From the Village to the World is the inspiring story of Manu Patolia whose journey began in the village of Taravada in Gujarat. It traces five decades in the life of Manu Patolia, from when he landed in San Francisco in 1969 with only 75 cents in his pocket. He fulfilled his dream of graduating as a civil engineer and through sheer entrepreneurial chutzpah built an empire in excess of US$250 million. All the while, he continued to support his entire family and the Swaminarayan Gurukul and contributed to the rise and welfare of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya in India and the USA. This stirring account encourages the young and ambitious to dream big, work hard and believe in themselves in order to fulfil their goals.
Dreams are not reality, but they have the power to create the reality we dream about. All we need is the courage to believe in our dreams, a fierce determination, unfailing faith in the Almighty and ourselves, the willingness to make sacrifices and a never-give-up attitude. Yes, you can succeed if you believe in the power of your dreams, the way I did and succeeded.
At twelve years of age, I decided to become a construction contractor and to do civil engineering to qualify to be one. That was a life-changing decision for me. I was only twelve then, hailing from a farmer's family living in a minuscule village of about 700 inhabitants, where not a single student had received education beyond the third standard.
But I dared to dream big. And it was with this same audacity that I pursued my dream too, landing as I did in San Francisco on 30 April 1969 with just 75 cents in my wallet! I had absolutely no clue how I would manage my shelter and food! But the very next year, against all odds, I went on to fulfil my dream when I completed my BS degree and qualified as a civil engineer.
There was another dream of mine, which too I was fortunate to accomplish. In view of the educational challenges I had faced in my childhood as well as the impact the Swaminarayan Gurukul had on my life, I had this burning desire to create educational facilities in my village, God willing.
With Lord Swaminarayan's blessings, I was able to fulfil this dream too, in 2001, when I was instrumental in promoting the Gurukul in Taravada. I not only contributed more than $1 million towards this cause, but also worked closely with the people concerned to see that the Gurukul was established. This initiative has benefited not just Taravada, but forty villages in the vicinity. Today, in this state-of-the-art institution, more than 2,500 students receive academic, cultural, spiritual, sports training, etc., to become not only quality professionals but also good human beings. Whenever I visit India, I make it a point to visit the Gurukul here and, invariably, my heart fills with emotion when I see myself in each student! With the Lord's blessing, by 2022, I will also be able to fulfil my dream of setting up my Gurukul in Los Angles, California.
Often in life we find that most things about us change, but that our families are a constant. Ours has always been a close-knit family. As a ten-year-old, after an untoward business incident that had not only shattered my father's dream of a family house for us but had also put us in a precarious position, financially and socially, I had promised myself I would ensure that each of my siblings had a place to live and a means to earn. In 1988, I fulfilled this dream when I procured a house each for all my eight siblings in California and also established independent avenues for them to earn their living. That day, as I recollected the incident I had witnessed as a ten-year-old, I could not control my tears of joy.
Today, as I head towards my life's dusk, wherever I go I am asked many questions about my success and business achievements:
How could a common man hailing from village of fewer than 700 people touch the skies?
How did you build up your business empire of $250 million, when you began your journey with only 75 cents?
Being a civil engineer, how did you manage diversified business portfolios, especially the complex printed circuit board business and then ventured in pharmaceutical/nutritional supplement business, beginning from scratch?
How did you plan business exits even before commencing the businesses?
What is the secret of your success?
Recently, at my grandchildren's insistence, I decided that writing the story of my life would be the best way to answer these questions. I was on the lookout for a person who could understand my emotions and describe my thoughts, someone who had also already done this before. Coincidentally, I chanced on Guru: A Long Walk to Success, an awe-inspiring autobiography of Dr Narendra Raval (endearingly referred to as 'Guru'), which I could not stop reading to the end. Inspired, I managed to get in touch with the book's author, KailashMota, and requested him to write down my life's journey too. He willingly agreed.
Through this book, I would like to inspire those of today's younger generation who believe in their dreams and have a flame within to achieve them, as I have done in my life. I quote for them Eleanor Roosevelt's most inspiring thoughts, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.' My efforts will be rewarded if I am able to touch even a few hearts and inspire their owners to achieve their dreams and succeed in their lives.
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