Hardest Goodbyes: The Best is Yet to Come
This Sunday I achieved another milestone in my life which ended on a very emotional note. Yes, it was the last session of the Amal Fellowship Program, a three months professional career-building course, that I joined in July 2020. If you have been following my stories I have discussed detailed insights regarding the program in them, and if you haven’t then I would recommend you read them to know about a great and exciting opportunity that can change your life. I have added below the link to a small video on my reflection of Amal fellowship:
It was an opportunity that not only equipped me for a better professional career but also brought a positive transition in my life. Today when it has ended, I realize how much I miss the fellowship, sessions, fellows, discussions, feedback, encouragements, achievements, and all of above positivity and enlightment. We had a very emotional last session, where everyone was immersed in a feeling of gratitude towards Amal Academy for providing us with this opportunity, giving us friends like family in such a crucial time of the pandemic, and becoming a ray of positivity for all of us besides boosting my confidence that nothing is impossible for me.
My life was a roller coaster ride before I became part of this fellowship, everything was so messed up that I didn’t have the clue about where to take a start. Today at the end of three months of this fellowship, when everyone was sharing their reflection of the three months fellowship journey with the fellows in the session I realized how calm, peaceful, and organized my life had become just within three months. This thought confirmed my belief that one can bring positive change in one’s life by having a will to improve oneself with the passage of time by promoting a growth mindset and a platform that facilitates in this aspect (i.e. Amal Academy).
Despite this emotional atmosphere our facilitators Ma’am Ayesha and Sir Anas managed to bring happiness to our faces with their interesting scavenger hunt. At that time everyone got highly energized and actively participated in this activity. The participation from each fellow showed unity, teamwork, support, leadership, encouragement, appreciation, acceptance, and whatnot. In a nutshell, it reflected the values and principles of Amal Fellowship, which had been the epitome if focused in the entire three months to be ingrained in the fellows.
Oh! how can I forget the most fun part of the last session “The Ghost Picture”. You might be thinking about how childish this would be, but trust me it is a must-try. I had my laugh for the entire month while we were preparing and then waiting for the picture to be taken. I loved the way all fellows took part in this activity without any thought of what others will think. This made me realize that we have really successfully managed to come out of the fears of others to pursue what we truly want, thanks to Amal Fellowship. A platform where you are not judged, criticized or made uncomfortable even in response to the expression of your wildest dream because they truly believe in their fellows, even if fellows are not believing in themselves. It taught me a lifelong lesson on how easy life can become if we only mind our own business and focus on improving ourselves rather than criticizing others and yes, our small gratitude can make someone’s day.
Last but not the least, the most awaited moment was “The Graduation Picture”. I would have not wished anything better than the Amal family and my amazing mentors. Indeed this picture would be a memorable picture for me as my Bachelor’s Graduation Day picture. A reminder of a journey that taught me a lot in a most nontraditional way and gave an exceptional start to my new journey.
I wish this would have been a never-ending journey, but it’s the start of a new chapter of our life with some amazing friends to motivate us on each moment of our life and super fabulous mentors to guide us through the thick and thin of life. We will be Amal Alumnus for the rest of our life, a great opportunity to stay connected with this platform and share our experience with new fellows. We couldn’t thank Amal Academy enough to bring a bunch of strangers on one platform and turn them into a family, while also providing us all the reasons to stay connected. I know we have become so closer virtually that the first thing we will do once the pandemic situation is over would be a combined meetup. I will keep sharing my accomplishments with all my fellows who have played a pivotal role in bringing a better version of me with their constant feedback, suggestions, and encouragement. We might not have been fortunate enough to know each other, hailing from different cities and provinces of Pakistan if we had an in-person session, thankfully we had an online session.
To conclude, as Amal alumni we would carry forward its mission, inspire others, dissipate knowledge gained from here, and spread positivity by creating a ripple effect in society. So that this mission of bringing positive change in the lives of people continues and reaches in every nook and cranny of Pakistan. We will stay in touch to keep this mission alive, as it is said goodbyes are not painful unless we have the chance to meet them again. For the first time, I realized that there is something amazing that lockdown and pandemic have brought into my life in the form of the Amal Fellowship Program and I would cherish this my whole life. I must say the connection of the heart is greater than anything in journeys like these and definitely there is no goodbye.
“There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart” Mohandas Gandhi
