Amal — Positive Reflections
Many decisions change the way you look at different aspects of life, and my decision to join Amal Academy will surely be one of the best ones I made for myself. These three months changed the way I think and approach things. I had set myself this small goal of being a changed person once I near the end of the fellowship. Now when I connect the dots by looking backward, it all makes sense. Every activity that I took part in and every Project Work that I completed is a small part of how I grew in these three months.
The Instance
Virtually going back the memory lane was a good experience. Many instances came to my mind. But the one that struck out the most was during the 1st week of our fellowship. We got divided into our Learning groups, and we were supposed to select a leader for the group. Now, the pre-Amal me would have been good with sitting in the background and let someone else take charge. But since I had decided to change myself, I stepped up and took the role. Luckily, my team was very cooperative and appreciated me being in charge.
The effect
The most noticeable difference that I can feel is that; ever since I took the role of leading my group, I can see that I am more responsible. When I joined Ama Academy, I realized that now I have to change how I usually think and see it as a bigger picture. It was not just about me anymore. It gave me the motivation to perform well.
I still remember the first week when my team was confused regarding what we were supposed to do in the 1st PW. So I took it on me, read through the entire file, and summarized it so that everyone can understand what we were supposed to do.
All in all, I am a more responsible version of myself now. I like to initiate, and I am no longer shy to step into the spotlight. I was never a highly-participating individual in my class. But during this fellowship, I tried doing the opposite, and it worked for me!
“Fake it till you make it”
How others contributed to it
Proudly speaking, I had one of the best team members in y circle. All of them were always motivated, and they nicknamed me the “Leader.” Which seemed a little awkward in the start, but it later grew on me. How well I performed as a leader is credited to how my team appreciated me. Their respect and response to my concerns genuinely inspired me to be a better version of myself. Moreover, my facilitators and Fellow leaders were also kind enough to guide me regarding dealing with any potential problem.
How I would have done things differently if I was not in Amal Academy
Had it not been for Amal, I would never have taken this initiative of leading my team. I would have stayed the same old me who likes to observe everything from a distance. As I mentioned earlier, I was never one of those highly-participating individuals. Thanks to Amal Academy and my facilitators, who provided us a safer environment, which allowed us to grow.
Conclusion
These past three months have been some of the best that I can recall in my recent past. I learned a lot, network with people from outside my field and cities. Most importantly, I can feel the change in myself when I compare the older version with the current version. I’ll forever be thankful to Amal Academy for this initiative, and I wish the best of luck to them for their plans.
P.S I will surely miss my batch #173!
