https://www.facebook.com/579810085754525/

Suresh De Silva : Wordsmith - Value Creator, Colombo (2026)

12/10/2025

After 7 years of writing, my third book - '𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐆𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐙𝐄𝐃: 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬' is finally complete and shall be unveiled on Thursday 6th November!

It is a deeply personal work: part memoir, part “anti-memoir” - where I share my life’s darkest storms, deepest scars, most profound struggles, and valuable lessons.

It is raw and honest, sometimes heavy, but written with the hope that it may offer strength or solace to anyone navigating their own trials.

I touch on family, history, tragedy, a few triumphs, and the journey of pulling myself out of difficult places. It also reflects who I am today - my ideals, mindset, and perspective.

This has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and I hope you will honor me with your presence at the official book launch.

You are all welcome (providing of course that you are in Colombo, Sri Lanka during that time) to attend the launch, witness a few chapter readings by a select group of personalities who have been an instrumental part of my life's journey - and IF you so choose can procure a personally signed copy for yourself.

📖 Price: LKR 3,500 per copy (overseas orders will include shipping).

✨ All of you who pre-order will receive a personally signed copy at the launch or sent to you directly.

You can hit up +94777287776

This amazing artwork is by Madhri Samaranayake

The tome is edited by Marianne David

Layout by EvilCat Lab

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐫 & 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝟔.𝟑𝟎𝐩𝐦-𝟏𝟎𝐩𝐦.

01/10/2025

Know the difference.

One inspires excellence through trust and respect in your team’s skills and experience. The other reduces every effort to nitpicking, draining passion and breeding frustration.

27/09/2025

𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 for The Overseas School of Colombo🏆

has done it again - winning back-to-back Gold at the prestigious International ARC Awards in New York for the 2023/24 Annual Report, 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀.

The ARC Awards are the Oscars of the AR awards around the world!

Thrilled to share that my consultation firm 𝐀𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 in collaboration with were behind the concept creation, cover design, and in fleshing out the concept story of the award winning AR.

For a small school on a small island, to be recognised alongside global giants like Samsung, DHL, Abbott, Lufthansa, and Alibaba is truly remarkable.

Yet, this honour is about more than a trophy. It is a tribute to OSC's people - the passion, professionalism, and heart that bring OSC to life every single day ❤️

Explore the award-winning report here: https://osc2023-24.annualreport.plus

27/09/2025

𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 The Overseas School of Colombo🏆

The Overseas School of Colombo has done it again - winning back-to-back Gold at the prestigious International ARC Awards in New York for our 2023/24 Annual Report, Timeless Dedication: Celebrating the Faces Behind Our Progress.

𝐀𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲; particularly EvilCat Lab and Yours Truly are delighted to have played a part in the concept creation, cover design, and story of the AR.

For a small school on a small island, to be recognised alongside global giants like Samsung, DHL, Abbott, Lufthansa, and Alibaba is truly remarkable.

Yet, this honour is about more than a trophy. It is a tribute to OSC's people - the passion, professionalism, and heart that bring OSC to life every single day ❤️

Explore the award-winning report here: https://osc2023-24.annualreport.plus

27/09/2025

It isn’t rocket science.

No matter your chosen vocation or where you stand along your professional journey, one principle holds true: always treat people with patience, kindness, and respect - especially strangers.

You never know when life will set you on a winding, perilous road, or when you may once again cross paths with those you once mistreated, disrespected, or dismissed.

Showing others respect and benevolence is not just courtesy; it is an investment.

And in truth, there is no greater investment than the goodwill of people who will stand by you when life’s storms arrive.

08/08/2025

We often invest a great deal of time and energy trying to help people who seem perpetually trapped in the same cycles and loops - the same drama, the same self-inflicted chaos.

There’s no doubt that offering support to someone in need is a noble and selfless act. It’s an instinct rooted in empathy. There’s no argument there.

But life, work, and relationships sometimes throw us into the orbit of people who don’t actually want solutions. They crave attention, validation, and thrive on dysfunction. They wear their problems with pride, letting their problems define who they are - attracting the same chaos over and over again.

And these are the people who will drain you.

Who will pull you into their emotional quicksand and keep you there.

The ones who embody the phrase “misery loves company.”

You’re far better off letting them go.

