My Takeaways from 2022

We are nearly one week into 2023 - Time flies! I can't help but feel that as we get older, we transition from the state of 'Doing' to more 'Being'. (Thanks Alice Ho Tan for sharing this) And 'Being' means taking the time to reflect and do better, moment by moment :) Thank you to everyone who has come into my life and inspired me.

𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

This sounds cliché but I'm using it anyway - "We can only control what we can control". We can't avoid downturns, pain, change and detours but we can be positive and turn each crisis into an opportunity. And no hell lasts forever, because 'this too shall pass'.

We use Happiness and Joy interchangeably but I learnt that they are not the same. It's not possible to be happy all the time and it can be tough to constantly seek happiness (you will be disappointed). Instead of Happiness, seek Joy and take things as they come.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠

I'm so guilty of it myself, to seek the low hanging fruits and hacks to success for every goal I set myself. But the right things to do are worth our time and effort. I'm learning to be patient and choose to do the Right things, instead of many easy things :)

It's super hard to keep doing the right things and impossible to be perfect, but I will keep trying.

𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐩 🍵

I believe that there are no coincidences (Thanks Kristav (Kris) Childress) whenever I meet someone. With that, I always ask myself, what is the reason for our encounter, what can I learn from the person, regardless of their age or seniority. When I find that I can't sit still and listen (my cup is full), I'm reminded that I need to empty my cup and be present.

There is always something to learn from anyone I meet, thank you to my interns and volunteers who taught me so many things! Joshua Sng Zhong Hao Asmita Mitra Richard Shim Jo Teen Fong Seng Ang Jing Zhe Milton Ng Jia Yi Teo Danesh Dabu Everard Ong 😘

𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝

It's easy to adopt a self-centred approach, asking what's in it for me everytime. But I realise that in reality is that it is not so simple. All our actions create a butterfly effect and set forth a chain of events, for better or for worse. I always remember this quote from the movie Cloud Atlas (2012) Sonmi-451: Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb, we are bound to others. Past and present. And by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future.

It is true. Believing that we are all connected changes how I make each decision. Obviously there are times that I get consumed by emotions or are blinded by other things, but the consequences would always point me back to - "We are all connected".

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 - 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥

It is hard to not give feedback and hope for someone important to change for the better, especially my loved ones and close friends. But despite my good intentions, I have a flair to upset people by being too straightforward.

Instead of asking people to change (which is quite judgmental, because I have my own flaws too), I realise that the best way is to be a role model. Subconsciously we imitate our friends and pick up their habits, for better or for worse :) Having a young child helps too, she would almost immediately copy what I do and that is the best reminder that I need to be the best version of myself, as much as I can.

𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞

"We can't give what we don't have", shares my favorite motivational coach Wayne Dyer and this stuck with me - what do you get when you squeeze an orange - orange juice of course. If I'm full of anger and unhappiness, then what I exude will only be those. If I don't fill myself with love, then I can't give love to anyone. As a mother, it is even harder to rememeber this. In fact, 2022 has been a year of sickness for me, so much so that I was sick at least once a month. For 2023, I strive to pace myself and say "no" more often.

𝐈'𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 - would love to hear your comments and takeaways from 2022 too!