Vedang Sonawane - Pune, Maharashtra

 

I got introduced to this concept in April 2014 through one of my family friend. I had just given my 10th examination and had absolutely nothing to do in the summers. I was getting bored as we had recently shifted to a new apartment so I had no friends there as well. I went here with a group of friends so I subconsciously choose to stay in my nutshell. However, it didn't work out and soon I made a bunch of friends on the very first day. It was quite surprising and rare for me as before Let's Make A Difference I had problems connecting and communicating with someone new. On the second day I woke up with an enthusiasm to meet more new people and in an anticipation of experiencing something new. Everyone was kind and humble, the activities were a fun part, but the most important thing I have ever come across in that program was "how to listen" and the urgent need to look after and preserve our environment. How to listen to your conscience and how to retrospect your day to day actions and their repercussions on oneself and taking responsibility of my direct and indirect actions on environment. I had since pledged to reduce my carbon footprint. One thing I realised from this program was that the battle fought inside should be our priority to avoid chaos in life. Before Let's Make A Difference I was afraid of almost everything in general. Fear to experience, try, fail, present oneself, talk and was too much concerned about what people will say or think. I soon realised it was futile and energy wasting thing to try control things which are not in my hands. And rather than stressing on making things right I should react differently in order to have peace. I still wonder why we don’t have such things included in our education system instead of many impractical, irrelevant and outdated things we learn. The experience I got from those 8 days was equivalent to the experience I had in my 12 years of school, maybe more. I am proud to be where I am now and all this could happen because of the Let's Make A Difference, its teachings and the support of Viral Mazumdar and a countless people I met on my journey here. I have made many decent friends for life which I failed to do so before. This concept moved me very deeply that since 2014 I have been associated with Let's Make A Difference and trying to spread the message to my fellow young generation of this world.