In the midst of a high-stakes corporate meeting, the air was thick with intensity and the sharp scent of freshly printed agendas. It wasn’t just any meeting; this was a brainstorming session that could define the future of the company. Around the long, polished conference table, executives, managers, and creative leads tossed around ideas, their voices rising and falling in a chaotic yet purposeful rhythm. Benjamin, seated towards the middle, had his laptop open and his pen poised over a notepad, diligently jotting down key points. Every now and then, he leaned forward, asking sharp, insightful questions that kept the conversation flowing, though he frequently drifted back into silence, his eyes scanning the room as if lost in thought. He was absorbing everything—every nuance, every side conversation, every subtle shift in tone.

But something was pulling his focus away. No matter how hard he tried to stay engaged, his mind kept wandering. The big corporate executive standing at the front of the room was pacing back and forth, delivering a monotonous, rehearsed speech that should have inspired enthusiasm but instead drained the energy from the room. His words were a constant drone, one that seemed to blend into the background, like static in the air. Benjamin felt the weight of each passing second, an invisible force that pressed on his chest, making it hard to concentrate. He could feel his thoughts drifting—away from the business jargon, away from the presentation slides, and into something much more personal. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, but the urgency to type had left him.