Monday, September 27, 2010

Yes, I am the chosen one.

“The moment in your life, that moment which is meant to be the door to your change, that very moment when you’ve got to give up or give in, I gave in, I smiled at it, and it changed my life.”

So there’s no better way to start this. I’m back from NLDS 2010 and I realized that when I didn’t wake up to the banging of plates in the morning. It’s sad, and it’s so sad that I cannot define it. When I first stepped into AIESEC, I had a feeling that something in my life is going to change. But after NLDS 2010, my life itself changed.

So what’s so special about it? What’s not? I met people from 19 different cities, people with different cultures, outlooks and perceptions. I met nine individuals – nine great people who have an aura of amaze around them. I think they’re the most influential people I have ever met. I met people of my local committee and observed what differs and what’s alike amongst us. I met a person who has changed so much after this organization happened in his life that it is impossible to believe. I met renowned people from the corporate and NGO world that I wouldn’t have even dreamt of meeting. I met a few internationals and learnt what they thought about my country. I came to know about the greatness of my local committee.

And what did I learn? Oh, there’s loads of stuff! I learned the art of not sleeping, not eating, not sulking, not getting bored, not getting tired, not getting discouraged. I learned the quality of concentrating, actually listening to people, being humble, interacting, sharing, following and leading. Yes, AIESEC teaches you both. You learn to follow the people who can lead you and you learn to lead the people willing to follow you.

If there’s one thing I couldn’t learn, it was how to get over it. I mean my NLDS-2010 depression is not going to go for a long time now. But again, I have better opportunities to look forward to. When the last time I met the MC, I was a new recruit who had no idea about anything. Now I want to meet them as an individual AIESECer who has done something, contributed something for the progress of the organization she has fallen in love with.

Lastly, I had fun. I had fun every moment of the day. I don’t know where the MC people or the OC people Or the Facilitators get this from, but they were able to make us laugh whenever they wanted. They were able to wake us up and that was a tough job. With their spontaneity and their extremely amazing sense of humor (esp. Mr. Manveer Grewal’s), they were able to make us sigh in awe of them. All in all, they knew how to have fun and taught us the same.

I miss everything. I miss having more than 500 people around me. I miss the plenary. I miss the smiles. I miss the jokes. I miss the sessions (esp. the ‘I’ session :P). I miss the randomness. I miss the jives (OMG, how could I forget about them!). I miss the incredible roll-calls. I miss the weary eyes and the pathetic food.

I can see how gelled up we were last night during the time when candles were lit and huddles were made. But for now, I have better things to look at and the best things to remember.

-Aanchal Gupta

A proud member of AIESEC Jaipur, AIESEC India, AIESEC International.

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