Akash Patel – One Of The Youngest Motivational Speakers

Akash Patel is the first personality I discovered not from orkut but from facebook. This is also an extension of flockpost.com which is no longer limited to orkut. Though, Akash is also a very active orkut user with more than 900 friends and 100 fans. I found him one of the youngest multi talented personality and a very friendly, down to earth teenage guy. Limca Book of Records may reward Akash as the youngest motivational speakers of the world. The interview with this talented Iowa university (USA) student was one of my best experience and it’s worth reading for everyone.

Please give your short biography, your birth place, family and school life.

“Seva Parmo Dharma” -The Bhagwat Gita (Service is the highest religion)

The above shloka (verse) from one of the greatest epics “Bhagwat Gita” sums up my philosophy in life. Though born and brought up in a family of business lineage, I have aspired and strove to make a positive difference in the lives of people and contribute something of permanent nature.  I was born and brought up in the Wine Capital of India: ‘Nashik’ which is no longer a town – it is a metro in the making! My childhood has been quite simple and I have an identical twin brother Anand who is equally talented and gifted as I am! We brothers were extremely outgoing and ‘go-getters’ right from the beginning.  My first leadership experience was as the President (Head Boy) of Nirmala Convent High School, my alma mater, an abode of eternal inspiration, motivation and knowledge. I am currently pursuing my Bachelors in Engineering & Journalism at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa (USA) and also working as the International Student Ambassador of this esteemed institution. I started teaching ‘Human Values’, ‘Personality Development’ and ‘Motivation’ at a tender age of 16 and this has helped me apply for the prestigious Limca Book of World Records for the 2011 edition as the youngest motivational speaker of the world! I also worked as a free lance writer for Nashik Times and a YO! (Young Opinion) journalist for The Times of India’s YO! Bureau. I am currently on the Publication Board of the well-know college newspaper Iowa State Daily and also on the University Committee of Lectures, English Club and the Committee of World Affairs. I and my twin brother are also the founders of ‘The Indian Culture – Sanskriti’ Club at Iowa State University.

This whole hearted effort of conducting workshops on ‘Value Education’ and ‘Personality Development’ and ‘Motivation’ is based on Helen Keller’s ideology:

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”

As a child, what was your dream and aim in life?

My aspirations were totally different in childhood than what I desire to be in the present-day. I always dreamt of being a pilot when I was a kid but DESTINY changed the course of my life. I never knew that I would be a social activist, writer and a motivational speaker in the long run. It was something incredible! My goals are now to be an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker, writer and social activist; in this pursuit, my long term goal is to work selflessly to win the Nobel Peace Prize (I know it is a farfetched dream but I shall work assiduously to achieve it!).

At such a young age you have experienced so many facets of life, you worked so hard. What is your source of energy and confidence?

It’s all the magic of PASSION, an unflagging zeal and an indomitable will power to do things with a difference! I think that life is real and earnest and that the GRAVE is not the ultimate goal of life. We have to do something epoch making, get up and set our shoulders to the wheel, otherwise what is the difference between us and the trees and stone. They, too, come into existence, decay and die! I am very optimistic and have a store house of abundant energy that helps me get up everyday and do something for a noble cause! All you need is a tireless will power and determination to work!

My mother and two of my High school teachers play a key role in my success. Veteran teacher and Nashikite Vinodini Seetharaman was the great person who discovered the hidden talent in me that was waiting to be exploited. She allowed me to teach ‘English Composition’ and ‘Communication Skills’ to her students which eventually helped me leave a mark as a free lance writer and a YO! Journalist in The Times of India and Nashik Times. This fun filled experience of teaching at ‘Seetharam Classes’ all the more helped me develop my oratory skills to a great extent! High School Teacher Sheila Doke is like my second mother, she was the person whom I approached for all my spiritual needs.

Everybody says “Failure is a part of life”, but how do you take failures in your life? Would you like to share any real life experience with us?

