Political theorist Asma Abbas attempts to draw out of the crowd, posing a number of questions: what do you think of heartbreak and what it means? How do you think heartbreak relates to politics? She also talks about how heartbreak relates to suffering and what suffering means and how it plays out in less homogeneous societies. She asks, “what is it that you and I would die for?”
Clearly emotional about the subject, she had a hard time bringing many of us to her central point. Moving in a direction many of us who have either lived abroad or traveled extensively can resonate with, I resonate when she says, “the amount of emotion and the range I have for it when I return to the states, shrinks. She suggests as a response to what heartbreak has to do with politics – “doesn’t it have to do with who our heart breaks for? Who is it that our heart goes out to and why?”
She says, “this demand that someone can make on your emotion in a world where gratitude and emphathy are low, just doesn’t work. We are making a mistake if we assume that everyone is working towards the same end.” She continues, “there are many ways we confront suffering. As things become more homogeneous, it becomes harder to be empathetic and compassionate.” What would death mean if there wasn’t life? She asserts that some people can’t give up ‘living suffering’ because it’s a way to connect with the future.
Ross Evans, inventor of Xtracycle and founder of Worldbike, takes us on a journey to Africa, where we see the workshops they set up to show locals how to use these bikes as a way to alleviate poverty and get people to medical care in times of need.
Ross also created HoliShift, to promote and evangelize the belief that passion + purpose + contribution, will give you everything that you need in your life to not only be happy, but to create miracles.
Examples of HoliShift questions could be: what is sacred to you? what powers your spirit?
We all know passion: it’s what we love. When we’re doing our ‘purpose,’ we feel as if times goes away. We’re completely in flow when we are living our ‘purpose.’ It’s how we provide value to our own lives as well as others around us. When we provide enough value, the world simply takes care of us.
It’s clear that most people want to make an impact in the world before the end of their lives. When we find that intersection between the three – passion, purpose and contribution, then we will create the most impact. We understand this intersection ‘naturally’ as children, but over time, it gets beaten out of us.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
