When I was sitting on the hotel bed in Malta last Sunday midnight, after a conference that I wouldn’t describe as always easy, I didn’t quite know, what I should think: I didn’t know whether I should be happy with myself or not. I didn’t feel that I had performed at my best or given ALL that I had. The only thing I knew was that this had been a challenging experience that made me stretch, an experience that made me broaden my horizon. And I felt very grateful for that, because it made me grow as person and also because I feel that this potentially has been a landmark conference for AIESEC in Malta.
When I started in AIESEC I used to aim for a high number of sugar cubes, that’s how I tended to measure a successful conference. But in the meanwhile I realized it is not the quantity but the content of a sugar cube that I value most. One meaningful sugar cube can make up for twenty “normal ones”.
I’m sure some of you have had similar experiences: the conference is over, you sit there either on a bus or a plane back home, usually completely exhausted, you wonder whether the experience you just went through really happened, but then you open your envelop with sugar cubes and start reading and thus re-experiencing the conference all over. Sometimes it even happens that you are so moved by what is written there that tears run down your cheeks…
There are not many things that touched me lately like two of the sugar cubes I received at this conference. They made me feel that there was something I must have done right, despite me not being happy with myself. And it made me realize again that the magic of AIESEC works, regardless.
Usually I don’t share the content of my sugar cubes with anyone- but for once I’m going make an exception. I want to thank these two individuals for reminding me and at the same time reinforcing why I’m still involved in this organization: because it gives me the platform and the opportunity to trigger in other people some questions and thoughts that matter in life. – No clue whether I’m making sense here…
“[…] One day I’m going to be a teacher and you taught me how important it is to keep the class motivated. And to always wear a big smile like yours. You are a person, who really cares for the future of other people, even though you barely know them. […] Hugs from Malta. From a hopefully potential leader, R”
“Thank you very much for making my weekend at AMS one of my best weekends of my life. […] thanks to your speech I asked an important question to myself: how potentially could I change my life for a better one. Thank you from, J”Thank you both of you as well as all the other people who made AMS 2006 an unforgettable experience! A special thanks to my faci team:
Abdo, Alicia, Chrisi, Davinia, Erica, Maria, Mariano, Matthew, & Sarah, you guys rock!
