Taking flight ✈
I am not taking a flight to Stanford lol, instead my emotions are taking flight.
Amal Academy has allowed me to have a virtual experience from a few people at Stanford, which I would never have experienced otherwise. Becoming a part of Amal Academy was the decision of my lifetime and I would never regret sparing each and every second of my life for this extraordinary opportunity.
The last session of Amal was a fun-packed event for all of us, since it was the last session it was bound to be memorable. The session commenced with a light-hearted discussions and then followed the scavenger hunt; which was the best part of the entire fellowship I must say. We were divided into two groups hence two breakout rooms, then we were given a riddle sheet. The answers to the riddles have to be an object which was to be captured and uploaded. Our team won obviously (team looosssserrsss WON XD). I loved the game because of winning of course, but apart from that, the way we were demonstrating Amal teachings subconsciously was exceptional (teamwork, leadership without authority, brainstorming of ideas, effective listening)
After the game, the friendly banter and the tiff was something not seen very often amongst a group of strangers-turned-friends. The cute little shout outs after that just lit up my day. I can’t fathom the fact of how our facilitators go over and beyond just for us. Seeing them putting in so many efforts for us makes me want to work even more harder for others without expecting something in return.
It is said that we can have fun without being productive. Sometimes we can set productivity aside for a while and just talk absurd, without the need of making sense. Although the session got stretched a bit but it was lovely to listen to varying POV’s. When we were asked what would be the one thing we’re gonna miss the most about Amal, no one was coming forward with just one answer. Everyone had a long list to put forward.
It was flabbergasting to see such strong emotional associations in just a span of three months. I haven’t seen people cultivating such strong connections in such a short time for a long while. Having meaningful connections with people especially those whom I don’t know for very long was something I was always unaware of. I never tasted that piece of cake because I fear I won’t like the taste, but the moment I tasted it I immediately fall in love with it.
Being an introvert I take very long to make friends but miraculously in here, it hardly took me a few weeks to befreind new people. Although it still took me longer than others but I was able to have wholesome interactions with people who were total strangers to me a few weeks back. I am planning on to catch up with them through our one and only amazingly interactive WhatsApp goup ; which keeps on buzzing any hour of the day.
If I am asked to enlist Amal teachings it would be very difficult for me to pen down a few, frankly this blog’s word limit would not suffice. The very first thing I learnt the moment I entered the session was how to start a conversation, since I am not a good conversation starter. I learned the value of “values”, I learned to develop SMART goals, I learned the significance of everyday leadership and how to demonstrate it, I learned the gravitas of a small act of kindness and how profoundly it can impact someone’ s day, I learned the essence of lollipop moments, I learned the importance of gratitude in one’s life and the role it plays. There’s a lot that I have learned throughout this splendid three-month voyage.
I will try to practice time management through the Pomodoro technique, I will try to practice everyday leadership in the assignments and projects I am assigned at university, I will not held back from practicing small acts of kindness despite how meaningless they seem to me, I will plan through SMART Goals, I will try my best that my actions reflect the core values I firmly believe in.
I learned not just through the courses but also via the amazingly interactive weekend sessions and the insightful discussions we used to have. The best part is that the discussions did not only revolve around career and materialistic gains, they were also focused towards the betterment of our lifestyle and making us better citizens. Although there is a lot that Amal has taught us but I can’t guarantee that I can exhibit each and every one of Amal teachings. Nonetheless, I will try my level best to practice these teachings in my daily life as much as I can.
