We Are All a Work in Progress

I'd like to share this story from this young game changer Eddy Altmann after the death of his father last year. "I came to Anthropy UK out of reflex this year, because last year was so powerful. Just before last year’s Anthropy, I was told for the third time that my dad had three to six months to live. This time, the doctors were right. Looking back, Anthropy was exactly what I needed. The environment and community empowered and nourished me, helping to soothe some of the scars from the cross I was bearing. In those final months, that recharge paid dividends, helping me keep momentum as my dad’s health deteriorated and I had to step up more and more. My dad died at the end of last year, and I have been left trying to understand what that means. He was an amazing man, someone I am so proud of. He made such an impact and gave so much. But at the end, he wished he had spent less time chasing success and more time living slowly, with the people he loved. So I headed to Anthropy not really knowing what to think. Was I ready for this? Could I even care right now?But one thought had been percolating in my mind: Do I push forward and try to make a big impact, become successful, grow Creative Conscience but is that just my ego, my need for validation? Or do I reflect on my father’s regrets? Do I live slowly, make an impact in a smaller way and at my own pace, creating small ripples in the hope they resonate beyond my control? Is that selfish? Do I need to martyr myself for the sake of future generations? How much personal responsibility should I feel for humanity? I shared these thoughts as I explored Anthropy, naively hoping for answers, as if there were some kind of Goldilocks equilibrium. But what I found was that this is a universal problem. It did not matter who people were or what they were doing, they had all had this thought before. They were all trying to find the balance. They were all a work in progress. And I think that summed up Anthropy for me this year: “work in progress”. And the double meaning in that. I work in progress, but I am also a work in progress. I came with little direction, hoping someone or something would give me the answer. But what I learned is that we are all lost to some extent. Some of us may think we know what is best, but no one is omnipotent. No one can truly know what impact their actions will have in the cascade of time. We should admit this more, be vulnerable enough to say we do not have all the answers, that no one is doing anything perfectly, it is all a work in progress. And I saw that everywhere I went. I did not always agree with people’s approaches, but everyone was doing something. They were trying to push us all forward. So I still do not know what is next. I am a work in progress and that is never going to change. I will never have all the answers. And that is okay. So thank you, Anthropy. You did not give me all the answers, but a lot of food for thought and a great deal to reflect on. I will always be grateful for the support, love, and humanity this community showed me when I needed it most".