“Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers and the thinkers, but most of all with those who see the greatness within you even when you don’t see it yourself.” - Edmund Lee.
The challenges that come with an introvert may vary from person to person; having cocooned myself for most parts of my life, I had never really stepped out of my comfort zone.
It wasn’t until I turned 16 that I decided to push myself, and seek out adventures. What was only a thought had actually transformed into a dream. I was presented an opportunity to represent my state, Meghalaya, and was conferred with an award. The opportunity enabled me to interact with the teaching community of Singapore. This short journey made a huge impact on my 16 year old self.
Four years later, it continued to motivate and pushed me further out of my comfort zone, and I continued on my journey to pursue a cause I am passionate about. In my short stint in the Philippines, I worked with various communities around Metro Manila with the intent to bridge the gap between the communities from weaker sections of the society and the privileged. I feel fortunate to have had this opportunity to advance a cause I am extremely passionate about, where I have gained invaluable experience and useful insight. I believe these experiences are essential to my personal and capacity developments.
During the course of my journey, I have encountered numerous obstacles and deadlocks which had pushed me off track, and discouraged me. However, the journey so far has taught me so many lessons which have impacted me tremendously. Perseverance, positive reinforcement and a good support system enabled me to achieve so much and make an impact on young lives. Also, faith and determination can truly take us places, if we believe.