A wise person once said “Purpose is the reason you journey. Passion is the fire that lights the way”. This quote perfectly encapsulates the core of a Greek philosophy known as “MERAKI”. And at AICUF, St. Xavier’s Mumbai, we have decided to employ this philosophy as our theme for the year! This is certainly not a word most of you all would have heard before (we hadn't either, don’t worry). So, that's fine, we'll make it as clear as possible!
‘Meraki’ is a Greek word which means to do something “with a great sense of pride and care". It is a way to love what you do, and do what you love. Finding your purpose and the passion that drives you is the core of Meraki. At AICUF, with this theme in mind, our goal is not just the holistic development of ourselves, but the environment around us, the ones we interact and engage with. Inducing a sense of motivation and passion in others can only be done when we find it within ourselves. So during this academic year, let's make sure that we can blossom as individuals and as a society striving for a higher purpose.
The search for meaning in life has become an obsession in contemporary culture. Nevertheless, we frequently cover it up with other terms. Some people call it “happiness” or “fulfilment”, others prefer "goal" or "destination". Ultimately, it is something we all strive for. Everyone has an idea of the future they imagine and dream about. But the problem arises in actually materialising this goal into reality.
‘Meraki’ for us represents a concept that is extremely deep and powerful. But at the same time, it can also be used to describe the tiniest things, like the heart someone puts into decorating their sacred space, their home, or just a wholesome meal cooked with love. When you love doing something so much, you put in the hours, every thought and all of your energy into it that you leave a piece of yourself and your essence behind.. For us it's that personal, creative touch that makes everything sparkle and shine. Our theme also translates as a form of vital energy. We believe it's the living force, the prana, that flows in every thing, and the essence, or seed, from which life flows forward.
It is not about being perfect, as we so often try to be, it is about bringing your best foot forward every single day. When you focus on the very best, the best can get better. A classic example would be the house of cards. It signifies the contribution and importance of each and every card into the making of the pyramid. Each card comes in with its own symbols and set of numbers making the pyramid tall and sturdy.
Taking a Meraki approach to all that you do could greatly impact our life. Just think - if all our interactions and actions come right from our heart, how good and pure our lives and the world around us would be. If we brought Meraki into our spirituality, it would carry us through the most challenging times. And if we learned with Meraki - we would truly embody new concepts, new skills and new subjects.
We will leave you all with a quote by Rumi which precisely describes our theme at AICUF
“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river of joy moving in you.”
~ Mansi Tiwari and Jeremy Varghese
Sub-Editors
AICUF 2023-24
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