They could be your boss. A peer. A time-serving “friend.” A client.

Sometimes, they may even talk the talk, and walk an impressive walk; wear lavish clothes, have a sizeable, fancy budget - yet bring nothing but toxicity, disrespect, and ego into the room.

After over two decades in the creative industry, I’ve learned this:

I’d rather walk away from a lucrative but toxic client than watch my team be undervalued, disrespected, and crushed under unrealistic demands.

Because here’s the truth no one tells you:

We are 𝒏𝒐𝒕 obligated to carry the weight of problems others choose to create for themselves.

We are 𝒏𝒐𝒕 responsible for fixing what people refuse to acknowledge.

It is 𝒏𝒐𝒕 our role to bite every bullet, mend every ego, or rewrite every narrative.

Some people just love their problems.

They’re not looking for solutions.

They’re looking for an audience.

Stop being part of their stage.

Reclaim your peace of mind. Own how you choose to manage and spend your time.

Focus on what truly matters - and who actually values you.

23/07/2025

'𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑦 𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑
𝑁𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑠ℎ
𝑀𝑦 𝑓𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒, 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑚𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑙𝑎𝑦 𝑚𝑦 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡
𝑀𝑦 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑟𝑒
𝐿𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑙 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑒

𝐵𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑜𝑛 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡ℎ
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡, 𝑖𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑔𝑜!'

To give a little perspective, if not for Ozzy, and his three brothers Tony, Geezer, and Bill having formed the mighty Black Sabbath in Birmingham, in 1968 - the world most likely would be a very different place... especially musically.

It's not just mourning the loss of a great poet, singer, frontman, and a true Rock 'n Roll rebel, but also a man who was symbolic of a great many things, to a great many generations.

From revolutionary artists to creative visionaries, to aspiring performers, and budding vocalists, Ozzy carved a name for himself with remarkable niche branding and epitomizing one's artistry while remaining truly authentic, and unique in a convoluted and homogenous world.

OZZY did things differently, and always followed his own heart.

The man lived life the way life ought to be lived; with risks taken, controversy, unfiltered leaps, momentous choices, and always with a big be***al smile.

He brought joy, depth, and smiles to so many people around the world.

Long live the King, the King is dead!

May you rest with power & might,

Your legacy lives on in all of us 🔥🤘🏻

12/06/2025

𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐬: 𝟏𝟎 𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 (𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞)

1. 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧: Doesn't know what one wants. Has no clear-cut understanding of one's own brand, business purpose, vision, mission, strategic intent and objectives.

2. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐭: The '𝐼𝑡'𝑠 𝑀𝑦 𝑊𝑎𝑦 𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑤𝑎𝑦' people. Allegedly knows everything, but is unable to implement anything on one's own. Refuses to pay heed to constructive advice, feedback, and critical insight.

3. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: Requires everything to be finished ASAP - done at whatever time of day or night it is needed. Zero respect for anyone else's time, talent, and efforts.

4. 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞: Keeps changing one's mind constantly and perpetually. No focus. No structure. No strategy.

5. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐰-𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭/𝐍𝐨-𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐝𝐞: Expects castles in the sky, with a shoe-string budget that might avail a single, small castle in the sand.

6. 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 & 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬!: The brilliant minds who skip over strategy, marketing, and long-term planning - obsessed only with leads and quick wins. 𝐹𝑜𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑓𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔-𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑡𝑠.

7. 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭: Fibs about values, fakes the sustainability badge, and fudges the numbers. Very swift to slander the competition - and disturbingly comfortable trash-talking their own team. If they lie to others, they’ll lie to you.

8. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢: All talk, all shimmer. Masters of smoke and mirrors. They chase image over integrity, sparkle over substance, and pomp over patience. Loud, noisy, and full of swag but zero substance.

9. 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝: No solid plans. No clear timelines. No proper briefs, content, or corporate documentation. Lots of chaos and confusion with famed phrases like '𝑂ℎ, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑦𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑑𝑎𝑦.'

10. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 '𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲, 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤' 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬: Will push for work through sun, rain, funerals, and storms. However when it comes to payments will choose to settle everyone including the company cat, but delay 'supplier' or 'third party' payments for months on end with stories ranging from 𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑑𝑦 & 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑎𝑙 ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 to ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ 𝑓𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑠𝑦.

11/06/2025

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒.

