The Power of Conscious Choice - Mother India's Magic 9 Part II

Day 7 - 13th May (Day 6 of WEF) - Part II

The last day of WEF 2017

I had booked a meeting with Surbhi Agarwal founder of The Art Exotica, who works with hundreds of women in the rural communities empowering them to produce local artifacts, hand loomed silk and other fabrics, all coloured with natural dyes and hand painted. She has artisans producing everything from stone, to leather, to wood, to jewellery, embroidery, marble, camel bone... so much. She is from Jodhpur in the Rhajasthan district and is looking for people in Europe to import these goods and distribute them across Europe. I am not in this line of business but accepted to listen and invited Pedro to listen, lest we know of someone who could be interested and connect her to them. She is a lovely lady and we connect easily. At the end of our meeting she offers me a beautiful hand-painted silk scarf. I am ever so thankful. I had actually already promised to send her my "Are you a Professional Worrier?" book, which I will.

Forgot to mention that after my plenary session I go to breakfast with Phionah Musumba, my roommate and a few other Soul Sister including Ruth and Masingita Musunga - the graceful young lady who is a living example that cerebral palsey cannot stop a person from being a joyful inspiration to all. She is staying at the South African embassy in New Delhi so we get to meet the Nkosi Mahlangu, Corporate Services Director and who is with her here today. Lovely young man who shares with us the wisdom that one must learn to accept the ways of each country, not fighting against it but respecting it.

After breakfast Phionah and I go up to our room to get ready to leave. Phionah has booked a room in another cheaper hotel for the night because her flight is only tomorrow. Before she leaves I ask her whether we can record her story on video because she is such an inspiring example of resilience, persistence and love. She has singlehandedly founded the Malkia Foundation and though she has gone through povery, hunger, homelessness and lost a child for lack of means to seek appropriate healing, she is here in India to share how she has managed to be a breadwinner for the entire family and also create an organization that helps young girls get an education, not get tied into child marriage and develop their sustenance, empowering them to be independent and educated so that they can make choices from a place of self-respect rather than survival. I will not share her story here because I will leave you with the link to the video I have posted up on YouTube. 

After this she kindly offers me a wooden necklace and earrings, made by the ladies at her foundation, which I will wear with great honour. Thank you Phionah.

So many admirable women one can only be thankful and know that anything is possible when we truly believe in our dreams and let no one ever tell us that we are not capable or that it cannot be achieved. Had anyone present at this Conference had the most fleeting doubt about this truth, they surely have gone back home with the certainty that no challenge is too great to be overcome.

Beautiful Sindu from Singapore spontaneously offers to record a recommendation of my work that I can post on LinkedIn or wherever else I choose to. What a great idea! I do the same for her and now we both have a truthful, heartfelt testimonial of each other's work. Thank you so much Sindu.

I have to mention Monique Blokzyl's powerful work inspiring entrepreneurs to thrive in business through her Business Launch Portal. I had intended to interview her but that will have to be done online because both her and me were busy connecting with people throughout WEF and decided to talk via skype on another occasion. Thank you Monique. 

And with this I come to the closing session where Lee Alison Sibley sang this tune "We shall overcome" (she comes in at around 19 minutes, but it is worth listening to the whole closing session) and had us all singing it too. It was fun and at the same time profound. 

As this Conference comes to an end there is a mix of feelings in the air: longing to go back home and somehow fix everything living the truths shared throughout the week and at the same time wishing that this experience never ends, intense as it is. I am in none of these categories. All I feel is overflowing Gratitude to have been a part of this feast of Love, sharing all that I Am and openly receiving the inspired Isness of the Event and especially of the many whom I had the privilege to interact with personally. I have so many business cards to sort out when I get back home!!!!! Pure abundance.

More than the sessions themselves, which were of course a very rich experience, it is the networking that was the most magical, the people I take with me in my heart, the feelings and wisdom shared that has made us more than we were when we came here.

