Month: July 2020

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Complacency

Complacency is supposed to give us a peace of mind or some self satisfaction, but often there’re twists and turns behind unfinished business. Life never ceases to surprise us in its mysterious way. You’ll never know what’s around the corner.

It’s not done till it’s done.

Funnily enough, what comes to mind when I think of complacency is basketball games. Skills are important of course, there’s no argument about it. But that thing aside, at the end what separates a winner and a loser in the court is complacency.

Say, when a team is leading by a good margin 5 minutes before the game finishes, if they think it’s in the bag and begin to show sign of complacency. It’s a red flag. It can all go downhill from there. As long as their opponent perseveres unrelentingly till the last second, they can still turn the tables, and come out as a dark horse, a winner.

Lately, we’ve seen a massive second wave of coronavirus outbreak after an easing of pandemic restrictions in many parts of world. In the state of Victoria in Australia, it came as a big blow when a surge of people infected resurfaced in the last two weeks or so. At one point, the number of daily new cases even broke the record.

Evidently, the time we loosened up and acted carelessly, it was also the time when the coronavirus found the opportunity to slip through the cracks and launched a sudden attach. We don’t want our complacency to become a breeding ground for the coronavirus to regrow and wipe out our previous efforts that led to flattening the curve.

It’s safe to say, the worst is not over yet. We’re all in this together for the long haul. There’s really no place for complacency in any shape or form.

We can’t wait for life to return to normal again. When will it happen? It’s a big ask. No experts can tell you exactly. For now, rather than being complacent prematurely, let’s make efforts, every step of the way, till it’s done and dusted, ripe for celebration…

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Ted’s Photography 5

When Mother Nature is making a statement, we’d better stop and listen to what she has to say.

The swell was so rough and heavy yesterday that its mega long wavelengths stretched far and beyond, enough to deter the boldest adventurers. The normal accessible sandy beach was completely swallowed by the big waves, and it wasn’t even that time of day for high tide yet…

I used to one of those people would be there rain or shine. In other words, I would continue to do my own things, weather permitting or not, it doesn’t matter.

Recently, I’ve learnt to respect Mother Nature and work my schedules around it. When it rains, it’s time to stay low-key or stay at home. When it shines, it’s time to go out and about or do some laundry.

Never mind if Mother Nature gets a little cranky or becomes unpredictable when she sends out mixed messages. She just wants you humans to know: Don’t mess me up! I’m running the show… Ted Tsai

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Failing Like A Winner

No, I didn’t get the job. I was one of the top 5 but wasn’t “good” enough to be in the top 2 for the final round. That’s life. C’est la vie.

What’s the point of posting this then? To win a sympathy vote from your readers?

I’m posting this because I wanted myself not to forget this experience – my humble beginnings. It may sound odd or silly but in a way I’m glad I didn’t succeed too quickly.

Think about it, failure is a nickname for success, a part of sustainable living! If you’ve failed 10 times, it means you’ve got back up again and again 10 times. Be proud of yourself.

Sure, a winner takes all, but a loser gives all. Yes, it’s about winning but more so, it’s about showing up and giving your 100%, more than once!

What now? It’s time to go back to the drawing board and start from a blank page afresh.

Rest assured, your past efforts aren’t wasted, they’re stored and reserved for improvement.

Make or break? It’s OK if you don’t make it, at least you break it – your own record, your personal best… That’s winning!

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Writer’s Block

You don’t have to be right, you just need to write.

So be it, if it doesn’t make sense.

So be it, if no one is going to read it.

So be it, if no one is going to like it.

So what? If it’s mediocre.

It’s your voice. Write. Spell it out. One letter at a time, one word at a time, one sentence at a time, one paragraph at a time…

If you don’t know what to write, write: I don’t know what to write.

If you are struggling to come up with a creative idea, write: I’m struggling to come up with a creative idea.

If you are feeling insecure about your writing, write: I’m feeling insecure about my writing.

Before you realise it, you’ve written the first sentence.

What about the second sentence? Where do you go from there?

Write: I’m proud that I’ve written the first sentence.

What about the third sentence, the fourth sentence and so on?

If you keep going like this, do you fear that you’ll bore your readers to death?

Write, even if it doesn’t make sense.

Write, even if no one is going to read it.

Write, even if no one is going to like it.

Write, fill in the blanks, no BLOCK LETTERS necessary…

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On The Job Front

I haven’t gone back to my blog to write stuff for 9 days. Not that I’ve been lazy but I’ve been busy preparing for job interviews. Yes, job interviews. Lucky me!

It’s OK if you are not ready, as long as you are prepared.

Every time I go preparing for an interview, I often come up with something new I can talk about. It goes to show you can never be sure that you are ready for it. I’ve found that having a good preparation such as writing a few drafts beforehand, coupled with a simple breathing exercise or meditation practice, keeps my mind at ease. The rest, I’ll just leave it up to fate. Why fate? Too many factors are way outside my control.

Talking about control, the last thing you want is distractions. You never know what’s around the corner. Say if you’re selected to have a telephone interview tomorrow, what if one of your neighbours starts to mow the lawn or operate machinery or play loud music right when you’re speaking with an interviewer? Tough luck! Or if you’re having a video interview which has become increasingly popular these days, you may run into some annoying issue as mentioned above. Worst yet, if your internet cuts out or some unexpected event disrupts at the last minute. Your best bet is to shut all the doors and windows hoping you’ll have some peace and quiet moment.

This job I applied for 3 weeks ago, I was competing against other 200 plus candidates. Statistically, my chances of landing the job are less than 0.5%. Very slim indeed! Well, I was lucky enough to get shortlisted for the first round and the second round of interviews. What can I say? It’s been quite a journey! Words aren’t enough to describe it. The best way to put it is: It’s been an emotional roller coaster. Yes? No? Yes? No? Now, let the waiting game begin again!

If I can share with you one good tip about job searching, that is, working on a cover letter. Let’s face it, all resumes/CV’s are kind of boring to read. So, your cover letter is your way to showcasing “the other side of you” and adding your personal touch to your skills, experience and personality.

So far, my chances of getting a positive response are 1 in 8 in the past 2 months alone. I’m actually quite pleased with the results. Considering the job market, the unemployment rate and the economic climate affected by the coronavirus pandemic, I still got calls from companies wanting to have an interview with me, I can’t complain.

I guess I could wait till I’ve landed a job and start to rave about my success. But that’s not who I am and that’s not what success is all about. For me, each small win is a success in itself and by all means worth celebrating. For example, sending a job application is a small win, getting shortlisted for an interview is a small win. When you’ve accumulated enough small wins, you get to cross the finish line and arrive at the destination.

What now? I shall find out next week if I’ve been shortlisted for the final round of interview. I’m counting my blessings. It’s nice to see lots of my friends keep their fingers crossed for me. Whatever the outcome is, I will give myself a pat on the back for having come this far. I know if not this one, it’ll be the next one and the next one.

Don’t assume and don’t give up…