CCA-Canada Youth co-ordinators, Jermeen Baddour and Sarah Syed, led an eclectic youth event, highlighted by keynote speaker and founder Centre for Conscious Awareness worldwide charities, Srinivas Arka.

The event began with saxophone and flute performances by Connor Moe, MA in Music, York University.

Presentations were given on the Light of Learning Programme by the CCA-Canada team, Arka’s recent visit to United Kingdom, Spain and Mexico, and a summary presentation of Arka’s philosophy, literature and worldwide programs.

Srinivas Arka then gave his keynote presentation on youth stress. He talked about the future of youth, their responsibility to the world and how they are preparing themselves to tackle global issues and problems.

Arka encouraged youth to

“See the world as full of opportunities and as ready to welcome us to explore these opportunities. There are infinite opportunities for a person who has a positive mentality or who has explored their inner self, unique nature and their passion. Passion means desire, ambition with the backing of our emotion. No matter how long we study, how much we explore the specific area of interest, we’ll never become tired. That is called passion.”

When it comes to youth finding their identity, Arka describes:

“The world is very big so we should make sure we have identified ourselves first. Who are we,
what are our roles and responsibilities, what is our identity, what is our significance, what
impact will our presence have in the world and what is our contribution to the world, rather
than expecting too much from the world. We will become creators. Some people look for jobs
and they become disappointed and then there are people who think: how can I create jobs?
They are evolutionary and revolutionary thinkers. We are free to expand our intelligence.
Expand our consciousness; there is no limit for us. Just think wildly but act gently and see how
far the dreams can take us. We really see where we can fit in.”

Sarah Syed, co-ordinated a panel discussion with panelists:
* Sandra Anin, Paralegal, Author, Writer, Speaker, and Entrepreneur
* Elizabeth Webster, 4 th year Synthetic Biology, University of Western Ontario
* Srinivas Arka, Founder Centre for Conscious Awareness charities worldwide

These were some of the questions discussed:

1. In recent years, we’ve seen a growing awareness of mental health issues among young people. What are some of the most pressing mental health challenges faced by youth today, and how can communities and schools better support mental health initiatives?

Sandra discussed that in her opinion identity is a large issue for youth. They don’t know who they are and they are impressionable. She believes that communities need to listen to youth in order to be able to help them.

Elizabeth shared that financial instability for youth is a growing problem. It’s difficult for youth to find themselves and find what they would like to do when they have so many financial
commitments. A good solution is networking sessions amongst youth where they can learn
from each other.

Srinivas Arka highlighted 2 approaches for youth in their career.

“One is working passionately to fulfill your ambition, to feel satisfaction. Allowing yourself to
open up and blossom more to be the best you can be in your specific field.
Secondly, job is for survival. Do not expect it to be your passion. Often it will not be, especially these days it seems that job is for survival rather than thriving. I recommend keeping them in balance and see which one really takes over, whether passion or survival. Eventually, passion will win.”

2. You’ve traveled extensively, conducting workshops and seminars across the globe. What are some of the most common mental health challenges you’ve encountered, and can you share a memorable moment where your teachings made a significant difference for an individual or community?

Arka described what he tries to do when he meets youth:

“I always try to instill confidence, not blindly, but meaningfully. My strong conviction is each
person in the world must be looked upon like a star in the Milky Way galaxy. We all have a significant role to play individually and collectively in the world and in the life of the universe. Without you, the world can never be complete. No matter how many hindrances or deterrence you encounter, the stronger you become. Bring the best out of you. The moment you think I want to do something for the world, I want to give back to society, your concept will change, your mindset will change. Your whole demeanour, your attitude, everything will change because you are a giver, rather than a taker. That should be your ultimate goal. You are the creators, you are the operators and you can bring the best into the world to make it full.”

3. Everyone experiences stress differently. What role do you think technology and social media play in both contributing to and alleviating stress among youth?

Arka discussed that: “Social media is an open platform, and it is a huge resource, like opening
the window to the entire world. As soon as you open an account, you have so much power, but
we’re getting absorbed into it rather than taking control of social media. It is important to
identify yourself from the crowd and the world. You are a unique individual and the world is
waiting for your input, for you to do something to help change the world for the better.
If you can use social media in the right direction, you can get across your message. Also, you
must have control over how much time you give to social media without getting lost. I would
meditate before I open my social media account. How much time do I have? What is my
purpose? What do I really need to do here? Then within this span of time, I would leave social
media. Set an alarm, if possible. Thus, you will be in command of your time.”

4. Balancing academic responsibilities with part-time jobs, extracurricular activities, and social life can be challenging. What tips or advice do you have for young people trying to juggle school and work effectively without burning out? What are some ways youth can reduce anxious emotions when it comes to feeling uncertain about items in their life?

Sandra suggests having a balance between schoolwork, part-time jobs and a hobby or extra- curricular. A hobby is necessary, so you are not consumed by work. She recommends taking breaks as breaks rejuvenate you and they let your mind rest.

Elizabeth recommends that each person should know themselves and need to schedule
themselves according. There is no need to overexert themselves. Instead of doing a reading for the lecture at midnight, it’s better to sleep and get proper rest and then catch up at another time. Anxiety and stress are good since it is an opportunity to change our approach or current situation.

Arka agreed with the suggestions of Sandra and Elizabeth.

“I like how the panel is simplifying these concepts. For example, take a break. Allow the mind to rest and the body to heal. One of the panelists said that you want to do the best, but body has its own limitation, and you need to take breaks. Take good rest and care, then you can really perform better. If you feel anxious, if you’re stressed out, then acknowledge what is happening and then flow with it, then it will begin to dissipate from you, but also place greater importance to your well-being, health, peace than keeping the work progressing. Do not make the work more important than yourself. Of course, we need work, but you are important. If you are vibrant, radiant, and able to manage well with good health and sound mind, you can perform better. You can excel in a short period of time and go forward and compensate all that you have lost, but somehow, we want to chase and chase without deeper understanding of all these aspects. After completing this work, I will sleep. After finishing this project, I will relax. Conditioned relaxation is not relaxation. We have to say ‘our health and well-being come first’.”

Before dinner, we enjoyed energetic performances by The Organic Sound band:
Lead vocals – Sarah O
Vocals – Sangeet Mcan
Vocals – Samantha Waters
Guitar – Dearian Seepersad
Keyboard – Adam Pedzikiewicz
Percussion – Sudesh Seiwkumar

“Do not expect others to understand you.Instead, develop the ability to understand others.”

~Srinivas Arka