Well begun is half done
We are so wrapped up in the attempt to control elements far beyond our reach that we often tend to neglect the beauty that lies in the principles of effortlessness. There is a certain enchantment about a rose that blooms into its all-encompassing magnificence because that’s what it knows it is meant to be. Isn’t it funny to imagine a rose feeling incompetent because one of its petals didn’t bloom the way it was supposed to or because the neighboring rose “did it exactly right”?
Like most of us, I have had an ideal ambition of what I wanted my life to look like and I have let the rigidity of getting it all right and in the assigned time take a toll on me, sometimes fleecing myself of truly enjoying this journey. However, my experience so far teaches me that urgency only creates friction and further stifles our true path that's always awaited wear. My belief in this has only solidified post the 5 day Harvard YLC conference where I ran parts of my programme Self:E for 85 of the smartest young minds gathered together from 20 different cities, which was triggered by the following set of events..
Last year, having spent months in isolation designing the Self:E program, I was looking to springboard the content when I scheduled a conversation with an old friend of mine Rishi Jalan, the founder of the Big Red Group, and he told me about an online conference he was running for high schoolers known as the Ivy Young Entrepreneur Week. I immediately knew that I had to be a part of this event, so I persuaded Rishi to give me an hour’s slot to run a masterclass of my extended 3-month long program Self:E Evaluate, Evolve, Execute which equips teenagers to build resilience and develop authenticity through times of adversity and change. The glorious start created enough impetus for me to run a masterclass for a 150 member community of Mental Wellness Warriors as a community outreach program right after.
The pace at which the dominos were falling made it seem almost as if there was a divine intervention at play, guiding me through this chosen path. I believe that in making effortlessness the undertone of everything we do, it is crucial to acknowledge the importance that effort plays in shaping our lives. Putting in conscious effort into what you can control and letting go of what you cannot is the true essence of effortlessness.
The next step in the trajectory swept me up, it was bigger and better than I ever could have imagined. When I heard back from Rishi in December of 2022, I was absolutely through the roof. Harvard was organizing a 5-day YLC conference at B.D. Somani International School. The elation of this massive opportunity came with inevitable nerves and excitement. I remember being on edge till the day of the event, but I used all that energy to show up best prepared . I woke up at 5 am everyday for 2 months leading up to the program to get my body to kick into a full rhythm for the 2 days that I was to run my program Self E: Evaluate, Evolve, Execute.
My primary motivation to create and run the program came from the last and biggest drop in the bucket “The pandemic” when students in the formative years of their life were robbed of direct social interaction by force of circumstance. It is imperative to reiterate to children, so malleable, that challenges and changes are but mere hindrances and there is certainly a way to navigate around the shackles that seem unbreakable and sometimes it is the uncertainty in life that blossoms into the most wondrous and fulfilling adventures. That being said, a lack of control over some factors in life can’t be all that bad.
My first in-person masterclass was a whopping triumph and at the conclusion of the conference, enthusiastic graduates wanted me to sign their Harvard certificates! Parents were elated that someone had finally taught their children what they had wanted to, all along. A sense of fulfillment engulfed me, and I knew I was on the right path.
Co-creator : Meherzeen Siganporia