KOCHI: The engineer-turned-motivational speaker Eldo George likes to call himself a ‘failure specialist’. His speeches are all driven by stories of his own periods of weakness and debacles from his childhood, but one that has helped him on his path to success. And unlike many speakers, Eldo uses only examples of his own life to teach young people.
Now, the Pallikkara native in Ernakulam district, has converted his life’s experiences into a book ‘Fortunate Failures’. The 501 st copy was released by Mohan Lal recently.“Initially, my publisher had expressed a fear whether the book will do well because of its title. However, I was adamant that the name be retained because my book was only about effective and ineffective failures,” he said.
The book
Each chapter of the 180-page book, published by Notion Press, has only two pages, making it an easy read.The stories are all based on reflections that the author has made. “The turning point of my life came during my first year in college.
I was asked to make a Power Point presentation on personality development. I sat and thought about my life experiences and how far I have reached so far. I took a lot of time preparing the presentation which turned to be my moment of reflection,” Eldho said.
After this, Eldo was told to take motivational classes for his fellow students during his first year at engineering college. “There was a period allotted to me and I could feel a lot of people being inspired by my words,” said Eldho. “Soon, it started spreading to other colleges and schools and after I passed my fourth year, I was being called everywhere.”
Though Eldho was employed by some multinationals, his passion to inspire others got the better of him and he quit his job and became a motivational speaker.
The moment of realisation
“In school, I was a mediocre student. I had to work hard to break out of the comfort zones I was living in and that helped me grow as an individual. I was never first in my class nor was I a favourite of my teachers. But, today the same school calls me often for classes,” says Eldo.
Few tips to convert failures to success from ‘Fortunate Failure’
Be positive
Always be willing to make progressive realisation
Should be aware of weaknesses and work on it
Be aware of what you want
Develop people relationships
Recognise your career