iDiya.org’s My Happy World Interview with Shobhita Indrakanti
On the auspicious occasion of the International Day of Yoga 21st June 2016, iDiya.org has launched “My Happy World” interview series, that makes people from various walks of life pause from their busy life to spend a few moments’ time to ponder on what gives them Happiness and how they can contribute to a Better World, through their thoughts and actions. This is one small step by iDiya Foundation towards fulfilling the former Indian president Late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s dream of an Enlightened Society, a Beautiful World – a Happy, Healthy, Peaceful and Prosperous World. Let’s co-create a better India and a better world, envisioned by Dr. Kalam and other great visionary leaders of the past and the present. The Change starts from YOU.. When you start becoming a little Happier than yesterday, then this world has already become a slightly better place than yesterday!
iDiya.org is interviewing thought leaders, change makers and unsung heroes from diverse backgrounds of about their simple ways of being Happy and making others Happy!
iDiya.org chief editor K V Krishna Reddy has interviewed a real life hero Shobhita Indrakanti, a 23 year old social activist and Art of Living Teacher.
Click Next button to start the slideshow of this thought provoking interview!
Personal, Professional, Social and Spiritual Background
Krishna Reddy: Shobhita, its my pleasure to interview you on your ideas of Happiness, life journey so far and your vision for a better world. Let us start by introducing yourself. Tell us briefly about yourself.Shobhita Indrakanti: Krishna, it feels honored to be a part of such a wonderful initiative going forward with the Vision of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. Having been brought up in Hyderabad, I am proper Vegetarian Hyderabadi! 
I come from a family heritage wherein both my grandfathers played their valuable leadership roles in working for some wonderful social causes and made significant sacrifices in their personal life. As I came to my awareness about life, I was enough inspired to begin thinking about my role for a greater cause and a healthier society. So Social Activism has always been in my blood. Professionally, I was another software engineer, by chance, worked for a couple of months with a leading Healthcare IT firm. Then I quit my lucrative job to became a teacher with a vision and entrepreneurial spirit, by choice. I chose my choice to earn my bread! To add on, I teach Art of living courses in my free time, inspiring youth to be happy human beings and better leaders. Cooking & mothering my pets are my favorite things to do !
“My Happy World” and Social Service
Krishna Reddy: What makes You Happy?
Shobhita: ‘Joy of Giving’ that comes from the space of total unconditional love is where I draw my energy from! The more energy I have, the more happy I feel. For me, animals are the epitomes of unconditional love. My dog inspires me to live happily every moment.
- For the past 5 years I have been consistently organizing the Youth Empowerment & Skills development workshops that help and empower youth to deal with every issue they come across.
- I have organized & taught Balchetana Shibir programs designed for under-privileged children. This program inculcates and nurtures core human values, importance of hygiene & healthy living to the young minds and empowers them with techniques to handle their natural tendencies efficiently.
- I have organized & taught Rural Happiness programs in Koyalagudem & Pochampally villages. Rural Happiness programs play a major role in alcohol de-addiction and inculcates high sense of awareness about the quality of living.
- I played a very active & crucial role in volunteer training and team building that makes service activities more active, consistent & sustainable.
- With an undying urge to bring equal quality of education to as many kids as possible, I contributed a very significant amount of my time working for a slum school in Hyderabad.
- Was part of Hudhud cyclone relief operations by Art of living Foundation.
My unique skills & ideas for a better World
Krishna: What are your Unique Skills? How do you propose to use them for a better world?
Shobhita: In my view, an undying love for something or somebody or even one’s self can bring about all the talents & skill sets required for an individual. In addition I believe that every human being is born with an infinite potential; and time & the company of the wise help him/her to identify some of them. One unique skill I identified in myself is the ability to analyze the personality of individuals. This has been helping me to be a better teacher. Enthusiasm & adaptability make me a distinguished person.
Krishna Reddy: Your Idea of Heaven?!
Shobhita: Being in total state of unconditional love every moment is heaven to me! Though it sounds like a fantasy, I see a possibility for this state after having experienced the powerful breathing technique Sudarshan Kriya, a unique gift to mankind by Sri Sri Ravishankar Ji. Earlier anger & sadness were so deeply imprinted in my DNA that every smallest imperfection would take me out of balance, to an extremity of destructing myself & others’ states of mind. Thanks to Sri Sri’s efforts, through Sudarshan Kriya I started experiencing high sense of belongingness & compassion. I am now at much ease with myself and other people and external situations have a reduced impact on me as compared to myself before. I am now instrumental in taking this gift of Sudarshan Kriya to more and more people thus contributing in building a Heaven on Earth!
Krishna Reddy: Your Great Idea (that could transform the world in a small way)?!My Success Formula & Health Tips
Krishna: What is your success formula?
Shobhita: Having a vision for personal, professional & spiritual life, a To-do list for a day, month & year, faith in myself, and practice of Sudarshan Kriya and Suryanamaskars have worked for me! I follow Ayurveda to keep a check on my health, listen to music for instant rejuvenation. I meditate to learn about myself, go on long drives for introspection & self-reflection.
Krishna Reddy: What are your future plans / goals / dream projects ?
Shobhita: Starting up an educational platform that makes Yoga and Spirituality as an integral part of life and modern education into application, through which study becomes a joy!
Role of Media towards a Better India and World
Krishna Reddy: What do you think is the role of media (print, online, TV, cinema, radio) in creating a better world?
Shobhita: Media is so powerful that can make or break a culture, a country. People become what they see & listen according to their ability of perception. Media should wisely play a positive role by providing fair exposure in all directions to see things that enhance people’s perception, expression & observation. This is very simple when media aims to show facts rather than interpret & explain their understanding of facts.
Role of Youth, Philanthropy, Entrepreneurship in Nation-Rebuilding
Krishna Reddy: According to you, what is the role of Social service and philanthropy in creating a better India and better world?
Shobhita: Extremely crucial! Today we have enough people to talk and we actually want people who work. Spirituality (self-enquiry through Yoga, Meditation etc) opens up a new dimension and unique doors to social service. Without Spirituality, social service becomes dry and loses its essence.
Krishna: What do you think is the role of Indian entrepreneurs and startups in building a Prosperous, Innovative and Happy India one brick at a time?
Shobhita: Entrepreneurship is important to produce more jobs and livelihood to many people in general. But in the context of India’s population, the intensity of entrepreneurial spirit should be so high that a business should create businesses and not just jobs. Every business leader should be intrinsically driven to have a noble vision for their company. I understand the nobility of vision as its ability to meet the quantity of people with quality of product/service offered that is more a necessity than a luxury.
Krishna: What do you think is the role of youth in making India a peaceful and harmonious country? How can they contribute to a peaceful, happy, healthy, prosperous, stress-free and violence-free India (and world)?
Shobhita: Youth have this wonderful ability to accept new challenges when they are interestingly projected. Channelized their energy in the right direction, youth can do wonders with their innovations and fresh brilliant ideas. This channelization can happen only through high inculcation & nurturing of human values that come from a deep spiritual knowledge.
Krishnaji, I deeply appreciate you for starting iDiya.org with the best vision ever. I want to personally thank you for making me a part of this.
Krishna: Thank you for joining us in this interview and more importantly this noble initiative. Let’s spread the positivity all across the world with our renewed energy and enthusiasm… Let us join hands together to co-create a better wold and make life on this planet a celebration!
The post Unconditional Giving makes me Happy – 23 year old Entrepreneur Shobhita appeared first on iDiya.org.
