The Week That Wove Me Together - From Hot Conversations to Heartfelt Connections

Some weeks teach you through lectures; others teach you through people.
This one did both.

It began with conversations that burned and ended with lights that healed. In between, there were podcasts, cards, elections, and a thousand quiet lessons about what it means to lead, listen, and belong.

Voices, Votes & Validations

The week opened with two significant moments happening in parallel.

Morning: Published my weekly newsletter Nami - "Waves of Growth: A Week of Systems Thinking, Service, and Self-Discovery." This edition explored how seeing, influence, time, and people interact in feedback loops, sometimes building us up, sometimes pulling us down.

Afternoon: The "Hot Conversation" - a 4-hour cohort dialogue where 103 of us sat in a room and talked through tensions, differences, and unspoken frustrations. Before it started, People posted this rare message in our group:

The conversation was intense. Emotional. Necessary. We practiced holding space for discomfort, naming feelings without blame, and remembering that unity doesn't mean uniformity - it means choosing connection even when it's hard.

Evening: Parallel to the hot conversation, we recorded the Musings on Development Management (MODM) podcast, Episode 2.

Guest: Abhishek Paluri (ISDM Alumnus, 2020-21), Founder & CEO of HuManity Foundation
Interviewer: Harsh Khandelwal (ISDM 2026, Gandhi Fellow)

Abhishek shared his journey from ISDM to building an organization focused on holistic development for children in Child Care Institutions. His story reminded us that the path from classroom to impact is rarely linear but always meaningful.

Late Evening: The email arrived.

I was elected as one of four Student POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) Committee members.

Committee Members:

• Madhavi Rao (Non-Binary - He/She/They)

• Meenakshisundareswaran R (Nami) (Male - He/Him)

• Kritika Sharma (Female - She/Her)

• Soumya (Female - She/Her)

I closed the night with gratitude and celebration, knowing this role carries the responsibility of holding space for people's safety, dignity, and trust.

When Research Becomes Real

The morning began with informal celebrations among the newly elected committee members. We talked about what this responsibility means and how we'll approach it with care.

Research Methodology Class - Questionnaire Development

The session focused on three critical pillars of survey design: validity, reliability, and translation.

Key Insight: Questions always matter. The way we ask determines what we learn.

I connected this to my Nami Cycle framework:

• Seeing → What are we observing?

• Influence → How does the question shape the response?

• Time → When do we ask matters

• People → Who is answering, and what's their context?

• Outcome → Positive or negative feedback loop?

Writing in Discipline (WID) - System 1 vs. System 2

We revisited Daniel Kahneman's concept:

• System 1: Fast, intuitive, emotional thinking

• System 2: Slow, deliberate, logical thinking

The class explored how tasks vs. management demand different cognitive approaches, and how awareness of our thinking modes can improve decision-making.

Writing Circle

Hosted by Madhu (Madhavi Rao), our reflective practice space.

My reflection:

Madhu's closing words stayed with me:

Late Night: Creativity Mode Activated

I began working on 120 personalized Diwali cards for Cohort 9 - front side with each person's photo, back side with a unique message of light, hope, and gratitude. This would become a 48-hour creative marathon.

Diwali, Diya, and the Weight of Emotions

Morning Check-in

The cohort greeted me with: "Happy marriage anniversary, Namiiii 😗😗😗" when I asked, "Does anyone have an extra kurta?" That kind of warmth is what makes this place feel like home.

Research Methodology - Final Class

The session moved from design to practice: [Framework → Validity → Reliability → Translation] → [Collection → Finalization] → [Pretest] → [Pilot].

The class began with a tinge of sadness (we were attending class instead of preparing for Diwali), but by the end, everyone was joyful. The way a good class can shift collective energy is real.

We’ll miss you dear friend.

Diwali Celebration

1. Gifts - Managing the 120 personalized photo cards

2. Emotional Anchor - Ensuring people felt seen and celebrated

We invited everyone to write messages on the back of each card. By the end of the evening, no card was left empty. Every single one carried words of love, gratitude, and connection.

We lit diyas on the terrace and near the gate, played games, and celebrated together.

Reflection & Apology:

Gratitude: Shivika (arrangements), Krishna (blessings), and everyone who contributed their time, energy, and hearts.

