Az egyik Grúz résztvevőnk visszajelzése az augusztusi Healthy Mind – Healthy Relationships ifjúsági cserénkről.
„We didn’t notice when we stopped living and began watching others. We have become spectators of everyone and participants in nothing of our own.” I think we have all felt this at least once – that pause where you realize you are scrolling through life rather than living it. It has become an inseparable part of modern existence. Obsessed with this realization, and desperate to change the narrative, I discovered the project “Healthy Mind, Healthy Relationships.” I knew from the start that healthy relationships must begin with the relationship you have with yourself. To create something new, valuable, and truly yours, you must first build a foundation within. But the hardest part is always knowing where to start.
From the moment I arrived at the venue, I felt a shift. The environment was meticulously curated to foster growth. With facilitators who guided rather than dictated, and a daily agenda that flowed with the group’s energy, the location itself felt unreal. It was the perfect harmony – a safe container designed for us to finally concentrate on our bodies, our emotions, and our inner selves. One small but powerful habit I developed there was the art of gratitude. Did you know that gratitude is one of the most potent triggers for positive neurochemistry? Every evening ended with a thematic question to be answered in our journals. But we didn’t just train our minds; we trained our bodies, too. We had amazing opportunities to participate in Pilates and Yoga workshops, which were essential for grounding us. These sessions helped us bridge the gap between physical tension and mental clarity, creating a true balance of health.
The memory that remains there is one specific day from this project that will stay with me for a lifetime. It began with a morning excursion near the city. We were armed not with phones, but with prepared questions designed to skipp the „awkward small talk” and dove straight into the deep waters of human connection. But the true transformation happened that evening.
The activity was designed to explore trust and our inner worlds. We chose partners and entered the room blindfolded. The atmosphere was thick with mystery – soft, ambient music, dim lighting, and a calm aura. The blindfolds were just a threshold, a way to heighten our senses before the real work began. Once the blindfolds were removed, I found myself separated from my partner and standing alone at a table.
My task was to create a drawing of my „Safe Place” using colored powder. It seemed simple. I began to pour my heart onto the canvas. But after just a few minutes, we were told to stop, move to the next table, and leave our creations behind. This cycle repeated. I was forced to work on drawings started by other participants, adding my own colors to their chaos, while wondering what was happening to mine. I remember the sinking feeling of realizing I wasn’t in control. But then the lesson hit me: the goal wasn’t to own the art, but to contribute to it. I had to pour my energy into a stranger’s „safe place” with the same love I had for my own. When I finally circled back to my original station, I looked at my drawing. It was changed. It wasn’t what I had planned, it was not mine anymore. Initially, I felt a pang of disappointment – but that quickly faded into awe.
This activity taught me the most valuable lesson of the project: life rarely goes according to our blueprint. We are constantly leaving traces on other people’s „canvases,” just as they leave traces on ours. We change one another. The key is to adapt, to let go of the rigid image in your head, and to find beauty in the collective result. If you have to let it go to start all over again, so be it.
By the end of the project, I found the peace I had been searching for. It turned out the answer wasn’t in „watching” others, but in trusting the process of connecting with them. I stopped being a spectator. I finally started participating.