Think big, dream big, do big … for God is big

This archived article was written by: Mae Goss

For being a pretty laid back guy, well-known student Zak Konakis has done quite a bit. From starting out going to school at the College of Eastern Utah, to moving to California in search of a desire, to coming back to Price in order to finish college, Konakis has done most of what we’d call “it all”.
A native to Price, Konakis has always thought he’d be the “as soon as I’m gone, I’m gone” sort. He was always the kind of student who, if he didn’t have to do the class, he would test out of it.
One day he “didn’t want to do the assignment” that a teacher had given his class so he just left and graduated, just like that. Konakis stated that he “lives on impulses,” so his life of spontaneity is rather ideal for him.
During his first time at CEU, he knew he needed change and to get out of Price. While he was mowing his grandpa’s lawn one day, it just came to him that California was the place for him to go. He said it seemed as though God was saying, “Go to California, if you hate it so much here.” And so he left.
Throughout his travels he worked for an action sports company, made a feature length film, and attended Bible college. One would think that these accomplishments would take years to achieve, but not for busy Konakis. It took him merely a year to do all those amazing things.
So what drives someone to do so much? For Konakis it was his belief in God. He takes that belief very seriously and loves with all his might. Some may say that in order to love God, you must fear him. Konakis says, “Love is so much more powerful than fear … If I’m not walking in love, then I’m failing.”
While at the Bible college, Konakis often felt restless, “It’s a lot like having a sports car in the driveway and you just polish it and make it look really nice, but never drive it. To me, driving is the only way that it has any value. I’d much rather go out and love someone than know a passage from Numbers.” Love drove Konakis to do impossibly great things. Things just seemed to fall into place whenever he would submit to the will of God and love.
Konakis is currently working on building a television station in Price where he hopes to produce, direct and act in an original television series. All this while still attending college and participating in extra curricular activities such as Actors on the Spot and teaching a bible study every Thursday night. Great things are expected from this CEU student and he will fill the part to the “t”.
When asked what advice he would give to people who want to do great things he replied, “That would be a two-part answer. First: think big, dream big, do big; for God is big. And second: don’t be afraid to fail because if you’re not failing then you’re not living. People are so afraid to put themselves out there, and I’m not saying that I have this all figured out, you know? I’m just saying that I would much rather live a life where I don’t have to ask ‘What if I did this differently?’ I constantly ask myself that.”