Aanchal Bhartiya - Nagpur, Maharashtra

 

I have met numerous people in the four years of my association with Let's Make A Difference who have reiterated the importance and presence of the qualities they took home from here in their lives. Needless to say, I am one of them too.

Can I be honest? I was never a brat before being introduced to the idea myself. I was a good kid; I had healthy relationships; I was a good student and I was ambitious (or so I thought). However, despite that, my life has changed in every way since. Everytime I perform an act, the awareness of being part of such a pure journey guides me in my doing. Every step I take, I consciously run it through the values that this place has given me. And it has worked wonders. I have turned into such a better person; valuing everything so much more than I did. It has given me respect and it has instilled respect in me and I say this with all honesty.

The people I have met and the ideologies that run with this idea are completely magical. I do not know of any other place where I would be able to imbibe the tremendous learning this place has to offer, only in a matter of seven days. There is one thing that will stay with me forever apart from my tattoos, it is this learning.

However, very obviously, one cannot receive without giving something else in return. All one needs to give out here is oneself. Before surrendering myself to these values, I realised that they could not help me. I had to be completely relaxed and willing to change. I had to accept my shortcomings, my faults and be willing enough to make that better. I had to be flexible enough to be able to listen to my inner voice and to work on that. Not just for myself but for my loved ones too.

Just in a matter of seven days, I found myself revealing my darkest demons between people I barely knew and believe it or not, I was more comfortable than ever. I do not know where each one of them presently is but I know for a fact that they are family and it is going to be that way. I will not forget any one of them. Here is hoping they do not either!

These principles or values have not been attached to any person or place. They do not leave my side when that person or place is not in my vicinity. They intrinsically arise from within and they arise for every person. I have grown up to realise that people are only as good and bad as I see them. My judgement is the only variable in my relationships and when I think something is wrong, I have it in my control to be able to make it better more than I ever knew.

There is something without mentioning with, my story would be incomplete. A very unfortunate instance happened in my family back in 2015, which, I am sure would have been extremely hard had I not had the values that I got here and for the support of this great big amazing family that I have had the privilege to be part of. I have found this family standing by and with me at every good and bad instance I experienced in these past four years and I say this with all my heart, I cannot be more thankful. I wish every person is fortunate enough to experience what I have had the immense privilege of being part of.

Aanchal Bhartiya