Failures are the stepping stones to success! To be very honest and candid, I failed in all elocution competitions in High School but ‘at least’ made an attempt. I kept trying but failed in most of the Inter School Elocution competitions. I remember just getting a Consolation Prize once! Otherwise, I just couldn’t make it in most of the competitions. These experiences helped me develop my speech and today I proudly affirm that I can speak confidently even in front of a crowd of thousands of people. I owe a lot of my gratitude to FAILURE! In the past 2 years I have:

• Conducted more than 250 workshops on ‘Moral Values’, ‘Personality  Development’, ‘Motivation’ in and around Nashik district (Maharashtra, India) for students, teachers, parents, politicians, lawyers, doctors, industrialists, police officers, juvenile delinquents, hard core criminals, etc.
• Motivated more than 1, 00, 000 people of India. Bagged the credit of being the youngest motivational speaker of Nashik.
• Conducted a seminar for politicians on March 30, 2009 in the august presence of Senator Sameer Bhujbal and a myriad of other dignitaries. This workshop was telecast on one of India’s popular TV channels Star Maza.
• Delivered 5 speeches, Audio Visual presentations at the Central Jail of India, Jail Road, Nashik on September 25, 2008.
• Conducted a ‘Police Training workshop’ for the police officers of Nashik at the Police Commissionarate (Sinhasth Auditorium), Nashik on July 27, 2009.

Who is your idol? Why?

‘My life is my message’, ‘I have nothing new to teach the world, truth and non violence are as old as the hills’ – these are the lofty thoughts of the Mahatma  Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who has been my role model ever since childhood followed by two more noted personalities and visionaries Barack Obama and APJ Abdul Kalam. All their lives teach me HUMILITY.  They teach me to accept good as well as bad with gratitude! These people are so down-to-earth even after their extra-ordinary and exemplary achievements.  Their life reminds me of the inspirational lines by H W Longfellow from the famous poem ‘The Psalm of Life’:

Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime,

And, departing, leave behind us

Footprints on the sands of time

Being on stage and speaking for hours on one subject is challenging. Isn’t? How was your first experience as a speaker?

Speaking for hours at length on the same subject at different places is indeed a challenging job. My friends used to often ask: Don’t you get tired conducting the same workshops at so many places? Aren’t you bored? I used to always say: It’s so much of fun and exploration, meeting so many different people like students, teachers, parents, politicians, industrialists, nurses, doctors, police officers, juvenile delinquents, hard core criminals etc. This job gives me satisfaction and immense happiness. My experience at the Jail is different from a school, hospital, industry, etc. So every workshop is unique and opens up a plethora of new options and opportunities. Above all, I like doing this noble job as I LOVE to see a SMILE on the face of a person who is distressed, crestfallen or who smiles just for the sake of smiling and goodwill! I always mention in my workshop: Anger is a cup of poison that you are drinking and thinking that the other person should die or something bad should happen to that person. So, always be happy always wear a smile not because life is full of reasons to smile but your smile itself is a reason for many others to smile. Smile a lot, it costs nothing!

I was very zealous about studying Psychology, Philosophy, Spirituality et al and people slowly started knowing me and acknowledging my effort as an Assistant teacher at ‘Seetharam Classes’. It was my first opportunity when I was going to present something to students and wanted to see their response and gain some valuable feedback. It was Kilbil St Joseph High School where I planned to present my first workshop. The Principal Sister Grace was very stringent and first and foremost asked me to present the entire workshop in front of her. I did it enthusiastically. She was so enamored that she quickly asked her Supervisor to allow me to speak to the Grade 9 students. This triggered off my vast endless journey in the realm of Motivation and Moral Values. I learnt and developed my speech everyday with new locations and new spectators. Slowly and gradually people recognized my efforts and then I was roped in by the Collector of the District, S Chockalingam, who granted me the permission to conduct this seminar in all schools of Nashik District!

Akash, what are those basic points which every human being despite of his caste, color religion, wealth and country should do to make his life happy?  I asked this question to you because I personally feel that a lack of positive attitude towards life and depression is one most common illness present in this world.

‘Satisfaction-content’ is the key to happiness.  One must have abundant faith in oneself and be self-motivated to do anything that he aspires to achieve. In this process, if he fails to attain and accomplish certain goals, he must possess perseverance and patience, he must remember the human being who lives in dire straits, in extreme poverty or the person who is visually challenged, physically handicapped and is still willing to do something different, that shall be a source of motivation.

I have always heard people saying: Mera Naasib hi Kharab hai (I am unlucky right from birth/ Luck doesn’t favour me!), for such lethargic, sluggish, lazy people, I have only 1 thing to say:

Never believe what the lines of your hand predict about your future because people who don’t have hands also have a future! Believe in yourself!

