Grains of Sand: The UN experience
Missed me?! Well, I am back! Stronger and fiercer than ever! As I told you guys in the podcast episode last month I went to the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York for the 14th Annual Youth for Human Rights International Summit to represent Costa Rica. A lot happened! I truly am as grateful as can be with the organization and everyone involved in it, for that life changing and absolutely humbling experience. I wrote out at least 5 different future entry titles for the blog and a great outline for the upcoming podcast episode on the way back to Costa Rica on the plane and I really think you guys will like them, after all this is an enormous part of my journey towards success. So we'll start here and build up to the podcast with a vital and meaningful thought in this entry:
Have you ever taken a close look at sand? At how different each grain is and how together they blend to seem the same color whilst still being different sizes and colors and shapes? That's what the world looks after the summit at the UN: a WHOLE LOT of grains of sand. Hear me out:
I met tens of inspiring people from all different backgrounds. Their culture was different, family, language and many other aspects of their life was absolutely contrasting to mine and yet... We glued together as if we had been friends for years! Each one a different country, story, lesson, goal, narrative and slowly but surely I got the bigger picture... Saw them for what they really are: NOT just people I spoke with, or delegates and ambassadors who attended New York in representing their country with great pride... They are people that carry an army of ambition with them on their back; not just from the country we represented, but from the people whose lives have driven each and every one to result in our participation at the United Nations. People with a purpose, with a road behind full of amazing lessons and successes, stories built with the humans around them. This clearly came out as each one delivered a speech and in doing so not just inspired EVERYONE in the packed United Nations sessions...
We had gotten there, but rather than patting each others back and saying "good on you for what you have done", the spirit at the summit was one of fueling-up, building up drive and push for the long road up ahead. Of building up a network of amazing people that have acted in many contrasting instances with one common goal: Helping Others.
The more work I have to do, the bigger the goal, the larger the effort and challenges I will have to face, the longer I will live to do as much as I can.
And these fascinating people came up one by one to talk about how they have not and will not stop...
The beach can be enormous, the amount of grains of sand almost infinite, the challenges gargantuan... And I am glad it is, because one grain of sand at a time I got to where I am... And as all of my fellow youth delegates, volunteers, entrepreneurs, ambassadors, refugees, advocates, grains of sand and now friends would agree:
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| Yeah, I'm the one with the big smile |
I met tens of inspiring people from all different backgrounds. Their culture was different, family, language and many other aspects of their life was absolutely contrasting to mine and yet... We glued together as if we had been friends for years! Each one a different country, story, lesson, goal, narrative and slowly but surely I got the bigger picture... Saw them for what they really are: NOT just people I spoke with, or delegates and ambassadors who attended New York in representing their country with great pride... They are people that carry an army of ambition with them on their back; not just from the country we represented, but from the people whose lives have driven each and every one to result in our participation at the United Nations. People with a purpose, with a road behind full of amazing lessons and successes, stories built with the humans around them. This clearly came out as each one delivered a speech and in doing so not just inspired EVERYONE in the packed United Nations sessions...
"Be the change you want to see".
We had gotten there, but rather than patting each others back and saying "good on you for what you have done", the spirit at the summit was one of fueling-up, building up drive and push for the long road up ahead. Of building up a network of amazing people that have acted in many contrasting instances with one common goal: Helping Others.
The more work I have to do, the bigger the goal, the larger the effort and challenges I will have to face, the longer I will live to do as much as I can.
And these fascinating people came up one by one to talk about how they have not and will not stop...
The beach can be enormous, the amount of grains of sand almost infinite, the challenges gargantuan... And I am glad it is, because one grain of sand at a time I got to where I am... And as all of my fellow youth delegates, volunteers, entrepreneurs, ambassadors, refugees, advocates, grains of sand and now friends would agree:
We Are Just Getting Started
