Goals, goals, goals. Today, I want to talk about goals. About ambition, about accomplishing something in life. Today I want to write about, YOU. Before I write about YOU (my friends and family), I'm going to write about me first. The first part consists of my goals, and how I gave a speech a few years back. The thought is triggered as I just had lunch with Xiaoying and I was bragging about myself during the whole conversation, Sorry Xiaoying! It's not a short post so grab a coffee or a beer (S3/Boss/Matt) if you are going to read it.
Firstly, as most of you should know, I am in the hotel industry and ferociously passionate about it. Half of my conversations would have a relation to hospitality. My ultimate end road/goal is to be... *TOP SECRET*, shall not expose it for now cause it might come to everyone as a shock, but definitely, absolutely, a hundred thousand percent, to be more than a Hotel's General Manager (Awww... perhaps I might reveal it in future posts, for now, for people who do know, please do not put it up, thank you).
About 4 years ago, I was invited by my Alma Mater, Northview Secondary School to give a speech for their graduating students. This honour was usually reserved for the top academic graduates from my school, and seriously, friends, why would they ask me!? (I'm not a model of academically inclined students, just a little street smart) I was therefore extremely honoured and shocked to be invited for this event. I reckoned though its because of my commitment to National Cadet Corps (Air) and through the recommendation of my NCC Mummy and Daddy, Mdm Raps and Mr Latiff, for me to be even considered.
A little bit about Northview Secondary School, not the best of all secondary schools in Yishun and not even one of my six choices from back in primary school. I think my Dad got a beating (scolding I mean) by a lot of the relatives including my Mum because back in the days of my Dad, his brothers and my Grandfather, most of them were sent to Anglo Chinese School (ACS). Being traditionally Methodist. So it was the same for most of my cousins on my Dad's side, even my sister went to Paya Lebar Methodist Girls School. Who knows what would have happened to me if that happened? An alternate dimension perhaps.
Oh yes, side tracked a bit, back to Northview. So that is the place where I became an NCC cadet at first, a Prefect/Counsellor, an NCC cadet Seargent. It is also the place where I decided I will go to the Hospitality path. I remembered clearly during a class in Secondary 3, Mrs Chan, then Ms Tan, gave us a book on career guidance for all of us. Turning to the section Concierge, I felt an immediate attraction to it. From then on, I was aware of my goal of working in a hotel. It is only during my industrial attachment in poly that I have decided to be a General Manager.
After graduating from Temasek Polytechnic with my Diploma in Hospitality Management, I was invited by my secondary school to give the speech I have mentioned. During that time I have learned a lot about myself and was very clear of what I want to do. I remember having conversations with Shuhui about goals in life as she wasn't sure and she knew that I did. I explained that I am very lucky to already know my goals in life. This therefore became the very topic of my speech.
My speech was about realising and achieving one's goal in life. At the age of 16 or 17, most of them might not have found out what some people take their whole life to find. A very lucky few, such as myself, knew from a young age (15) of what I wanted my life to be. The most important thing about a goal is not the size of it, meaning, I must be the Owner of a Multi-national Company or I must be disgustingly rich. Success is not measured by the world's measure of success, but by your own measure. You are only as successful as you think you set yourself to be.
Just because someone is happy being the world's richest man, doesn't mean that if you are the richest man, you will be happy. We are all made differently. If a person's goal is to have a wonderful and wholesome family and does have one, that person is as successful the world's richest man (if that was his goal). If you feel that being a road sweeper to ensure that the roads are clean and if you feel good making roads and pathways clean, aren't you successful in your goal in life?
What I'm saying is not to lower your expectations and dreams in life, what I'm saying is that you needs find what you really want, if you think financial stability is what you want, seek it. If you think living a life serving God is what you want, go for it. If you think that you want to make the world a better place, do it, be the change you want in the world. Set success to your own standards, not others, because they do not live your life, you live it. As long as it's work that is not harmful to society and to the world, you can be and can do anything you want.
Perhaps what I am trying to write now is to inspire everyone, that a person like me, whom didn't do that well in school (academically) can find success in modern Singapore. I guess it's because I have answered the question of what I want to do in my life. I hope you find the answer to your life as well.
Don't let the world stop you. If you really think that you should be doing something else, do it, don't waste anymore time, you only live once! God Bless.
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3 comments:
Fwaaaaah....i had 3 beers while reading this thingy..
Fwaaaah, i had 3 beers while reading this...
Fwah, so hardcore ah! Was a long one eh.
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