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As the title states, I recently had the opportunity to submit an article to a Canadian-based online magazine run by the Canadian Institute of Management (CIM).
My article was titled "Leading as an Introvert", in accordance to their theme of leadership. Hopefully, they will accept the article and this will be my first published article for an online magazine.
Here's to good news!
As teachers, one of our roles is to provide feedback to our learners so they know where they can improve. We may do this through test scores, examination results or pep talks.
We constantly remind our learners to improve themselves and their abilities so we need to practise what we preach.
In order to improve ourselves, we need not only the desire to do so, but to get feedback from the right people for the right reasons.
Never having done anything related to retail before, I spent the weekend at a market - as a vendor.
Based on my photo albums, you may guess that I sold something related to something that I love - and you'd be right: gemstones.
It was a great experience and I learned a lot, saw things in new perspectives, and had a new appreciation for trading, economics, and human behaviour.
The main learning point had to do with the great disparity in foot traffic. There are times of intense activity as well as periods of dull lull. This spoke to me of the need to understand human motivations - why certain times brought certain people or their lack.
From this I started to understand the temptation of immersing yourself in your smartphone and simply serving the most interested people who started asking questions while ignoring those who casually browsed or glanced over. It was so easy to do this that I had to mentally remind myself over and over again to treat every browser as a potential customer.
Not everyone bought something, of course - economics at work here - but I was glad of the opportunity to share what I knew with my browsers. To see their smiles, receive their thanks, and hear their appreciation at learning something new as they left inevitably reminded me of appreciative learners that I have had in schools.
All in all, it was a fantastic learning experience. The amount of insight I gained cannot possibly have been gotten elsewhere. I'd do it all over again.
Something I posted on 9 August after a great celebratory SG50 NDP:
On this, our 50th year of independence, it was a privilege to be able to see the SG50 fireworks display from the Singapore Flyer Lounge.
To have become a nation of such immense prosperity from our humble beginnings is truly an incredible feat.
To witness the solidarity of so many Singaporeans saying the pledge and singing the national anthem was a moving experience.
To hear the outpouring of well-wishes and prayers for our country's continued elevated position in the regional and international community, that we may always be a pillar of influence and moral fibre, a hand of assistance and compassion, as well as a mentor and blessing to other nations, was a reminder that we must not rest on our laurels but continue to strive in excellence, innovation, and progress.
I am proud to be a Singaporean, to live, work, and play on this little island, to call this place home.
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