KYS Retreat – Drafting The 5000-Year Plan Has Begun
That joy after officially registering ourselves as a public trust NGO – Jaijagath!
Every month, as you all know, we take a little time for ourselves, switch off our phones and set out to explore the world in an all new way. After months of wandering around Bangalore, and more recently Udupi, we found ourselves in a very Bangalorean fix – we were rained out!
Yes, it’s monsoon time and thanks to some heavy showers, we were confined to the indoors for our KYS Retreat. But we were determined not to let the weather bog us down. After trudging through traffic, we made it to Hennur to spend the day taking advantage of Pranita’s hospitality. It’s always a comfort to spend time at someone’s home when they open it to you unconditionally. Not only were we greeted with a big smile, she also had a big breakfast waiting for us. Definitely the key to our hearts!
Afterwards, we sat down to talk about KnowYourStar and the journey that this small yet wonderful organisation has taken us on.
Teachers And Lessons
This month, we’ve been working towards honouring our greatest ‘life’ teachers. The ones who have taught us important lessons both in and out of the classroom. We’ve had some heartwarming responses to our little #WeekOfLearning campaign. However, this was our chance to introspect a little and talk about what we had learned from the challenge and from the responses we received.
Our overall theme was gratitude! Each of us were deeply thankful to the number of teachers that we have had over the years. Whether they taught us the subjects we specialised in or guided us in a different way – we were all happy to realise that we had so many ‘ladders’.
The Traditional Route
Next, we found ourselves talking about some traditional capital – our finances. It’s been a very interesting journey for us this year financially. When we opened our doors as a full-time public trust and dedicated ourselves to the organisation’s success, we each took a large pay cut. We knew that it would be a struggle, but we were determined to see it through.
A year later, we are rich in a multitude of ways – connections, love, gestures, and good will – but our coffers aren’t overflowing with material riches. This is quite normal since we’re a small team and we’ve spent the year investing our time, energy and money in other pursuits. We’re so proud of what we’ve all accomplished together. From our Volunesia sessions that have brought together an incredibly beautiful community to the inspiring stories we’ve collected and shared – we’ve kept busy to say the least.
This year, we are determined to be more holistic and nourishing. Though we believe that “Service is planting trees under whose shade we will never rest,” we also know that without nourishment, these trees will not form deep roots in the first place. KnowYourStar is an investment in every possible way. As Jaideep said, we are working towards the 5000 year plan, not just the 5 year one – a marathon not a sprint. With this mindset, we believe we can become more sustainable and achieve more of our long term goals.
The 5000 Year Plan
As I mentioned earlier, instant gratification isn’t something that is always possible in the service space. We sow the seeds but don’t often see our seedlings grow into strong trees. This is especially true for us as a young organisation. So, we found ourselves wondering how our 5000 year plan was shaping up – and if all the decisions we were making were truly geared towards longevity.
We went over everything we’ve done this year – taking our Volunesia sessions to the Brindavan Tent School, creating and launching our new Passion to Profession tool, defining our goals and finding out niche through experimentation and hard work. We made plans for the rest of the year and even began thinking about 2018. We’ve got so many new things planned and can’t wait to share them with you.
Lighting The Way
After a delicious hot lunch, we began discussing something that is very close to our hearts right now – The new Lanternship programme that we’ve started.
Lanternship is something we’re really looking forward to! The journey we’ve been on has taught us the importance of collective intelligence. Not only do we think we have a lot to give – but we are ready and willing to learn from anyone who signs up to be a ‘lantern’ with us. We can’t wait to see what emerges from this fellowship.
Now, more than ever, we are grateful for all the amazing connections we have cultivated. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was KnowYourStar! We, as we exist today, are a product of many helping hands and ‘ladders’. Thank you all for your support and positivity. We hope that we can continue to rely on your strength and aid for what lies ahead. We’re in the beginning leg of the marathon, but the route doesn’t look unsurmountable thanks to you all.
If there’s any story that needs to be told, we will tell it. Write to us at contact@knowyourstar.com with your story lead, or contact us on Facebook or Twitter.
