Today I spoke at the consortium assembly about success. This is my second time this year. When I was given this task last week by my boss, I was actually quite taken aback. It was not easy because I was tasked to challenge the ortus boys to encourage them to make one last lap before the final exams. This is a very difficult assignment. I prayed about it and then ideas started coming.
I praised and thank God for giving me the message I need to send out. I was able to stay focus on the topic of success. One night, Oriz was online and somehow I asked him about success. He told me I am successful. I look at myself and really, I am still a nobody and happy to be that way because I think at my level, I can work with more people. I also don't like administrative work although I like to plan my work.
So I told Oriz I am not successful. In my search for inspirational quotes I realized I have many things that are rather successful in my life. I have at least completed my journey with my mother and extended her life span by 11 months. I am successful in keeping my job and making sure I stay above the raging flood. I am successful because at this stage in my life, I have friends to share my stories with. Then I have students I met from days gone by and we feel just as close although more than 15 years have passed. I met up with two of my ex cedar girls online recently. I could not figure out how they look but they could remember what I was like. So I have some successes here. I just got offline from my Chinese girls I met at RGS.
Tonight I want to talk about this group of students in my life. They are really special to me because they were the first batch of PRCs scholars to come to RGS. These beautiful girls came from the Fujian province and Guang zhou. I met them at the Changi Airport with Mrs Chan the then VP of RGS. I was questioned why I wanted to go, I told her because I wanted to welcome them and be the resource person if they needed any help.
I forgot if I was with them at the hostel but I remember buying them their first meal because they didn't have the time to change any currencies. In total there were 13 of them and Danni can correct me. When I visited them at their hostel, they each had a wash basin and were placed on the floor. The basins were not stacked up. So I tried to help by stacking them up and created an uproar because they told me that this would dirty their faces. I was like totally stunned by this and so took out the basins and placed them one by one on the floor again.
Over the months, we got closer and today, they are all done their universities. Many stayed to study in Singapore, and some went overseas. The most interesting of the girls is Danni. She stayed over at my house because she was booted out by MOE when MOE realized that Danni wanted to discontinue her studies. Danni went home to Guangzhou and then went to Switzerland. She is now working on her masters degree and working in a small Swiss investment firm. When my mum became ill, she called me from Switzerland to send me her encouragements. She even went to a church to get a bear that carries all the prayers for mum and sent it via courier. So...herein lies my success. Students who have become my friends. I am grateful for these students.
I am so blessed.
Many people don't know this but I have stage fright. When I sang in the choir, I had to stand near the piano and looked at the clock. And yet, I have always been asked to speak to big crowds. It really scares me. And the worst thing of all is I never could pen my speech down and rehearse it before going to meet the audience. Never can do that. But there is one thing I always do. I pray. Praying always that God will go before me and lead. I want God to shine through. And today, He shines through. One new colleague came forward and thanked me. One commented that I could talk and talk and tell stories. But the truth be told, I never intended for some of these to come out of my mouth. God just took over and then the rest is history.
I think I might just make it by becoming a motivational speaker. Good money and good job too. It will give me more time to do things I like and to be able to serve the community. So...hear me out.
But the one who speaks must also walk the talk. So herein lies the pressure. So...I better think again.
