Healthy To A Hundred: Chaitanya Patel of XTRING On 5 Things You Need To Live A Long, Healthy, & Happy Life
An Interview With Savio P. Clemente
Don’t live in the past. We all go through hardships in life and sometimes it’s challenging to move on. However, I’m telling you from my own experience, the sooner you move on from the past, the better it is for your overall health. It’s always good to learn from your experiences so that you avoid making the same mistakes but it’s never good to live in the past.
The term Blue Zones has been used to describe places where people live long and healthy lives. What exactly does it take to live a long and healthy life? What is the science and the secret behind longevity and life extension? In this series, we are talking to medical experts, wellness experts, and longevity experts to share “5 Things You Need To Live A Long, Healthy, & Happy Life”. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Chaitanya Patel.
Chaitanya, who goes by CP, owns a streetwear brand to help Introverts elevate confidence through style. He doesn’t come from a fashion background or never worked in apparel industry but is running with an idea he had in summer of 2020 with a clear vision of what he wants to achieve in the apparel industry. Even though the industry is so saturated, he believes that with his mission and purpose, he will dominate the industry within his niche.
Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?
I am 31 years old and living in the suburbs of Chicago with my parents. I was born and raised in India, then moved to the US at the age of 15, in August 2006. Life growing up in India was pretty simple: school, home, homework, sleep, and repeat. My social life was the bare minimum. Occasionally, I got to play with the neighbors’ kids but for the most part, my brother and I kept ourselves busy by either doing things around the house or fighting. After I came to the US, life was very different. Learning new ways to talk, the culture, the way of life — it was all very interesting and fun to experience. For the first time, I realized that there was so much more to do out there, which was beyond my imagination. It gave me hope for what life could be like in this country.
Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
It has to be my first business venture. What 25-year-old doesn’t want to own a business and make it their own? There I was — I had just opened my business and was thinking that this was it for me. I would do so much more here. Little did I know, destiny had other plans for me. The business lasted only nine months before we (I had a partner) had to shut the doors and I was back to square one, trying to find a way to put my life together. But I see that experience as my MBA rather than a failure. I learned so much: things to know before opening up a business, the type of partnership to have in place, the finances, the level of maturity needed to run and own a business, how to move on from that experience, and so many things in between.
The things that came out of that experience were things no college or institute could’ve ever taught me. And to be honest, I needed that. I was so excited about all the money I would make that I didn’t teach myself the skills needed to sustain the business. The resources were in front of me but it was ego that kept telling me I didn’t need any help. Some of us learn the hard way.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
There are a few people who I want to thank but one person in particular would be my best friend, Vibz, who pretty much helped me get my life together after I went through the failed business and bankruptcy. I’m sure he knows how thankful I am for him. If not, I’ll send this interview to him, ha-ha.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Networking: I believe in the saying “your network is your net worth.” Ironically, this is coming from an introvert. To my surprise, I was around a lot of people who could’ve helped me through the problems I was having but I didn’t realize it until I opened up to them. I saw the true value of networking and building relationships with people. Nobody will come to you, so you have to go to them. Since then, I have attended marketing events such as masterminds and became part of a mastermind group to connect with people who are in all different types of industries. You never know who you will meet. For example, since joining a mastermind group and connecting with people within that group, I have found resources for all types of work I needed to get done, such as website creator, copywriter, graphic designer, etc.
Integrity: Regardless of the type of profession you are in, integrity goes a long way. Be honest in everything you do. Live up to promises made and keep things black and white. Sometimes this might feel like the wrong thing to do because you want to avoid hurting someone’s feelings but it’s far better than a made-up truth to comfort someone. Especially when you’re in a business, or when you’re an entrepreneur, which requires working with other vendors and companies, truthfulness will be appreciated and people will feel comfortable doing business with you.
Accountability: Own up to my actions. I like to deliver on my promises, whether it’s sending payments to a vendor on time or providing a better customer experience. As a business owner, or even in my personal life, I hold myself accountable for my actions and fix anything I’ve done wrong. It’s always easy to blame others but that doesn’t fix problems. I also hold others accountable for their actions. I think that’s a fair thing to ask. Recently, I had to make a very large wire transfer to my manufacturer but I made sure it was done on time, and it was greatly appreciated by the vendor. This also helps build more trustworthy relationships.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of our interview about health and longevity. To begin, can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority in the fields of health, wellness, and longevity? In your opinion, what is your unique contribution to the world of wellness?
I think that, often, we get so caught up in chasing things that we forget about our own health and wellness. We forget to appreciate what we have and we lack gratitude. I was that person who wanted material things because I thought they would make me feel good about myself and my accomplishments. What I didn’t realize was what it takes to live a life like that. Without realizing it, we push ourselves into a dark hole where we neglect our health, wellness, and longevity. This type of life is why we develop health issues and illnesses that could easily be avoided. We look for reasons why we can’t achieve all those things instead of educating ourselves on what it takes to get to where we want to be in life.
