Monotony kills the joy we can get from life, while passion makes you truly feel alive. Head Boy of Trinity College Kandy, Abhishek Anandakumara loves what he does. Perfect Prefects features Anandakumara, the all-rounder.
Too often today the youth are forced into doing what others think is proper and not what they, the youth really feel passionate about. Adults want the youth to think the way they think. They even call the youth naïve and immature when the youth express their ideas! When you become a copy of someone else, pruned and clipped, doing what others want you to do without doing what you feel passionate about, monotony sets in. Life becomes monotonous - dull, tedious, repetitive and lacking in variety and interest. But when you do what you are passionate about, then comes happiness and self-satisfaction. Then you really feel alive! Nothing wrong with being advised! You need advice. But remember you are a unique creation!
“The importance of being passionate about what you do can be seen in the lives of many successful people who have changed the world and that can only come from within, if you really love what you do. Many seniors in workplaces do not think that the ideas of their subordinates are worth considering. I also feel that introducing a system where everyone gets to choose a career that they love and they’re good at, instead of being forced into something just because of poverty, race or religion is important. I believe the world would be a much better place to live in if this system is changed. I’ve always been a person who believes in happiness, positivity and self-satisfaction. It would be lovely if we as humans are allowed to pursue careers in what we love to do. You must not be a slave to a culture where you have to do what you’re asked to do,” explained Anandakumara.
For Anandakumara the divine plays a big part in his life. The reason for his success is always having God’s blessings. Working hard to achieve what he wants regardless of how daunting the challenge maybe is another reason for his success. He is a person who never gets disappointed. Such is his optimism. He firmly believes that failures are the pillars to success.
Anandakumara has gained valuable experience when it comes to working with the student body. Covid19 may have deprived him of an opportunity to work with the student body for an extended period of time, yet he has had his moments. However, these situations were not new to him. He has faced pressure and has shown his quality as a competent leader. He has experience when it comes to balancing studies and extra-curricular activities. He is a cricketer who has played alongside different personalities. The sport is time consuming and he has acquired the skill of multi-tasking due to this reason.
Anandakumara is a firm believer that the way you faced yesterday, the way you face today and the way you face tomorrow is never identical. Every single experience you have, irrespective of its significance will make a change in the way you live your life. Just face the reality, not worrying about the negative side of it. Think positively, learn from your mistakes and adapt. Your life will be successful and most importantly you will be happy he says. But whatever success you achieve you must always remember to be humble. This will open new doors in life and take you to heights you never could have imagined of.
He is ambitious and fiercely competitive. In fact, he is a young man who dreams of being the captain of a World Cup Winning Sri Lankan Cricket Team.
“When I was a young kid if someone asked me what my ambition was, like most kids would do, I would’ve replied very enthusiastically that I wanted to follow some kind of recognized professional path. Maybe become a doctor, a pilot or an engineer. But now my answer is different. My first goal is to live a happy life that I can be satisfied with. This might sound strange, but yes that’s what I want. It is obvious that a person would need money and certain other worldly pleasures to make life a happy one. But my primary ambition is to stay happy and whatever the path I choose it would be one that makes me happy,” added Anandakumara.
Anandakumara’s ambitions remind us of another Trinitian who also played cricket and is regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all times. This man was also the captain of the Sri Lankan Cricket Team and at retirement, he was the second-highest run-scorer in ODI cricket and sixth-highest run scorer in Test cricket. Another one of Anandakumara’s favorites in cricket is a kiwi who is the captain of the current New Zealand cricket team, a man who led the New Zealand national team into the 2019 Cricket World Cup finals. However apart from these two cricketers he also admires a man who is known as one of the greatest humanitarians in history. He employed non- violent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India’s independence from British Rule.
“Mahatma Gandhi and Kane Williamson are two leaders who have inspired me purely because of their humility. I would say Kumar Sangakkara is my biggest inspiration. One reason is that his alma mater is mine as well and therefore we as Trinitians find it very easy to follow him in terms of what he achieved while he was at school. But most of all what inspires me is his overall character. I feel that he’s a complete human being as well,” said Anandakumara.
Anandakumara points out that one thing he has learnt is that how something affects you highly depends on how we react to it and not on what happened or how it happened.
“From the day I walked into my prestigious school, I’ve been taken through everything I need to live in society. What’s special at Trinity is that a product of it would always be an all-rounder. It has been a long and wonderful journey which I do not find the words to explain. It goes beyond the limit of just studies and sports and molds the character of its students. I don’t think my words can tell you what Trinity is all about and what it actually means to us. It’s really an experience worth trying out,” stated Anandakumara.
Anandakumara finally wished to say that a person’s parents play a most important role in bringing them up. He points out that in society we find cases where parents are often abandoned or treated badly. He believes that we must honor our parents for the love they have shown us. Our parents will always remain our parents.
“I would like to thank my parents for what they’ve done for me so far. The sacrifices they’ve made and the sleepless nights are uncountable. They’re the reason I’m who I am today,” said Anandakumara.
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