Tenzin Woeser
It is indeed true that there is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. Yet people still walk through such thoughts unfailingly albeit unintentionally. However, rejuvenating self-from such wandering thoughts and agony is important for both to self and to the larger environment around. Quite often in the rush to chase ‘dreams,’ we tend to forget to pause for a moment and introspect so to understand the purpose of life.
It was a privilege to be one of the attendees of 25th LMAD (Let’s Make a Difference) National Annual Youth Conference organized by ‘Initiatives of Change’ at Asia Plateau, Panchgani with 350 participants. I was introduced to this program by Empowering the Vision during my internship programme; and also while referring past participants’ experiences, I sincerely felt the goodness of the program. What drew me most was the residential nature of the eight-day programme at a totally unknown place and that too without “modern essentials” of today’s day and age like a smartphone. I was entirely prepared to embark on the journey to rejuvenate myself even though the whole process was absolutely out of my comfort zone.
I was marveled by the venue of the conference which is surrounded with full of natural greenery and blooming flowers adorning perfect maintenance. The eco-friendly campus really helped me connect with nature and the environment around. After registration and room allotment, the conference started with a wonderful welcome dance performed by LMAD coordinators followed by group distribution with approximately 20 members in each group.
We were introduced to four fundamental principles of IofC, Purity, Honesty, Unselfishness and love (PHUL), and were made to engage in group discussions over these principles and other thematic sessions. Group participation and deliberations gave me an opportunity to engage with people from diverse backgrounds, beliefs, values and made me realize the importance of self-introspection and self-awareness.
Some of the most remarkable and impactful sessions for me were the ones on ‘Power of One,’ ‘Family day’ and ‘letter to self.’ These sessions taught me the essence of family, mindfulness and ethics. I have learnt that changes should come from within and that every individual can make a difference.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Empowering the Vision for giving me this opportunity to attend the conference.