Radhika Kabani - Mumbai, Maharashtra

 

2008 was the year when I was first introduced to MRA and I suppose I was meant to be introduced when I was in extreme need of some positivity towards life. They say, “Whatever happens, happens for a good reason” and me being introduced to MRA was also meant to be for a good reason. 2008 was in many ways a crucial year for me, I had just finished my final year exams when I got a call from a friend, who was already associated with MRA, asking me to attend Youth Conference in Panchgani and hearing the name of ‘Panchgani’, I immediately made up my mind to go, though she briefed me about the conference and its activities, but honestly I was least bothered about the conference I needed a break and wanted to run away from the “all” - the so called problems/frustration, I was facing at that point of time. So, without any second thought, I immediately decided and told her that I would attend YC.

Till the time I had not attended this conference I was under a fake impression that “I am very strong as a person” but the reality was something else. I was a weak, sensitive, vulnerable, low on confidence girl who use to live in her own cocoon not wanting to face the problems with a win-win attitude. In fact, till the 5th day of the conference I was under another wrong impression that I have the most complicated problems in my life but after attending the ‘Family Session’ I couldn’t stop weeping not because I am sensitive and listening to others problems made me cry… I was weeping because after attending that session I was not able to face myself ... the pain of guilt was not allowing those tears to stop…it was that day when I realised that how much I have been taking almost all the important relationships in my life for granted and not valuing them at all. Though I am almost 4 years away from that conference but while drafting this article I can still feel the emotions which I went through on that day… the feelings were that strong and effective and off course it was MAGICAL … after listening to other participants problems and despite such problems they were so satisfied and happy with their lives…since that day I made such fighters the real heroes of my life and idolise every time I face difficulties…I also realised that I was lucky enough to have parents who loved me unconditionally, who fulfilled all my needs by compromising their own needs, who kept me away from all the worries but still I was complaining. In short, it taught me to value all such important relationships in my life which were in a broken and torn state and gave me the strength to rectify the mistakes and sustain the change because I still agree with the statement made my Viral Sir that, “There are handful amount of people in our life who completes our world and we should realize to value them.” Seriously, this is a very basic realisation but a very complex thing to understand and implement.

The effect of change was immediate, but to sustain the after effect is the real challenge. By this, I mean that during the conference you feel the urge to bring a change but it starts fading with time, which is even quite natural because there is no constant back up and inspiration which is received throughout the conference but there is only one thing which can help in sustaining the urge to change is to continue practicing the habit of writing the diary which is inculcated during the conference, at least it worked for me for a simple reason that its only in those 10-15 minutes out of your entire day that you spend with your own self… You face yourself… You Introspect… and hence may be till date I remember the lessons I learnt in YC 2008…

I owe a lot to MRA...
Love,
Radhika Kabani