14th February 2017, precisely on Valentine’s day was a flowery moment that I had been waiting in my life. I readily stepped my feet to another chapter of my life, going to India. Going abroad for internship program might sounds interesting for everyone, but this journey means more than prestigious for me, it was beyond that! I would stay with other participants who come from different part of the world and worked with them for four and a half months at the greatest center of IofC in Asia named Asia Plateau (AP). I put my full enthusiasm to explore myself more than I used to do during staying in Jakarta, that’s why this moment is one of blessings I ever got.
The moment when I reached AP, I could exactly feel how calm the place was! I captured everything that I saw, I heard, I tasted, the sense was super relaxing and positive. Having located in the middle of jungle with friendly animals, big trees, mountains, beautiful garden and fresh environment, has made this place feel special for those who want to meditate and learn from nature.
People in AP are so lovely, they are willing to share their experiences and perspective regarding life with full of compassionate. I feel like, AP was the safest place for me to be the real me and cure my past stories. I learned how to let go of my past with some process. One of the processes that I had is inner listening; it was part of my breath every morning as well as a great space for me to have dialogue with my own self in order to figure out myself as a person and my life as a human.
Besides self-exploration, this center also works for any type of training and seminar starting from family until military members. Having deep conversation with participants, sharing our knowledges and understanding about anything, was able to enhance my ideal perspectives.
Not only staying in the center, we also got a chance to do outreach around India. I stayed in Pune for a week and visited some IofC seniors to listen to their stories as well as their journey in life. One quote that sticks with me until now “Live your life in the present”. This quote came as a gift during my outreach that I need to keep.
Furthermore, I also learned about change and I absolutely agree with the concept of “change starts with me, and it starts from within”. It really moves me to be the change maker and come as a person who starts taking initiative to do something’s different to create better society that I would like to see.
After coming back to Indonesia, I feel relieved and come as a different person who knows how to control myself and work with my dreams. Besides that, I always try to live-up the four core values (honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love) that I deepen during my stay in AP. Until now, I keep cherishing all the beauty memories I had and keep sharing my stories about my journey in India that becomes a turning point in my life and shape my personality.
Thanks to Initiatives of Change (IofC).
Reported by Najah Raniyah