Misconception of a Dream
Perhaps it is best to start with a TED talk by a Singapore, a Nominated Member of Parliament and a self-made entrepreneur, Kuik Shiao-Yin.
Her story is a wonderful one - one from an ordinary person and how she was pushed into opportunities but then realized that a successful ‘dream’ was one that ticked all the boxes of small everyday decisions toward just one goal, the unity of the team members.
She is a nominated Member of the Singapore Parliament now and her speeches are thought-provocating and well worth noting - pardon her Singlish intonations, of course.
Her story may well be that of a typical middle-income family - where the daughter (middle of the pack) suddenly stands out after years of following the leaders, be they parents, brothers, sisters, classmates, friends and the crowd.
“I have no answer for the essay ‘What is your dream in life?’ when I was eighteen and wanting to go into university, except to state what is not my dream in life,” she said (not verbatim).
Valuable lessons in this story for all of us to take seriously include:
(1) Art or Architecture. Parents’ influence in the choice of a career path for their children may well be wise. What do you think?
(2) “In 1997, at the age of twenty, I had to choose for the first time in my life: ‘Should I believe that Life is about ‘a bigger story’ or that Life is all about me, Me?’ What is your choice?
(3) Computer animation in the year 2000 - the starting period of the dot com age - I was offered two positions as creative director, without a single day’s experience in IT (Internet Technology). Should I take this up? Would you have taken up one of these job offers?
(4) Freelance website builders and graphic designer - is that you? or one of your kids’ ambition for a job?
(5) Self-centered - is there any other world beyond the ‘self’ or beyond ‘Singapore’?
(6) Running a Tuition School, or a Restaurant - is this one of your dreams? School of Thoughts started in the year 2002, wise choice?
(7) “How do you know when you should switch jobs?” I asked my pastor, and his reply was “You know when you know,” Follow the story and her reaction to this reply.
(8) “What’s good, what is evil and why the sufferings?” What would your answer be to this question from a group of young pre-university students?
(9) The year 2007, ‘let’s consolidate!’ A wise decision I would have thought but … … …
(10) The nitty-clitty of working out with friends as business partners - what are they? Be prepared to have answers before going into partnership with friends.
(11) We get to our dream not by making one right decision. We get to our dream by making a series of small decisions on a variety of choices, not least which is to have the right type of trust-worthy people around you. ‘Small choices, made towards a unified direction’.
(12) How does a “Karang-Coolie” Man’s daughter become so good in her English expressions and essays? Find out how. (Note ‘karang-coolie’ is the profession of collecting rubbish, like clothes, newspapers, surplus books, and items etc. that the rich throws off [door-to-door gabbage collection]).