On a mission to spread smiles & positivity blindly
CHENNAI: As part of a curtain raiser for the Wipro Marathon 2016, over 50 heads of companies, or the Change Enabling Officers’ (CEO) ran today at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium raising money for causes. Wearing t-shirts to support their cause, they took part in races divided into 4x100m relays.
Amid the melee smiled a man with his shades on, beaming with excitement, and animatedly chatting with others around. “Every day is a new day, full of excitement as you start your day afresh,” he says. It’s no wonder he’s got inspiration prefixed to his name. Meet Inspiring Ilango, a visually challenged motivational speaker, CEO of Ace Panacea Life Skills, who is also a singer, voice-over artist, TV anchor, writer, and a lot more one can fathom.
With the idea of spreading smiles on many faces, Inspiring Ilango is known to many students in schools, colleges, and software companies. His USP is that he succeeds in making you smile even after a simple conversation. “Happiness is the key here. I’m extremely happy and I feel compelled to spread it around,” he says.
Having been a motivational speaker at various events for years, speaking about the world and believing in an idealistic future comes naturally to him. “I like to make sure people try to do something positive through me. The ultimate question is, ‘if he can, then why can’t I?’ I try to do my bit and talk about what I’ve lived through or what I do to motivate people,” he explains.
Being the CEO of a soft skills company and coming up with various techniques to motivate such as ‘Musivation’ (a portmanteau of music and motivation), he regards one’s presence as a strong factor for spreading the message. “As a speaker, I don’t really advice. I talk or sing to whoever is listening, whether it’s students or anybody. The message is inherent that I am here to genuinely uplift your spirits.” he shares.
Running a company, along with his wife Srilatha, with soft skills experts spread out around Tamil Nadu, Ilango has a schedule that keeps him busy throughout the week. From talks to singing and writing, between his schedules, he keeps himself occupied by listening to audio books. From speeches by Nehru to Anna Periyar, he listens to them all whether he’s on a flight or catching a quick break at home. While he admits his schedule could get a little tight, nothing stops him from pursuing what he wishes to seize from the day.
Being a motivational speaker, Ilango has an interesting response to people who inspire him. “I seek inspiration from many, every day. You meet anybody and you listen to their stories, I seek inspiration. There’s no age limit. But if there’s one thing I’ve found what works best is when you inspire yourself. It implies that you know yourself in and out and it appeals to others if you seek inspiration in yourself,” he shares.
Looking into the future, this CEO believes that the country’s future is in good hands. “I can gladly say that despite the surge in consumerism and materialistic needs, they have a lot going for them,”
he smiles. With the run taking place in minutes, Ilango readies himself wearing that same smile throughout, sharing the motto that drives him every day: “Be happy and make others happy.”