noun. a gift or payment to a common fund or collection; the part played by a person or thing in bringing about a result or helping something to advance; a piece of writing submitted for publication in a journal, book, etc.
The gift we bestow… The part we play… The result we create… The help we give… The contribution we make.
We are all capable of contributing. We can all show up. We can all lean in. We can all be brilliant. But we need to make sure that these contributions are seen, that contributions are acknowledged, valued and celebrated as some contributions are ignored, diminished or misattributed.
We all contribute. Contributing gives us a sense of fulfilment. To contribute is to serve others.
“Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life’s deepest joy: true fulfilment”.Tony Robbins
We all contribute time, energy, ideas, money and resources. Contributing gives us a sense of purpose. To contribute is to be generous with what we have and to share it with others.
“Life is not accumulation, it is about contribution”.Stephen Covey
We all contribute by making a choice. We all choose how we spend our time and energy. We all choose what we prioritise. To contribute is a choice about the impact we have.
“When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die”.Eleanor Roosevelt
We all contribute to our communities. We all contribute to society. We all contribute to the wider impact. To contribute is to set the tone and to affect change.
“Every thought, every word, and every action that adds to the positive and the wholesome is a contribution to peace. Each and every one of us is capable of making such a contribution”.Aung San Suu Kyl
We need to celebrate the gifts we bestow… the parts we play… the results we create… the help we give… the contributions we make. We need to own these contributions as accomplishments we should be proud of.
Some questions to reflect on as the academic year ends:
- How have you contributed your time?
- How have you contributed your energy?
- How have you contributed your resources?
- How have you contributed your ideas?
- How have you contributed your joy?
- How have you contributed your passion?
- How have you contributed your money?
- How has your contribution made a difference?
- Who has your contribution impacted?
Ethical_Leader 