Dodo Birds are Not Extinct

Why? Why? Why?

Dreams are the touchstones of our character.

- Henry David Thoreau

Heads up, this is going to be a more personal entry triggered by memorable conversations in the past month with various dear friends (all of whom share one thing in common, I’ve noticed - we’re all rebels of the ‘Singaporean dream’ in one way or another), as well as Colin Goh and Woo Yen Yen’s blog post, ‘Paved with Good Intentions’. (In this post, Colin and Yen Yen share their thoughts on the Singaporean dream, as Singaporeans living overseas in New York.)

So what are your plans – the Singaporean way?

I love my friends very much because in each and everyone of them, I’ve found kindred souls searching for their own definitions of happiness, even if it may not be the Singaporean way.

Growing up, even though I’m half Japanese and half Singaporean, I went through pretty much the whole Singaporean growing up experience. The fight to enter good schools (or we’d be useless burdens to society going nowhere), the countless tuitions for every academic subject under the sun, the fight for leadership positions in extracurricular activities, etc etc.

Through it all, though, all I really wanted was acceptance – the “ooos” and “aahhhss” from peers, parents and family friends, when you finished top in the class, went to a good school, got promoted to a leadership position in extracurricular activities…

That’s probably why the Singaporean dream of achieving accolades and financial success continues to thrive. Many of us can’t help but continue to pursue that Singaporean dream because the price of not doing so is just too frightening – oh, the thought of family and friends being ashamed of us.

 

To be or not to be, that is the question

Eventually, though, we all need to make that critical decision. Do we continue to pursue that Singaporean dream or do we seek our own definitions of happiness?

Colin Goh and Yen Yen clearly made their respective decisions to pursue their own ‘callings’. It wasn’t a smooth journey all the way, especially in the early days, but the meaning they derived  from the pursuit, kept them going, and they’ve never looked back, ever since.

 

Why not something more stable – the craziness of it all

A recent graduate from Singapore Management University with a First Class Honours, I’ve been asked over and over again… why the communications and media industry? Why not something more stable that pays better, like banking? Why why why? To which my answer is always, ‘Why not? Maybe I like the craziness of it all.’

Eight years ago, a young seventeen year old me who had never been to a single interview in her life, found herself sitting in the gleaming conference room of a worldwide advertising giant, with a quiet, poised and confident brand manager  and her ‘client’ -the fiery and sophisticated regional marketing director of a global mega corporation. Together, they almost seemed like Yin and Yang, I remember thinking to myself, ROFL…

Honestly, I was terrified. Questions came my way one after the other, sometimes even concurrently. Too nervous to think through my replies, words just spilt out of my mouth as I tackled one question after the other. It felt like battle, gosh! Walking out of the room, I was prepared to never hear from them again.

Much to my surprise, though, thirty minutes later, while hanging out with friends in town, I received the call – the call that unbeknowst to me then, would ‘change’ my life forever.

If I could help them out for six months during an upcoming campaign, supporting both the brand manager and her client, they would ensure that I gained exposure to the advertising industry, first-hand. I agreed and the rest is history.

In the six months that ensued, for the first time in my life, I saw people working till the wee hours of the morning, heard more curses than I’d ever heard in a lifetime, wondered whether two people adored each other or simply couldn’t stand each other’s guts… One would think I’d swear off the industry forever.

But, for some reason, I was drawn (for the lack of a better word) to the craziness of it all.

No matter how I ‘complained’ about the crazy pace and the difficult people (not all were difficult of course. In fact, I’ve also met some of the nicest and best mentors), I kept going back for more and more.

Admittedly, it hasn’t been a smooth-sailing ride,  and there were times when I seriously thought of giving up on the industry altogether, but I’m still here, determined to overcome the challenges, somehow.

 

It still boils back down to you

Now into my 2nd year working full-time in communications and media, I’ve realized  (oh I love such eureka moments) that at the end of the day, it’s not just about the big decisions in your life, but how you live out these decisions. Even in the media industry, where people are expected to be working for the passion, many still engage in the rat race to the top and the fight for awards and promotions.

Essentially, it’s not just about what you’re doing but more importantly, why you’re doing what you’re doing. And if you can’t find the answer to that question, perhaps it’s time to stop and think about it.

 

Not a rat, please

The last thing I want to be is a rat… and I thank God daily for friends who remind me to question why I’m doing what I’m doing. Perhaps it sounds somewhat bizarre, but what drives me is the burning desire to get to a place in the communications and media industry where I can mentor young talents with a heart for the industry, to be the best they can be. And to drive integration and stronger partnerships across the different facets of communications (e.g. PR and advertising).

Because we only have one life to lead and if we don’t start thinking about why we’re doing what we’re doing and what we want to achieve in this life, before we know it – where did all that time vanish to? Wouldn’t it be sad to find that after so many years, we’re even further from where we want to be?

And perhaps, a life well-led entails defining our own happiness and finding that very happiness we were looking for. Our way.

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
Henry David Thoreau

Leave a Comment so far
Leave a comment