Changing the World: A Journey of Understanding

The Paternal Pivot Point (or Dad, The Dream-Slayer)

Dad was in the living room when I walked in with a perfectly rehearsed pitch, convinced he'd jump on board. He was a self-made man, a lawyer who clawed his way from public school to the top of his field. He always pushed big visions. I figured this one would be an easy sell.

Why wouldn't he support my plan to hop on a plane to Africa, sprinkle some good intentions around, and buy my way into a prepackaged "life-changing" volunteer trip for wealthy kids trying to feel useful? Flights, spending money, the fee for the company that profits from imported saviors. That's how you help underprivileged kids, right? Foreign aid. White people going to Africa to build schools. Foreign aid. Right? Right, Dad?

Dad........?

Turns out, I was the charity case.

"Lu, you don't need to go to Africa to change the world. Look where you live. Go to a favela. You've never even been inside one. You don't know the reality in Brazil, your own country. You have this glamorized idea of what it means to help, but you haven't truly seen the world around you."

So that was the end of my Nobel Prize dreams. My heroic vision evaporated in seconds.

A Lesson in Perspective

A little context: I also wasn't your typical Brazilian kid. I had lived part of my childhood in the UK. Every day, I walked into the most expensive private school in the country, right across the street from the entrance to Rocinha, then the largest favela in South America. I had never crossed that street. Not because I didn't like Rocinha or feared it, but because I simply didn't see it. I was a little shit smiling from inside my bubble, ignoring what sat meters from me. It's embarrassing to revisit that period. That's the problem with privilege and perspective.

Twenty-five years later, I get it. Dad wasn't telling me to stop dreaming. He was telling me to actually look at the world already in front of me. He was right. I had a romantic idea of helping that didn't involve engaging with any real complexity. That conversation gave me one of the most important lessons of my life:

I couldn't change the world, but I could change the world around me.

That shift shaped everything that came after. How I understood people. How I approached work. It grounded my idealism instead of killing it. I believe everything we do creates an impact in the world around us.

The impact I choose to have is a positive one. I try to do everything I can with what I have to add value to whoever I cross paths with.

Treating Work Like Life

I treat work the same way I treat life. Whatever shows up in front of me gets my full force.

People ask why I've dipped into so many industries. The truth is I care about the problem, not the label on the door. If I don't know something, I learn it. If I'm new to a space, I throw myself into it. Passion isn't dependent on the sector. It's dependent on the commitment you bring when you decide something deserves your attention. That's why my path looks wide, but it's really just consistent.

A Different Way to Make a Difference

Here's what I have to say to all future superheroes:

1. Be curious. Learn from everything around you. Real impact starts with understanding.

2. Be a connector. Collaborate, add to the team, and as you climb, take others with you.

3. Pay attention. Observation, empathy, compassion, basic human awareness. You can't solve a problem or serve a customer you don't actually see.

4. Be good, do good. Leave people and environments better than you found them. Positive impact isn't complicated.

   
   

My parents anchored all of this. They always said, "Whatever you do, even if it feels small, give it your all." Combined with my dad's blunt reality check, it gave me a purpose that feels steady instead of grand.

The Real Work of Making a Difference

The real work of making a difference is small. It's unglamorous. It's daily.

I’ve learned that the journey to create change doesn’t always look heroic. Sometimes, it’s about the quiet moments. It’s about the conversations that happen over coffee. It’s about the connections we build in our communities.

I often reflect on my early dreams. They were filled with grandeur, but the reality is much more nuanced. I now see that true impact is about the little things. It’s about being present and engaged.

Embracing Complexity

As I navigate my career, I embrace complexity. I understand that every situation has layers. Each person has a story. When I approach problems, I do so with an open mind. I ask questions and seek to understand before jumping to conclusions.

This approach has transformed how I work. It has deepened my relationships and enhanced my ability to create meaningful change.

Conclusion: Your Role in the Change

So, what’s your role in this journey? It starts with awareness. Look around you. What do you see? What needs attention?

You don’t have to travel across the globe to make a difference. Sometimes, the most profound changes happen right in your backyard.

Let’s commit to being present. Let’s choose to engage with the world around us. Together, we can create ripples of change that extend far beyond our immediate surroundings.

In the end, it’s about connection. It’s about understanding. It’s about being part of something bigger than ourselves. Let’s get to work.