Communication, Podcasts & Pizza

PMDL Workshop 2 - Advocacy & Inquiry

Two back-to-back marathon sessions focused on communication frameworks:

• Advocacy: Stating your position

• Inquiry: Understanding others' perspectives

We learned to balance both, practiced active listening, and explored the No-Fault Zone methodology (thenofaultzone.com) - a framework for navigating difficult conversations by focusing on feelings, needs, and choices instead of blame.

Key Learning: The questions we ask and the way we listen shape whether a conversation becomes a bridge or a wall.

MODM Episode 3 - Recording with Sakshi

Guest: Sakshi (ISDM Batch 2 alumna, PMDL facilitator)
Interviewers: Harsh 

Sakshi reflected on her transition from student to facilitator, sharing candid insights about uncertainty, growth, and finding your place in the development sector.

After recording, Harsh and I worked on the MODM Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to streamline production workflow, guest coordination, and episode structure.

Evening: Pizza Party & Gift Bank

People donated to my "Gift Bank - Share the Joy of Giving!" initiative for Daan Utsav.

The pizza, the laughter, the spontaneous generosity - this is what community feels like.

Relationships, Burnout & the Journey Home

PMDL Workshop 2 - Final Day

Core Message: Research shows that good relationships are the strongest predictor of happiness - more than wealth, achievement, or status.

We played a scenario-based game exploring feelings, needs, and choices - the same framework from Thursday. By the end, we were emotionally exhausted but deeply connected.

PLC 4 Reflection

Our Peer Learning Circle met to debrief the week. The conversation was raw and real. We named our burnout. We acknowledged each other's needs. We played the No-Fault Zone game and practiced what we'd learned.

Key Takeaway: After two back-to-back marathons of PMDL classes, all smiles had officially packed their bags. Eyes half-open, brain buffering.

Evening: The Train to Chennai

"Finally 😅 Last-minute train is always an adventure 🌊"

I boarded the Delhi-Chennai train, started working on my artwork, and... the food order went wrong. Two attempts. Missing items. No delivery. Somehow, my friend and I managed to arrange food anyway. The chaos became a story we'll laugh about later.

Clarifications & Connections

Morning: PLC Meeting on Rural Immersion (RI)

Time: 9:00-10:30 AM
Agenda: Clarifying why we're going to RI and what our presentation should communicate

We discussed the draft RI PPT on Pali district - identifying strong data points and gaps in narrative storytelling. I drafted a follow-up email to bridge communication

Rest of the Day: Journey Continues

The train journey continued through the day as I worked on RI presentation edits and reflected on the week's learnings.

Home

Morning: Chennai Arrival

Reached Chennai. Visited Nochikuppam, the site of the Singara Chennai Project 0.1 & 0.2 we studied in CBCL class. Seeing Greater Chennai Corporation's work firsthand brought case studies to life.

Met my cousins - people who think like me and help me understand human communication, behavior, and the beauty of different perspectives.

Afternoon: Family Time

Spent time with my sister's daughter, received her "love bites" (toddler hugs), and purchased gifts for the kids.

Evening: Final Leg Home

Took the train onward to Madurai.

Quote that shaped my day:

From the DNA Community (shared by Deepak Kumar):

Late Night: Arrival in Madurai

Reached home at 12:29 AM. love from amma, Sitting in my room, writing this newsletter.

Happy Diwali to everyone. 🪔

Challenges & Growth Edges

• Communication consistency: Need more proactive updates between PLC and cohort

• Balancing depth and breadth: 27 events meant sacrificing reflection time

• Emotional labor: Holding space for others while managing my own feelings

• Writing discipline: This report took three attempts - experimenting with voice memos next time

Next Week: October 20-26

1. Finalize RI presentation narrative with compelling stories

2. on going MODM Episode 2 & 3 editing

3. Draft Nami #6 on "Choices vs. Circumstances"

4. Practice saying "no" to non-essential commitments

5. Daily journaling

6. End with question, why India don't have a school of studies for streets cleaning works?

Gratitude

To my roommates, PLC members, facilitators, and family - thank you.

To MODM Alfee, Peter, Pao, harsh & Team for support.
To Madhu for creating brave spaces.
To Cohort 9 for trusting me with your cards, your votes, your vulnerability.
To my sister's daughter for reminding me that love is simple.

To everyone who made this week - thank you. I don't take any of it lightly.

The light we celebrate during Diwali isn't just in the diyas we light - it's in the small, sacred acts of showing up for each other, again and again.

🪔

Nami 🌊