[AIESEC] The Change

Hi, This is Amy Lim back in year 2010. 17 years old, naive, happy-go-lucky and most probably have only experienced about the world through internet and learn about reality through books.

My personality back then was to strive for excellence in whatever I do with passion. Hence, I found passion in photography.

That is when the photography passion came about. It's because I wanted to travel the world and capture as many beautiful moments I could through the lens.

My idea of the world at 17 years old, is that the world is so beautiful and perfect. My dream job will be able to see all these beautiful places and succeed as a photographer.

I was exposed to leadership in high school, but it is not until I joined AIESEC that I realized that the world has so much more to offer besides beautiful sceneries. It broadened my perspectives of life itself and what I could do with it.

This was all that mattered before AIESEC. Then, things changed, for the better.

Then AIESEC happened, I was appointed to be Vice-President one year later, then, we have the different Amy at age 18. No longer the young, naive and thinks the world is a perfect version of myself. When did all these unicorn thoughts changed?

The change happened twice. Firstly, was when I met, mingled and bonded with the first intern I worked with in AIESEC. Her name is Bushra, she is from Pakistan. When she was here, I never thought I could find someone as easy to bond with such as her. She was like my sister from another mother.

She shared with me her stories, stories about her University life, about her country, Pakistan and even well dirty little secrets that I keep to the grave. She opened up my mind about the world out of my comfort zone. I mean, did you know that Pakistan is so advance yet maintains such a beautiful culture? However, at the same time, even though we are both from different backgrounds we clicked like sisters! We cried, gossiped and laughed at the same things!

When I have left AIESEC even after a millenium years, I will still remember the times we had together =)

The second change, my turning point, is when I had my first internship while juggling AIESEC work. I had a very good taste of reality of how the world works at that point of time. I worked from 9-6PM during my internship and AIESEC from perhaps around 8PM-12AM. It really opened my eyes as to what the real world is all about.

AIESEC enabled myself to experience the harsh reality of life. It gave me a wake up call that I have to strive for excellence in everything I do. It taught me the meaning of life itself! =)

One year later, there we have it, another Amy. A changed Amy. Someone who knows that the world out there is so big, so different yet the same. A world that has so much colors. Someone who works hard at developing herself. Someone who understands the meaning of leadership development and exponential growth and learning. A girl who no longer says yes to everything. A girl who no longer thinks the world is perfect. In fact, the world is too imperfect.

However, it is also through AIESEC that she now knows, despite the world being so imperfect, the change starts within ourselves to drive our world to perfection.

We can make a difference, I can make a difference, you can make a difference. =)

Cheers, with love!