One more crucial aspect is to learn the art of forgiveness and letting bygones be bygones. We often remember all the negative things (fights/grudges/verbal abuse) that we have had with another person. We must forgive and forget. I know how difficult it is to forgive; I acquired it only after a lot of meditation and contemplation. Rabindranath Tagore rightly says Forgiveness is the quality of the strongest.

We must always bear in mind: To err is human, but to forgive is divine. So, forgive others and acquire a divine quality. That is the essence of life.

We often say that Life is not a bed of roses, but how many of us accept life as it comes? Do we stop to think about all that has been endowed upon us? Time for introspection!

Your Journey has started from a small town. Especially in India, we have seen this common problem that the young people who hail from a small town comparative to metro cities find themselves less motivated to face this world ( Both educationally and professionally) , what is your opinion?

My hometown Nashik is in no way a small town but compared to metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Banglore, it is underdeveloped! When I was in High School, we didn’t have many International schools or the CBSE/IB/ICSE curriculum, nevertheless, Nashik is now an educational hub and also a metro in the making! Progress doesn’t depend upon the size, population or demography of the city! It all depends upon your zeal and will power. You need a tireless and an undying will to succeed both academically and professionally. I was groomed in a background where I hardly faced any adversity or difficult situation. I was ‘fortunately’ bestowed with everything that a student studying in a cosmopolitan city got; I wasn’t deprived of any opportunities.  I do see eye to eye with the fact that guys from a small town aren’t exposed to many facets of life that their fellow friends from metro cities are; but that is, in no way a crucial benchmark of any human being’s success! Gandhiji, Dr Ambedkar, Business tycoon Dhirubhai Ambani and Lakshmi Mittal were all born and brought up in small towns or villages.

What are your favorite free time activities?

I hardly get spare time during the day while living in the United States. I had some leisure time when I was in India but US life is very busy, since apart from studying, I also have to cook, shoulder the responsibility of a house and get involved in all the Clubs and Committees that I have pledged time commitment to. If I get some spare time, I love writing and reading. I am a voracious reader. In the States, I spend weekends by inviting people from all over the world (International Students at ISU) to have Indian food at my apartment. I also teach Yoga to interested students at Iowa State University.

India produces one of the most intelligent and qualified professionals in the world. Although, Indian educational and social institutions sometime pressurize and overburden students with their studies. How do you find the education system in India?

The Indian educational system is unique and exceptional. It is different and I recommend the Indian educational system since it subjects students to immense learning and a broader and deeper understanding of concepts. I still criticize the concept of ‘rote learning’ in India. If it is replaced by ‘Practical and pragmatic’ approach towards understanding concepts, Indian educational system will see a revolution and be rewarded as the best educational system in the world. The credit of my ‘tender age’ success and accomplishments goes solely and completely to the distinguished Indian educational system. I am proud that India is still one of the leading countries producing the best of engineers, doctors, scientists, physicians, writers, and above all GOOD HUMAN BEINGS! However, there is still scope for improvement and a lot of amendments in the educational system!

You have so many friends, followers and fans in India and now you have also started showing your magic in Unites States, Do you have a girl in your life? Sorry if it is too personal.

I do have many close girlfriends but not a ‘girl’ in the true sense. I don’t want to get into a relationship since it is not appropriate for a person of my stature. Tomorrow, if a student, teacher, parent or any other person who has attended my workshop or knows me as a motivational speaker sees me on the road or in any picture flirting with a girl; it would be a disgrace and a shame for me! I must Practice what I preach otherwise it is useless and futile. I will get an appropriate girl at the appropriate time!

Which is your favorite online spot orkut or facebook?

As far as my Indian and Brazilian friends are concerned, Orkut is the best spot for social networking, but these days I prefer Facebook over Orkut since it is a lot more secure, classy and trendy!

I love Orkut too!

Any message to readers?

My life is my message to the readers. Dear readers, you must just ponder and think for a few seconds – If a 16 year old lad can do so much for the society, why can’t I ? I am not trying to brag about my achievements but just trying to tell you how important it is to get involved in serving HUMANITY and helping someone in need.  Service to man is Service to God.

One must bear in mind that Life is real and earnest and the grave is not the ultimate goal of life!

You can contact me on akapat3@gmail.com

Well, thanks a ton Zazo for considering me capable of being on Orkutheroes. It was fun and a delight to answer all your questions! Wish you and your team great success in all your future endeavors and May God bless u guys always!

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