Choose, Change & Become -  Recreating Destiny for young emerging Leaders – ORC



The second retreat for young emerging leaders on Choose, Change & Become was organized at ORC from the 11th to 13th March 2011 and it was themed 

Recreating Destiny. The unique and eye catching theme attracted around 80 talented, spiritually inclined young professionals to come to Gods home 

to participate in the retreat. The retreat started off in full swing with sharing of very inspiring stories of transformation from some participants 

who were a part of the first CCB in December which set the platform and triggered curiosity in all the young leaders making them all thirsty for a 

spiritual experience in one go. After a sumptuous dinner Sis. BK Asha was interviewd by some well thought questions on the theme by Ramita. In a  very 

powerful talk that followed Sis. Asha shared that the word Destiny is only used for the past. The future which is yet to be created is the destination 

which is the aim and NOT Destiny. She reiterated over and over again the importance of making effort first before expecting or wishing for outcome. 

If you make the right kind of sustained effort you will surely achieve the desired outcome, she said. She explained the question on facing failure with 

a very practical example of breaking the wall with the hammer mentioning that though your hand gets hurt in the first few hits but if we continue to make 

sustained efforts the wall will eventually come down and it is not just the last hit which brought the wall down but every hit counts.



The next day began with a very special experience of early morning amritvela meditation experience in the pyramid which was beautiful lit up with fragrant 

candles and soft music playing at the background. It was a very strong presence of Baba as he was welcoming every child. This was followed by a meditation 

session on connecting and understanding the self which clarified the idea about ones true identity and purpose.  The day continued with a series of activites 

and reflective exercises facilitated very skillfully by Sis. Judy and Sis. Gopi which took the participants on an exploratory path to understand the meaning of 

destiny. Small group interactions, personal relflection, sharing, appreciative enquiry etc. were some of the approaches adopted to help participants discover 

more about what they really wanted and the choices they had within their destinies. A very beautiful exercise where in participants were taken through a journey 

of their childhood days and the present and were asked to identify what was the source of real happiness for them. This activity was led by Sis. Judy who was 

very powerful in a sense as it helped them uncover the layer about themselves which was the source of happiness. The entire morning activity was done in complete 

silence where participants were invited to experience half a day in complete silence and thus explore the power of silence.  The afternoon included sharing in 

large groups outdoor. The  participants were encouraged to share their stories of a moment in life when they felt they had recreated their destinies. This was 

done in connection to understanding the triangular connection between the self, Divine and others and the relationship each had with the other. Sis. Judy 

explained that when we connect to the divine then automatically we are empowered enough to manage situations which involve others and are also able to easily 

get their support and cooperation. The evening session was a panel of young BK professionals who shared very inspiring stories of how their connection with 

the Divine helped in reshaping their destinies.  This session was followed by dinner and the Om Café which was a space for the participants to share and express 

their values in a very creative and joyous manner.



Day 3 began with introduction and connection to God and an experience of the eternal relationship of the soul with God. The plenary session in the morning 

consisted of understanding the tools to sustain the motivation. Sis. Gopi explained in a very practical manner the three very important tools we have and we 

need to manage – the mind, intellect and sanskars and the influence of one on the other. She added that meditation actually cleanses and strengthens the 

intellect thus helping us to make accurate decisions and think clearly. As a concluding piece and a very powerful tool Sis. Judy introduced conversation 

with God within which participants were encouraged to open their hearts to God by writing a letter to him. This was followed by sharing of experiences by 

some of the participants and blessings and toli by Sis. Asha. All the participants expressed a keen interest to learn Rajayoga and also showed a great deal 

of enthusiasm to help us organize similar retreats frequently in the future. One of the young leaders shared that this retreat really helped in giving a very 

deep experience of understanding and connection with the self  and God in a very clear and deep way.