Each of us is a unique person – carrying with us a singular set of life experiences, skills, and potential. And when we begin to come out from behind the walls that separate us from one another, it can be pretty amazing to see what each person has to offer in this life.
For example, spiritual teacher and writer Eckhart Tolle writes on the difference between trying to be something or someone and simply being that thing:
“Give up defining yourself - to yourself or to others. You won't die. You will come to life. And don't be concerned with how others define you. When they define you, they are limiting themselves, so it's their problem. Whenever you interact with people, don't be there primarily as a function or a role, but as the field of conscious Presence. You can only lose something that you have, but you cannot lose something that you are.”
It makes all the difference in the world, and when you are fully present, you improve not only your own existence, but the existence of many others along your path.