Attending Oasis Course -

one of the wisest decisions of my life

Parag Shah is CEO of a leading industry at Surat. However, he is better known as a great entrepreneur, an even greater lover of art and architecture and the best friend that one could ever have, by all those who know him intimately. He is one of those human-beings who are passionately in love with life. He keeps reading, thinking and interacting intensively for his endeavor of how to keep on constantly learning and improving his life. He is also known as a man of action. In keeping with his passion to contribute something in the field of education, he became involved in the process of creating a unique school last year, which is growing fast to be one of the model schools in the country. He is also the team leader of Oasis Valleys Project. He is not just one of the participants of this course; he played an important role in the formation of such a unique course at many stages.

Below is what he has to say about the Oasis Course:

After going through the workshops for almost last 4 years I am feeling short of words to express my feelings. It probably exposes the limitation of language as I am trying to put the most enriching, fulfilling and worthwhile effort of learning and in turn leading my life on that path. I have been through the workshop series (Basic Oasis Course, Course in Love, Integrity and Empathy) and also facilitated a 10 day workshop series. I think and feel that it has changed my thought processes and approach to life in a radical way and has made me a better human being in all aspects. I went through a process of transformation broadly in 3 different stages.

In first stage I started understanding life in true principle centered perspective and with even little effort was able to manage my life in a very effective manner. I became more productive, effective and was able to bring smile to lot of faces.

In second phase, going deeper into understanding of life and my own self brought radical transformation in my thinking about relationships with people

and it started a very deep conflict between what I can be and what I am. It is a very painful, yet enriching process. I became very much aware of my growth as a human being and though painful at times, I felt that I am in the process of making a better human being out of me.

The third phase is still more of an understanding than experience. In this phase I started understanding spirituality and at times did experience the joy and blissful state of being spiritual. I have become more and more aware and that awareness helps me to constantly improve myself.

I constantly shuffle between all the stages and every time I attend the workshop, there is always something to take away, which is a new discovery for every stage making this process an endless evolution, a learning process.

Unfortunately Character Building , Leadership , Marriage, Parenting , Love, Death etc which are of paramount importance to every human being are not taught in formal education and create a great void in every human being's life and that exactly is what this Oasis workshop series is trying to fill. I would rate joining these workshops as one of the wisest decisions of my life on self development and I intend to be part of this movement in some way or other.

‘San-jeev’ has brought life to the workshops as a facilitator and I am committed to take those workshops in my life for rest of my life.

Parag Shah

[For Parag’s responses pertaining to some questions about this course and details of feedbacks from other participants, see next Alive dated February 1, 2009.]