I call BS.

No, I do.

We’re conditioned to believe that love, friendship, core values, and inner resilience exist outside the realm of cost. That they’re noble, virtuous, and freely available to those who simply open themselves to them.

But that belief is exactly why so many of us are left disillusioned and broken.

Because the truth is - none of these things come without a price.

𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒? It tests your patience, it invokes your pain.

𝐹𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝? It demands loyalty through storms.

𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑠? They must be upheld even when it's easier to betray them.

And 𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ? It is forged in fire, and tempered in furnaces.

Everything meaningful in life has to be earned.

You don’t just have love - you fight for it.

You don’t just receive respect - you prove you're worthy of it.

You don’t just hold on to friendships - you nurture them through trials.

You don’t just possess values - you make mistakes and learn what they are.

These things matter because they come with struggle.

They come with ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘, 𝑠𝑎𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒, 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑡ℎ.

Like a seed buried in the earth, cracked open by pressure, nurtured in darkness and light - it takes time, effort, and care to become something strong, enduring, and life-giving.

And so it is with the best things in life.

They require tough decisions.

Discipline. Discomfort. Disruption. Compromise. Sacrifice. Daily effort. And often, pain.

That’s what makes them beautiful.

What makes them rare, and valuable.

That's what gives them their significance and meaning.

That’s what makes them worth fighting for.

If you want the best things in life, then be prepared to fight for it.

To suffer for it. And to pay a price for it.

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏'𝒕 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒.

05/06/2025

Sometimes, the deepest betrayals don’t come from enemies or competition - they come from those we hold close to us, or from those we 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡 expect.

Walk away from toxic relationships - even professional ones - 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑦, but 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲. Step out of environments and situations that offer no value, no growth, and no inner peace.

Stop surrounding yourself with bootlickers, sycophants, and chronic people-pleasers.

Keep your circle 𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙, 𝑠𝑎𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑑, and 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑒.

Don’t rent out your trust to just anyone and everyone. Let it be earned.

Guard your integrity. Preserve your dignity.

But always share your knowledge with those who seek to learn and grow with genuine intent.

And when you rise - whether in 𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑝𝑠 or 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑝𝑠, always pay close attention.

Stay 𝑣𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑡.

Notice who inspires you to be better. Who corrects you constructively when you're wrong. Who has your back when you're trudging through the mud, and rain. Who cheers for you when you win, without envy or pretense.

It may sound 𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐬, but it’s 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞:

Some people only consume your light from the shadows.

They dim your glow silently - because every time you rise, you illuminate what they fear 𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡:

The truth of their own inaction.

Their unfulfilled dreams.

The things they could have been, had they dared to brave the storms and do the work.

So 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑛, boldly.

And let your light be a mirror they can no longer ignore.

03/06/2025

Been there.

It took me nearly two decades in the advertising and marketing industry to finally understand a crucial truth:

There are things in this line of work that can be negotiated; your professional fees, your role, your working hours, your adaptability to outdated systems, your willingness to bend for legacy mindsets and ego, cultural rewrites, and impossible timelines.

Let’s just call all that part of the journey. A series of necessary stepping stones in learning the DOs and DON’Ts of one’s professional path.

But then, there are some things that should 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 be up for negotiation. Things no one - and I do mean 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 - should be allowed to take from you.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠:

What’s the point of climbing the corporate ladder, racking up wins, and generating revenue if you’re sacrificing your mental, emotional, and physical health? Organizations will move on. People will be replaced. Even the “indispensable” will be forgotten.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞:

All the awards, the big accounts, the industry praise - none of it truly matters if you’re not seen, heard, or appreciated for the sleepless nights you stayed up, the ideas you bled, the drama and corporate politics you dealt with, and the fire you poured into every deliverable.

And one day, when you pause to look back, you might realise that the best parts of your life passed you by while you were too busy chasing a version of success that was never really yours, but someone else's smoke and mirror illusion.

You’ll see the time you 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛’𝑡 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠.

The passions you 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠.

The bridges you 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑑.

And most painfully, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦 - 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛.

You'd have burnt so many bridges in life, and lost opportunities to grow in areas that would have made the most of your precious resources: 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒.

Protect your peace. Honour your worth. Because some things in life are truly non-negotiable.

Suresh De Silva : Wordsmith - Value Creator

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