When I read Susan's little piece of sharing, I was very moved by her story. Emotions stirred inside me making me wanting to respond to the article and share my thoughts immediately. However time didn't permit then. Later when Siew Ling emailed to the We Care group, it made me want to write something even more. Well, i didn't have a chance to do it until now...
Life is short so live it to the fullest!! I couldn't agree more...and i would also like to add on to that.... BE PASSIONATE ABOUT LIFE. MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
As i reflect back my 30+ years, i believe i've changed my perspective of life. Thinking back when i first started work my aims and objectives in life were very different then. When i first joined the working force, my goal was to be a successful careerwoman, holding a high ranking position and earning a five-figure monthly salary in a big corporation. So i was caught in the rat race, eventually turning myself into a workaholic. I was working on average 12 to 16 hours a day 6 days a week. No doubt i managed to rose through the ranks with a reasonable income. However, my health too was slowly taking its toll. The break came when one morning i woke up and realised something is seriously wrong with my whole body system. My whole face and body is swollen. My muscles were so weak that even the task of brushing my teeth is a difficult. I then had to stay in the hospital for a thorough check-up and took 2 weeks of medical leave. And the 2 weeks was the longest break i had taken since i started worked.
It's during that period that i started thinking of what i actually wanted in life. Do i want to go through the rest of my life this way? Is it all about how successful you are and how much money you earn and how much assets you have? or should life be more meaningful? It's then that i decided that i want to live my life the way i want it and not how other people perceive life to be. At that time, the position and the material things were no longer important to me. i want to do things which are more meaningful and i'm passionate about. I want to make a difference. At least when i reach the end of my journey, i can say i've tried and given my best and not live to regret by just thinking about it!
So when i decided to resign and start my little own business, a lot of people was taken aback and they were thinking i'm out of my mind. Although currently i'm still trying to survive on my own, i've no regrets. At least now i feel i'm leading a more meaningful life where i've more time for my family and friends and on activities which i'm passionate about....
I don't know what the future lies but along the way i hope i'll be able to reach out to people and make life more meaningful. I believe everyone of us is capable of making a difference. Each one of us will one way or another touch someone's life without us realising it.
Life is journey and not a destination. Let us all appreciate the journey and make the most out of it!!
By Suan Bee
