Naiya Shah - Surat, Gujarat

 

I still remember when I was first  told to attend the LMAD conference by my father’s business friend - who happened to be one of the coordinators at IofC India. I randomly decided to go to Panchgani and attend the conference just 10 days before it was about to start because I had nothing to do in my vacations and I thought that something productive might happen there. I was a teenager who had no idea of what she was doing with her life and I was going to an unknown place just to pass my time.

When I passed by the gates and entered Asia Plateau for the first time, I suddenly had these positive vibes coming to my body and I knew something great was going to come up. And that’s when the magic began.

On the first day, I was grouped with twenty total strangers and was told to stick with them for the entire conference. Oh, how I wished to stay alone that day and how I wished now to never ever get rid of them.

As I still had no idea what the conference was all about, I was very excited and eager to let the mysteries of this place unfold. With every quiet time and every session and the real life experiences people shared there, I discovered myself more, I related to them more. I realised how many people I have taken for granted and how I really want and need them in my life.

I was very young when I first attended the conference - just 15; in fact I was the youngest in the entire conference. I didn’t really get the actual motto of the conference that time. I was just happy because I met the best people there and had the most awesome eight days of my life. When I got back home and gave LMAD a thought; I realised what it is actually all about. And that’s when my story of change began. When I attended the conference the next year, I knew exactly why I was going there. I had many unanswered questions that I had to discover. I was now someone who wanted to take out the best from the conference.

During every quiet time, I realized how negative I am and how I overthink everything. Quiet time made me realise the power of thoughts. During some of the quiet time session, I discovered answers to the things I never questioned before. I got to know how some real small thoughts can change the way you see the world.

LMAD has done to me the things that no other power on Earth can ever do. I have started appreciating the little things that people do for me. I have started doing little things for people just to see that smile on their face. I have started comprehending every aspect of my life. I see the positive side of everything and let the negativity go.

I would still be one of those careless teenagers doing nothing if LMAD didn’t happen to me. I can’t imagine how I would have been without LMAD. I would have been ruthless if it wasn’t for LMAD. Whatever I am now, it is only and only because of LMAD and the people I met there. "Best", "thank you", "life changing" are such understatements to describe the experience and the impact it has made on my life. I’m hoping to have more and more of these indescribable experiences in the years to come.

Stories of Change

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