Sunday, August 30, 2009

My Stay in the United States of America - Prelude

Sweltering Summer Sweating Sweating
Awesome Autumn Falling Foliage
White Winter Wishing Wishing
Splendid Spring Blooming Blooming

The above is a little poem that I have written at the end of my one-year stay in the states. It encapsulates what I have experienced.

On a personal level, it is amazing to realise that I can write. I used to think that I am no good with the words and only with numbers. I thought that I am hopeless when it comes to public speaking but I have recently proved myself wrong. Now, I know that human is capable of infinite abilities if we give ourselves space and time to discover our hidden potential.

Singapore is a very fast-paced country. In the pursuit of success, wealth and work take precedence. No one has the time to take stock of when he or she is. Everyone is busy to get another piece of paper to emerge as the victor in the rat race. Sometimes, someone will occassionally drop out of the race to look for the right way to lead his or her life.

I was that someone a few years ago. The decision to pack my bags and leave for a foreign land with my family, was not an easy one. Given the focus on wealth and work in this little island, one year could result in a gulf of difference when one compares the progression that a fellow co-worker has made. Now I realise that to measure progression using career as a single dimension is so limited. Life is more than work, it is about your family, your friends and more importantly, yourself.

I am in awe of how much I have progressed by simply allowing time to come to a standstill. Just like a water in a mud, if we were to constantly stir it, it will remain murky. On the other hand, if we were to allow it time for the mud to settle, crystal-clear water will surface. I realise that I was not able to write well in the past as I did not allow myself to focus on writing. In the same manner. if I want to be a better speaker, I just need to practise more. There is no two way about this.

I will like to chronicle my unforgetable experience in my next few blogposts using each season as my lamp post.

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