Inspiring lives, realising dreams.

With the event mascots on the last day of the event. Check out the eye bags that came with the 3hrs of sleep per day week! 

My poor paint-stained "brokenstock" after days of walking, climbing stairs and tripping over paint brushes.

We did it! Over four consecutive days we reached out to close to 90 low income families to help their children create a more conducive environment to study, so that they can concentrate on getting a proper education and take one step closer to realising their dreams and ambition.

Personally, it was the toughest event ever (not even APEC can match it) because I was the overall planner and coordinator for internal comms, scheduling the video crew and photographers and producing daily coverage on the website until post midnight. Thank God for my hardworking intern who slogged it out with me at the base and in the office (and also for 2B for her help in getting the interviews and vetting our content). I was quite pleased with the results and grateful that the coverage was rather well-received. Our efforts have not gone into waste.

One of the more touching moments for me during this event was when my "students" from the earlier camp recognised me and gave me bear hugs (yes I was covered in paint!) and big smiles when I visited their homes. I realised truly what it meant when my dad told me "people might not remember what you say, but they will always remember how you made them feel." Even though I had to drag myself out of bed early on Saturday for that camp, I found that it really pays to make that effort and make a difference in these children's lives. They may not remember the money concepts I've taught them, but they remembered that someone care enough to teach them that day.

In another 2-3 months' time there is a possibility of me not being with the current company anymore. It's really a short stint but I enjoyed the portfolio while it lasted and am glad that I made some good friends there. Every job is an opportunity to grow wiser and better in developing skill sets and handling interpersonal relationships. I hope my colleagues have also found me a pleasant colleague to work with. :)

Be the miracle

From The Straits Times, 10 September 2011

Read the above this morning while I was having buffet brunch at Ku De Ta, MBS SkyPark. Love the fact that I can just print screen ST articles via iPad, but don't think I can do this any longer unless I start paying for the app - convenience comes at a price.

Anyway, one of them was making a point along the lines that bosses should give time off to staff who does voluntary work, so that they can feel less stressed about the work load. In reality, I am sure no one will feel less stressed after taking time off; on the contrary, you feel more stressed cos the work will just pile up while you are gone and when you come back in the office, you face a mountain of items to follow up. That's how the working life is.

But should this deter people from volunteering? Apparently not. From what I see in the new office, there seems to be no lack of volunteers for the whole range of CSR activities. In fact, I have just taken part in my first volunteer activity today to celebrate mid-autumn festival with old folks, and from my observation, most of the volunteers are quite seasoned and they maintain a strong passion to serve.

Personally, I think being involved in voluntary work, or any other meaningful activity for that matter, helps to put things in perspective. For one, it's good to have a sense of purpose outside work. You feel accomplished when you see that you have made a difference in someone's life, no matter how small. Two, when you are around the underprivileged and see the circumstances they are going through, you feel all of a sudden that your problems are actually quite... insignificant.

The folks whom I met today... well, some looked really old and might not be around next year. But I sense their gratitude for the event which we organised for them. I sense their joy when a couple of them started dancing at the side during the KTV session. And I want to thank them, for making me feel that I have helped make them happy, even if it's only for half a day.

In Bruce Almighty, God challenged Bruce: "Be the miracle." I realised that miracles are not BIG things that happen everyday; it's the small things that people overlook. And you will never know what big things a small smile can do. And hence, no matter how miniscule a role my voluntary work is, I am challenging myself today - to be a miracle in someone's life.