NYDS: Navigate Your Destiny's Sojourn

7-11-2006
1:05am

It is nearly 32 hours since we parted from The Grand Hotel, Lahore after attending NYDS 2006. The echoes of the sessions, parties, jives, roll calls and people's goodbye words still remain. But that is not why I'm writing this post; to be honest, I can't exactly pinpoint the reason why I am indeed writing this post.

I guess it has a lot to do with what Mike Dawson(the 2-Mega Watt UPS) said in his last session. All of us would, under most circumstances, remincese about what took place and move on with what we had before we left for the conference. But this conference was, to me at least, more than just a chance to party and meet new people. I would like to emphasize at this point that before leaving for Lahore, I was going throught quite a lot of changes, most of which were painful (read last post). I did not care to think about inspiring other people, or activating my passions or leading people (I didn't even care where I ended up).

During IBES, when we were forming our different LC's, I had an epiphany (or call it the screaming message sent out by a nerve-racked, sleep-deprived brain). Three words never meant so much than at that point. Three words that made me feel so driven about going out and doing my part, of helping others doing their's. Those three words were "bring the change". These words woke up a certain drive in me that I felt I had lost long ago. The will to move forward, and to understand that while you strive for excellence, there are others around you, physically or electronically, that are consciously or subconsciously inspired by you. That you have a certain responsibility to yourself and to others to make sure that there is progress.

It doesn't matter that you had 10 realizations, or that you raised umpteen traineeships. What matters is that you did what you had to. That at the moment when it counted, you managed to propagate the drive to move forward and progress, not only in yourself but also in those around you.

I walk away from NYDS a person who has been moved, motivated, humbled and praised. While I cannot objectively say what changes I have found in myself, I know that when I look back at 2006, I will have achieved what I set out to do.

And to all the AIESECers (actual and potential) I met at NYDS: Please know and remember that I love each and every one of you for who you are and what you have set out to do. As gay as that sounds, it's true. And if you ever need anything, whether it be feedback, a shoulder to cry on or perhaps just a silent journeyman for your path to realizing your purpose - you know what to do ;-)

Go on: walk your own path, blaze your own trail!