Why I don't use Prefixes

Disclaimer: This is a very sarcastic post. Also, if anyone gets offended by it, don't get me wrong : I really meant it. You did a good job getting offended. Plus you know where the "Report Spam" button is.

Now.

I am 26 years old. I've had some good "decent" success. (even average, if you look at international standards. 45 year old men run the same if not faster time than me in a Marathon).

But thanks to Mr. Isaac Newton, we have a concept of Frame of Reference.

So (being arrogant for a second) even my training times are faster than most people's race times in the Indian frame of reference. (which btw, is a very low standard).

Now, my upbringing is such that I was taught humility and the importance of staying grounded.

Plus, I am an educated person, who didn't just read books, but understood them.

So when, in the Sanskrit textbook, it said "विद्या ददाति विनयं विनयाद्याति पात्रताम् । पात्रत्वाद्धनमाप्नोति धनाद्धर्मं ततः सुखम् " (which translates to : knowledge gives humility, from humility comes worthiness, from worthiness one gets wealth, from wealth one does good deeds, from that comes joy.), I took that quite seriously.
I chose to be humble.

I chose to be humble despite running 100 mile weeks at 4:15 min/km.

I chose to be humble when I ran a Marathon in 2:56:24.

I chose to be humble when brands approached me to promote their products.

I chose to be humble when I won a 100k footrace. (And I actually won it)

I chose to be humble when I did an Ironman and a month later did 7 back to back Half Iron Distance Triathlons in 7 days.

I chose to be humble when I became the 1st Indian Male to finish Ultraman.
And I chose to be humble, doing this while I managed a 12 hour workday. And I will continue to be so.

You know why?

Because, not only are there more than plenty people who can do what I do, if not better than me.

What I did doesn't tap into the limit of what a human being can achieve. 
What I did might be inspirational for a group of people, but for me the more important part was to look forwards.

I am just not the kind of person, who wants to live in the past.

What happened, whatever I achieved, is past. My legacy is not done. My legacy won't be this small.
My legacy will not limited to being a "finisher".

Again, thanks to my education I believe that life shouldn't be limited to mere words. Nor should it be limited to money.

I don't do what I do so that I can organise failed Marathons and make money off them.

I don't do what I do so that I can, without knowledge, act like a coach to people and then ruin their lives. (That's why I advise only 3 people, despite reading tonnes of books and practising the workouts and strategies on me)

I don't do what I do so that a newspaper can lie about my achievements.

I do what I do because I want to inspire a whole generation of people to believe in themselves.

I do what I do so that I can create a platform so that one day India can have an Olympic Gold Medalist.

I do what I do not for glory.

I do what I do because I want to leave the world a better place than what I came in.
I do what I do because I try and be the change I want to see.

So, when I go out, I don't have to wear T shirts that show which races I have done.

Nor do I sign cheques that say "Ultraman Arunaabh Shah".

I do what I do and try to silently move on to the next task because the future has more to look forward to than being stuck in the past.

I don't care if people forget my achievements, if they got into a running routine because of me.

For me, that's the reward.

I know I do come out as a non diplomatic person because I speak my mind. But hey, I am and I never have been fake.

And so no, I will never have a Prefix infront of my name (till I get a Ph. D and am awarded a Doctorate) because I don't need to be a reminder for my achievements.

My achievements will change lives and influence people. And for me, that's enough.