Seekers throughout history have traveled great distances and embarked on mythical quests in search of the “elixir of life,” a mythical potion said to cure all diseases and give eternal youth. Has your search for health, vitality, and longevity taken you on any interesting paths or journeys? We’d love to hear the story.
Yes. For the past two years, I’ve focused more on my overall health. In the process, I realized that once I got serious about my health, my mind became much clearer. I felt more energetic throughout the day, which helped me focus on other things in life like my work and family. It was like Pandora’s box had opened for me.
Based on your research or experience, can you please share your “5 Things You Need To Live A Long & Healthy Life”? (Please share a story or an example for each)
Take good care of your health. Start exercising a few times a week, meditating every morning, and eating healthily. These changes will put you at ease, clear your mind, and help you collect your thoughts so that you can make better decisions.
Don’t live in the past. We all go through hardships in life and sometimes it’s challenging to move on. However, I’m telling you from my own experience, the sooner you move on from the past, the better it is for your overall health. It’s always good to learn from your experiences so that you avoid making the same mistakes but it’s never good to live in the past.
The same goes for your future. Don’t worry so much about the future that you can’t focus on the things you need to do in the present. Often, we create hypothetical scenarios about our future that cause us to worry and doubt ourselves in everything we do. I was that person until I realized that I should be focusing only on things I can control.
Be grateful for what you have. We compare ourselves to others who have things we want and then we ignore the things we have. Compare yourself to the person you were yesterday; if you’re better than what you were yesterday, then job well done. Don’t let someone else’s success or fortune prevent you from building your own life. Show gratitude for everything you have. I promise, there are far bigger problems out there. I know my problem didn’t even make the top 100.
Control your ego. The ego has a lot to do with the thoughts in our heads, whether it’s wanting to defend ourselves or having opinions about things or arguing with friends/family/strangers. If we can control our egos and learn how to walk away from these situations, our lives will be much easier. I have been trying to become good at this. So far, it has been working out pretty well.
Can you suggest a few things needed to live a life filled with happiness, joy, and meaning?
You need to surround yourself with positive influences. Cutting out all toxicity in your life starts with cutting out people who rub off in the wrong way. Whether it be friends or family, surround yourself with people who have your best interests at heart. Also, find like-minded people. Go to networking events. Not only will you educate yourself on things you enjoy doing but it will help you avoid getting distracted by negative thoughts.
Some argue that longevity is genetic, while others say that living a long life is simply a choice. What are your thoughts on this nature vs. nurture debate? Which is more important?
It definitely comes down to our choices. Our ancestors had to work hard for everything, even when it came to getting from point A to point B. We are spoiled in many ways. We can get lazy. Now is the time to wake up and take good care of our health, as being active is necessary to living a long life. There’s a reason why some people age so quickly after retirement.
Life sometimes takes us on paths that are challenging. How have you managed to bounce back from setbacks in order to cultivate physical, mental, and emotional health?
I learned my lessons from my past experiences. When it came to bouncing back, I knew I had to let go of my past, be in the present, and work on my future. There were many times when I thought about quitting everything and just working a small job to help pay my bills. However, I know that I was better than that and that it would be a huge disappointment to my parents given all the sacrifices they’d made for me.
I reached out for help from the people I trusted the most. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help. Usually, we worry about being judged by others if we ask for help but most of the time, that won’t happen. I started reading books, listening to podcasts, and joining mastermind groups to surround myself with, and be inspired by, like-minded people. I used exercise to open up my mind and, honestly, as my punching bag because you sure as hell feel great after a good workout.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?
“Everything happens for a reason.” Now, I don’t know why, but it was Grandpa who told me that when I was very young. He’s told me a lot of things I don’t remember but for some reason, that quote always stuck with me.
A few years ago, I invested in a franchise business. As a 24- to 25-year-old, I was very excited about it. I thought this was it for me. I started making all these big plans in my head: where this was going to take me and all the big things I would be able to do. Fortunately, it didn’t work out that way. First, it took me almost two years to start the business and it remained in business for only nine months. I never had a break-even month, let alone a profitable one. The reason why I call this a fortunate incident is that it taught me so much about owning and operating a business and all the things I lacked in order to run a successful business. I got so carried away with all the imaginary money I was going to make that I never taught myself how to be a good leader. It was the wake-up call I needed and, honestly, I don’t think I could have learned any of that from going to college. So, like my grandpa said, “Everything happens for reason,” and I like to think that it’s for a good reason.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I think a streetwear brand for introverts is itself a movement. I want to bring the introvert community together and help break through mental barriers. My focus moving forward is to help introverts become a better version of themselves. I want them to know that they’re not the only ones who feel the way they do and that things will get better. If someone like me can do it, I know they can, too.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
Follow me on IG @chaitanyapatel.eth or email @ info@xtring.shop.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.
