Rejection and hate can break a man, but it has the opposite effect on Head Boy of Lyceum International School, Anuradhapura, Avishka Gunasekera. It makes him stronger. Perfect Prefect features Gunasekera, who is able to transform rejection into confidence.
When Gunasekera says he never says NO to an opportunity, what he is talking about is courage. Grabbing every opportunity that comes up sometimes takes a lot of courage. When he says he can face rejection and still remain confident, that is another form of courage. We all tell each other stories. Some are real life events and others are myth. But all these stories make us feel brave.
The face on the Lyceum Logo is that of Aristotle, a Greek Philosopher. The Greeks admired intellect. But they also admired passion and courage. Which is why when we talk about Ancient Greece we talk about heroes like Theseus and Hercules.
King Minos had waged war with the Athenians and was successful. He then demanded that Athens pay an annual tribute of seven maidens and seven youths to feed the Minotaur, a half man, half bull, that lived in the labyrinth. Theseus wanted to end this and volunteered to be one of the youth. In Crete assisted by King Minos’ daughter, he entered the Labyrinth with a ball of thread and a sword. He came to the heart of the Labyrinth and then a fierce battle between Theseus and the Minotaur took place. Theseus overpowered the Minotaur and killed it. This is one amongst the many tales of courage the ancient Greeks told each other.
“As a rule I never say NO to an opportunity. I always say YES. This is also my message to any young leader. Say YES and then think of how you will work towards it. Do not be afraid to change yourself. It may lead to a better future. But realize that change doesn’t happen overnight. It will happen naturally when you leave your comfort zone,” explained Gunasekera.
Gunasekera points out that he is motivated and there is no doubt about that. The rejection, hate and pain that he has to undergo just makes him stronger. For him the harder the better. When the intensity increases, his strength also increases. Nothing anyone can say or do can dampen his enthusiasm or spirits. He has a positive mindset and he says that he is really passionate about improving himself. For him a challenge is an opportunity. Each challenge is an opportunity to grow stronger.
In life we all have roles and responsibilities and that is the reality. In life you will have to fulfill a role. That is part of success. And Gunasekera points out that you need to do this with determination. You will have to fulfil your role to the best of your ability and that will help you achieve your goals and dreams he says.
“Making a difference doesn’t mean doing something that’s going to greatly change the world. It doesn’t really matter how small or big the impact of your actions will be. Every little action contributes to building a better community. In the end actions do speak louder than words. Something as easy as spreading love and peace can have a huge impact on society,” pointed out Gunasekera.
Elon Musk is his role model. Musk is of course a genius. When Gunasekera says Musk’s efforts are selfless and that he is concerned about the human species, he is spot on. Musk was long convinced that for life to survive, humanity has to become a multi-planet species (Elon Musk | Biography, SpaceX, Tesla, & Facts | Britannica).
“The biggest inspiration in my life is my dad. My dad has always been a person who enjoyed giving more than receiving. He is a leader who would very often participate in various activities with the local communities. Seeing such efforts made by him have definitely motivated me to be a selfless character.”
We all now know that Covid19 can be defeated through people getting vaccinated. However, this is not enough. We need to protect each other by obeying the rules – wear masks whenever on the road, practice social distancing and at all times try and avoid large crowds. In the face of Covid19, we must behave like one human family. We need to put our differences aside and work together.
“Knowing the current situation in the country and in the world, we are facing an uncertain future. It’s up to us to properly face this situation with a positive mindset in order to restore peace and harmony around the world. Stay safe and by being safe there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. And always remember that the greatest wealth is health,” said Gunasekera.
His main goal right now is to pass his GCE A/L’s with flying colors. Another goal is to gain entrance into a recognized university. He says that he is a big dreamer and is ready to work very hard to achieve his dreams. His ambition is to become a successful entrepreneur who can make a valuable contribution to society.
Gunasekera understands that knowledge is power. It is imperative that one arms himself/herself with knowledge. Ideally one should do this as soon as possible during his/her adolescence. However, it is never too late to start. He takes a keen interest in economics and technology. The internet is his hunting ground. When he is free, he likes to take part in a game of chess and plays the Piano.
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