Thank you ALL for the most blessed Conference I have ever been to. I am humbled by the dimension of this and bow to Dr. Harbeen Arora for creating something of such loving magnitude and to all of those who contribute daily to the ongoing growth of the Women Economic Forum and the All Ladies League. Such a concept could only have been born in Mother India.

Dr Harbeen Arora generously offered us a copy of her beautiful book: Creative Living, which you can find on Amazon and is also presented on her: www.harbeenarora.in.  Just as well Carla gave me that pink bag I told you about, on our way back from the Portuguese Ambassador's Residence! So many precious gifts to bing back home which would never fit in my small backpack :)

Though this year there happen to be a few hundred less people than there were last year, the staff and volunteers do not panic, trying to find solutions to make this a memorable experience. Yes, of course there are things that did not go according to planned, that seemed somewhat disorganized but all in all it is the intensity of the love shared here, the sense of togetherness, of openness, of sharing openheartedly that I take with me. 

It is the absolute richness present here, the delicious dishes, the kind and competent hotel staff, the harmonious decoration, the fact that I even had a gym and pool to enjoy throughout these days, the free wifi connection which allowed us to keep in touch not only with folks back home but also amongst each other at the Conference, my roommate who was chosen for me and who is such a special woman... So much to mention. The overall experience was definitely a highly productive one and I feel an all pervading sense of inner accomplishment and gratitude.

What did I learn and what did I confirm?

I learnt that all cultures have common points in education, economy, religion and human aspects.

I confirmed that no one has all of the answers but each one has the answers that have served them best in life. It is then up to each person to choose which examples to follow, whilst also creating a unique example.

I learnt that there are many people wanting to learn from each one of us and that no example is more relevant than another. Thus by valuing our own example and making it visible we will undoubtedly expand our entrepreneurial ventures.

I confirmed that when we speak from the heart the heart in others listens and an invisible connection is established. There were so many hugs where my heart tingled with joy for finding yet another and another Soul Sister from so many different parts of the world but connected as One by heart.

I confirmed that age has no say in people's health and willingness to shine, that no matter what social and cultural background one has, success is a given fact and is granted to those who move out of their perceived realities to create new potentials and opportunities. And by success I do not mean money or being the best at something or having the most clients. This can all be perceived as success, no matter where one comes from. But it is more than that: it is fulfilment, the overall realization that fills our heart when we overcome challenges and pull through to the other side in joyful gratitude.

I confirmed that love and sharing are contageous and that this is the most precious outcome of an event like this one.

I confirmed that many people will love to hear us when we are communicating from the heart and a few will envy us just because they have their own fears inside which are stopping them from being this that they are envying. Fair enough, we cannot ever expect to be loved by everyone and if somehow what we have shared has struck a chord deep down, then we have fulfilled our purpose in their lives as well.

I have confirmed that when we see someone thriving and succeeding and celebrate with her rather than fear her success, we all grow and that it is of no avail to keep our ideas secret because most of them are so unique they are hard to replicate and if they are replicated we have many more ideas where the first came from anyway.

I have confirmed that anything is possible and that by making clear and conscious choices, which is what I came here to talk about in the first place, we can steer clear of drama and mishaps of all sorts. 

I have also learnt that believe it or not, and even in the midst of such wise and empowered women, most of them do not harness this intrinsic skill and use it actively. So apparently I do have a lot to share and contribute to an even more fulfilling and successful life no matter where people come from and what background they have.

I have learnt that traditional businesses with an employer and employees, in fact big corporations and small businesses that operate in this way are doomed to disappear within the next 5 to 10  years. The new business world that is emerging is one of entrepreneurs who connect with each other sharing services as freelancers, taking full responsibility for the work they produce rather than  having to be managed by a boss. The world is changing in so many ways.

I now look forward to reconnecting with many of the magnificent women I was bound to Soul to Soul during these six days and I will definitely be recommending many of them for the great examples they are and the opportunities they are bringing out to this world, making it a more equitable, loving place.

THANK YOU!