Tag: Dream

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Dare To Dream Big

With no sign of stopping, negative and positive thoughts are two longtime enemies constantly battling in my head.

I admit I’ve been feeding the hungry monster but I know I’m not alone. Maybe it’s time to take a bolder approach, even if it means fake it to make it. I say to myself: Dare to dream big.

To declare your long forgotten passion, what’s better than writing it down? Well, I’m not known as the most popular or the loudest or the most confident person in the room, I suppose I’ve never intended to be one anyway… but give me a pen and a piece of paper, some innate power will start to flow through. What is it like? It’s addictive. You forget to eat, to drink, to go to toilet or to sleep.

I love the moment when the outpouring of creativity and imagination is coming at me. It’s like opening the floodgates, I can write as if there’s no tomorrow. Different from the pack, writing to an introvert like me is a way of expressing confidence. However, over the years I’ve allowed the harshest critic to ridicule it. As a notorious perfectionist, no surprise I’m that critic.

Part of me knows the passion is still in my blood and tonight I don’t why or what’s “right” with me, I’m letting my thoughts run as freely as possible. Perhaps I’ve reached the tipping point. You realize the way to mute the negative voice is to keep doing what the critic wants you to stop doing.

I can see this is only a beginning. Nothing is tangible yet. Hope it’s not a passing fad or some short-lived adrenalin-driven enthusiasm. I shall be watching this space with interest. 🔍❤️🌏

So, what is this all about? In my wildest dreams, I have this book written by me, then adapted, made into a blockbuster movie and most importantly, directed by Ang Lee, a two-time Academy Award winner for Best Director. I’ve been talking big here, now I need to act big. Very keen to review this post in 5 to 10 years time to see what stage of life I’ll be at… 📽🎞📷 PS: I’ve edited this post several times before I feel comfortable posting it. It goes to show practice makes perfect. It’s especially important for someone from an non English speaking background trying to get his message across and hoping to make a mark globally.

One of reasons why I admire Ang Lee and his works so much is his “silliness” to challenge and reinvent himself. He doesn’t shy away from the “reality” or the “status quo”. He continues to explore the impossibles in the face of unknown even it means carrying the anxiety 24/7. I remember he said in an interview that he carried the anxiety every day for 4 years when making the movie Life of Pi.

Of course Hollywood doesn’t speak his mother tongue but the journey he’s taken to get him where he is today, the respect he’s earned from people within the industry and the stories he’s told to entertain and educate us around the world, if you are lucky enough to get a call from him one day, trust me, you’d love to speak the same language as his…

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Career Crossroads? Are You In The Driver’s Seat?

Are you living your dream? Or nightmare?

Sometimes dreams can provide clues to something we’ve been searching for. If you could read the hidden messages or take the subtle hints behind, you’ll soon find clarity in real life.

I remember a long time ago (in the year 2000), I woke up feeling frustrated from this vivid dream – I was sitting in the front passenger seat. Next to me was a driver who was taking me to places I didn’t want to go. No matter how hard I tried to protest, he refused to listen. It felt so real that the following few days I started to reflect it on my life.

At that time, I was in a job that I didn’t enjoy. Every morning I literally had to drag myself to work. When I got there, I didn’t feel rewarded nor appreciated. I wanted to change but felt very powerless to do something about it. It seemed there were roadblocks and stop signs everywhere I turned to.

Shortly after going through a bit soul searching during my downtime, without consultation or discussion, basically speaking with no one, I decided to do something drastic – to resign from the company. I gave a two week notice and left my job with nothing else lining up.

Yes, it was risky what I did but it would’ve been riskier had I done nothing about it.

In the short term, it gave me a great sense of relief as soon as I walked away a negative environment. It was an instant feeling. Best of all, in the longer term, it allowed me to reclaim control and the power to run my future, instead of letting others dictate what I should do or where I should go next – just like the dream was trying to tell me – be in the driver’s seat, not in the passenger’s seat!

Only two months later, my relentless effort paid off. I found my niche – a much more satisfying job. I ended up staying with the company for 11 long years. Not to mention, while there, I also met some nice people and even now after so many years we still manage to keep in touch one way or another.

What can I say conclusively from my own experience? Challenges never cease to come at us in any shape or form but by putting ourselves in the driver’s seat, it gives us the leverage to own our journey and make a difference!