Hetal Gori - Mumbai, Maharashtra

 

I grew up in Dombivli, and during school, I was bullied by other students. That bullying really impacted my confidence, made me less communicative, and created a strong need for acceptance and attention. When I went to college, I moved out of Dombivli and started studying at a good college in Mulund. College gave me more freedom and a sense of belonging, but it came with its own price. To fit in, I started attending parties and drinking with my friends, and for a while, I thought that was the acceptance I had been craving. Sometime, I even started stealing money just to keep up with the lifestyle.

That need for acceptance continued even as I entered the corporate world. I still found myself trying to be part of those social groups that made me feel included.

Then, in 2022, I attended the National Youth Conference. Initially, it felt like just a break for me, and I didn’t expect it to have such a big impact. The first few days were a bit confusing – I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do and I was scared to take time for self-reflection during Quiet time. I thought I was fine and hadn’t done anything wrong, so I didn’t want to face what might come up. But over the course of the conference, everything I had done in my earlier days started to reflect back to me – the wrong choices, the lack of values. When Viral Bhai spoke about values, I thought I already understood them, but it became clear I only knew the names. I didn’t really know their meaning.

Even though I still struggled with confidence, the conference gave me the courage to open up to people in my group—people I had just met. Surprisingly, it felt natural to share my deepest thoughts with them. Those eight days were truly eye-opening, and the confidence I gained, along with everything I learned, carried over into my professional life as well.

Through the "Let's Make a Difference" program, I realized how privileged I am and how much time I had wasted dwelling on unnecessary complaints and things that wouldn’t even matter the next day. Visiting the Remand Home and meeting the kids from Tamar gave me a new perspective, making me appreciate everything I have.

“Let’s Make a Difference” helped me find my voice and gave me a stronger sense of confidence. It taught me to focus on the little things, think of others selflessly, be more organized, and truly understand the difference between right and wrong. Most importantly, it made me realize that what truly matters is how I accept and reflect on myself rather than seeking validation from others.

With gratitude,

Hetal Gori