People, regardless of their origin, are living under the impression that their life is too short to pursue their passions and chase their dreams. This is a stereotype that has resided in this society since the start. It is a mindset that has led many talented and skilled individuals to give up their dreams. Instead of setting their own goals, following their ambitions, and building a dream life, they tend to follow the crowd. The people who are motivated to follow their dreams and build their lives on their terms are highly discouraged. The world has lost many talented individuals to this mindset and has caused many others to lose hope.

The fact that this mindset is common in society does not make it right or justified. Dreaming is a part of life, and it is an individual’s birthright to try and turn it into reality. Nothing in this world is powerful enough to derail one from their path. This is something people need to understand. They need to believe that “A life driven by dreams and passions is life well-lived.”m

An advocate of chasing dreams and pursuing passions is T.M.R.P.K Tennakoon, a multipotentialite. Born and raised in the Sri Lankan city, Kurunegala, Tennakoon is setting an example for the world. By pursuing his passions, he is motivating all those who have lost hope and are on their way to give up on their dreams. Tennakoon is a county-level cricket player in the United Kingdom and an IT specialist at one of the world’s most prestigious organizations, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He grew up with a passion for cricket. He spent most of his childhood playing cricket with his friends and brother on the Sri Lankan paddy fields. While cricket was something that he loved, he did not compromise on his education. Tennakoon was an excellent academic performer and was a recipient of two presidential medals in school. The way he balanced his love for cricket and his passion for education is what makes him an example for all those who believe their life is too short to pursue multiple passions.

Kurunegala is a small town in Sri Lanka, and its environment is not where a person can hope to grow or groom their skills. Most of the youngsters in this society fall prey to alcoholism and corruption. Being from such a society, it is hard for an individual to succeed in life. Despite these struggles, Tennakoon did not give up. Growing up on his own instilled in him a determination to build a life that would be different from the one he had lived. While this was his dream, cricket was something that he did not want to stop playing.

Unlike the majority of the world’s population, Tennakoon decided to take both of his interests side by side. He invested his time and efforts into his academic performance. He did A/L in English medium in high school and obtained straight A’s. After Dharmaraja College – Kandy, Tennakoon landed an opportunity to study at one of the world’s renowned educational institutes, Cambridge University. He acquired a scholarship there in 2011, which marked the start of his journey towards success.

Originating from a stereotypical society, it was difficult for Tennakoon to even think of building a dream life. Fighting through the adversities, he built a mindset that helped him believe that ‘anything was possible’ and ‘all the labels the society associated him with were meaningless and untrue.’ Many people tried to derail Tennakoon from his path and bring him down compared to only a handful of people, including his brother, who was also his mentor, Indrajith, and best friend, Sujan, who motivated him. He did not give these people the satisfaction of letting their opinion become his reality. He kept his head high throughout his life, even during his darkest of days. It took a lot of hard work and efforts to establish a mindset that helped him understand the fact ‘what you choose to believe will become who you are.’ Tennakoon had to bring considerable changes in his habits. It took huge shifts in his actions and decisions to be where he is today, ‘happy, confident, and free.’ He states, “I am everything I wanted to become and more.” He believed that the origin of an individual, their school, or the circumstances or the environment do not matter if they have the right mindset. With a positive outlook on life, anybody can achieve anything they want!

Tennakoon’s shift in mindset and beliefs helped him acquire the position of IT specialist in NASA. In addition to this, his determination helped him stay close to his passion for cricket while building a dream life. From playing cricket in a small town, where Tennakoon did not even have access to proper sports goods, becoming a county-level player in the UK is not less than an achievement. Tennakoon’s life story is worth bringing under the spotlight as it can motivate many others struggling to build a dream life because of the stereotypical society.