive me and many other young leaders in the world. We all can solve the world’s challenging problems if only we will be willing to give and serve in different ways necessary to drive real change in our communities through the collective impact that’s driven by servicemen and women in this universal call to love and oneness. Service is a privilege of being part of something bigger than ourselves towards a more balanced and connected ecosystem and as such be honourably respected by giving our all.
