The countdown begins … What I learnt from PRAXIS

Exactly a month to go and as we gear up for #PRAXIS8, it’s a good time for me to look back and look forward with gusto. To relive old moments and to welcome new ones. 

PRAXIS and you

No matter what part of the fraternity you belong to, you will find a space for yourself and you will learn. You can be a fresher or a student and you can be a CEO or somewhere in between and there will be something you will take away from it. You will find content and connections relevant to you and you will also find excitement and entertainment that will engage you. 

PRAXIS and me

Here are a few unconnected stories from my four previous editions that I will string together into something meaningful a little later in this narrative, here goes… 

Mysore

The first PRAXIS that I was a part of, I remember only attending half a day of the event and this was in the midst of riots that had broken out in Mandya and getting in and out of Mysore was not easy. I had a bunch of people I knew, and I stuck with and to them and that was it. It was short and sweet, and I came away happy! The story here was that I didn’t fraternise, and I came away without having moved too many needles. 

Aamby Valley

By now I had a fair idea of how this worked and my story this time around that stayed with me was the fact that a few of us decided to dine out and we went to this beautiful middle eastern restaurant followed by a walk in the misty evening guided by moonlight. On the last day, a bunch of us also decided to go by road to Mumbai and then fly back to Bangalore from there. En-route, we made pit stops and bought chikki and fudge in Lonavala and our drive and the conversations were priceless. 

Jaipur

Here I was, adopted by a fellow team and I hung out with them, did lots of sightseeing and shopping and eating on the streets with them. We also had a morning run in the vicinity of the hotel and again a few of us set off to explore the area and hobnob. I managed to barely finish the run, but it was a rewarding experience. I didn’t have running shoes and socks, but with one request, they magically appeared, and I did the run. 

Hyderabad 

This one was special in more ways than one. I had brought my mom and daughter with me, I got them to meet old and new friends. I also took a pregnant girl suffering from severe acidity into the emergency room in the wee hours of the night and ensured she was safe and alright. What stayed with me was her and her friend’s gratitude that I, an absolute stranger accompanied them on the organiser’s request.

If you notice, all of these stories are about people and connections and if the content or the location or venue does not draw you, then the promise of meeting amazing people and making great connections is what should drive you to come. 

And, in summation, I said I would string my experiences together into one snapshot and here are my PRAXIS lessons learnt: 

• People are everything
• Rely on the right – people and resources
• Attitude and aptitude with ability to do should be built
• X-factor is within, learn to unlock it
• Information exchange
• Search and you will find
• Empower and gain
• Instinct and intuition are tools to hone
• Get going and get it going
• Harness energy and empathy
• Tackle what comes your way with tact 

Shreya Krishnan

Vice President - Marketing and Communications at Aon India Insurance Brokers

Shreya is a CSR Specialist and Corporate Grooming Consultant. Her interests lie in Activism, Dance, Theatre, Poetry, Blogging, Modelling, Acting. She considers herself an Earth Warrior and is an Event Anchor and Trainer. She is a Pageant Winner and public speaker.