5 Bucket List Experiences that ruined my life for good

Sometimes in life, a single experience or person can ruin your life in a very positive way by raising your standards so high that you won't ever settle for anything less.

I have always not been a typical person. While my peers were busy fast tracking their business degrees, I took a semester off to go on an adventure abroad with 90 other young adults from all over the world. I was the only one from Singapore. At the peak of my career as the regional head of talent for an MNC, I resigned and volunteered to teach English on a round the world cruise. In 2013, I co-founded a training school in Sydney to help high achieving graduates land their dream jobs. Although I loved what I was doing at that time, I packed my bags again and moved to Perth to be part of a world-changing startup you would never expect. 

Those are just some of the things I have done to colour my career and life. As you know, my mantra is spark more joy. I am always drawn to 'sparkling experiences' that will spark more joy in me. I have searched high and low for such experiences in the last decade and this is a list of things you can do to colour your life. I've done the first 5 and the remaining ones are on my super long bucket list...

In Singapore, we have a Singlish term called 'spoil market'. It means someone who outperforms or overachieves such that everyone else looks bad. In my case, I would refer to my bucket list experiences as market spoilers - they have made my ordinary experiences look bad in comparison.

Source: https://mothership.sg/2014/07/16-singlish-gibberish-english/

1. UP WITH PEOPLE

In a nutshell: Travel with purpose for young people

Who it's for: 17-29 year olds who are global citizens

What it is: "Up with People is a one of a kind global education program that takes young people on an international journey of discovery. By using music and social action to unite and inspire communities, we spark others to think more broadly about their world and forge connections among diverse cultures. Since 1965 we have been empowering young people to act as global citizens and discover their ability for making a positive impact on the world.

If you are looking for a meaningful international gap year or study abroad experience, you can become a part of our unique community of change makers, informed global leaders, and confident performers. Join our over 50 year tradition of bridging cultural barriers and creating global understanding while traveling the world, performing in a high-energy musical show, and impacting communities through service and action."

Taken from: https://upwithpeople.org/travel/

My experience: I took a semester off university to do this when I was 21 years old. It was not typical as unlike an overseas exchange program, I would not get any credits for it so I had to take a (gasp!) leave of absence to do it. In those days, no one took a leave of absence unless they had a medical condition or a compelling internship offer. Gap year? Almost unheard of in Singapore...

The experience was beyond words. 5 months travelling with 70 young adults from all over the world. We visited 17 cities and lived with 17 different host families. I even found our old blog! https://castb2008.wordpress.com/

It was like an explosion of colours in my world. I thought I lived in a multi-racial and multi-religious country. I was completely blown away by how diverse the world was, and if you peel back the layers we all have so much in common. We bonded over shared experiences such as building bricks in a slum area and laughing at the cultural stereotypes we encounter (yes, my English is exceptionally good in spite of my small eyes and Africa is not a country).

How it has ruined my life: I have never been able to fully express what it was like to my friends and family, even up until today. Only a fellow alumni can understand what it's like to live out of a suitcase for months and be hosted by a new family every week. Oh, we also had pizza 3 times a week because all our food were sponsored, so it ruined my lifetime appetite for pizza.

The experience spoiled my life - I have never stopped looking for colourful experiences ever since. How can you go back to a tri-coloured world when you've experienced the full spectrum of the rainbow? You don't eat plain vanilla cake from the local bakery when you've tried strawberry watermelon cake from Black Star Pastry in Australia(hit like if you know what I'm talking about or if you are going to Sydney soon).

How it has helped my life: As a fresh graduate competing with other typical graduates, my Up With People experience stood out. It was overseas experience in the United States, Mexico and the Philippines. Many MNCs prefer someone with international exposure and experience working with 'foreigners'. interviewers were curious about it. It gave me lots of story materials for questions like 'tell me a time when you had a misunderstanding with someone' or 'what has been your biggest achievement so far?' I have enough stories to last me half a lifetime, the experience was that rich. I also have friends from all over the world that I still stay in touch with, such as my Ethiopian BFF Yordanos.

Interested? Go to https://upwithpeople.org/ As an alumni, I might be able to recommend you for a Golden Passport scholarship worth $1k. ;) UWP is very open to recruiting participants from Singapore and other Asian countries as we are usually a minority. You will definitely have an edge.

2. PEACEBOAT

In a nutshell: Travel around the world in 109 days on a cruise ship as a volunteer

Who it's for: English or Spanish teachers and Japanese/Chinese/English interpreters

What it is: "Peace Boat voyages create a unique environment in which people can live, learn and relax together while visiting some of the most fascinating regions on earth. During each voyage, Peace Boat organizes a range of educational activities, including lectures by guest educators, workshops, language classes, and cultural programmes. The themes of these activities link Peace Boat’s fields of work with contemporary issues in the countries it visits, connecting participants with people around the world."

"Peace Boat offers opportunities for people with specific skills to further develop their capacity while contributing to Peace Boat's activities. We currently have positions for volunteer interpreters and language teachers on each voyage."

Taken from: https://peaceboat.org/english/voyages

My experience

I first heard about Peace Boat from my Japanese friend Chihiro who travelled with me on Up With People. It immediately sparked a dream in me. If I had not joined the voyage as a volunteer, it would have cost around $30k(!!!) to join as a passenger. It took a lot of effort, strategy and prayer to fulfil this five year long dream.

Just like Up With People, words alone cannot express the richness and fullness of the life onboard. Majority of our time is spent onboard, and there is not a boring moment! Besides the constant supply of food, we get to participate in activities based on our interest and talents. We had what we called passenger-led workshops, special guest speakers from various ports and language lessons.

I taught English, Mandarin and Indonesian onboard. I was the only Singaporean in a team of 10 other native English teachers. We had so much fun onboard and we hung out together on ports. Surprisingly, 70% of the crew onboard were Indonesian! I will never forget the wide grins of the bar and restaurant staff when I first spoke to them in Indonesian. 'This is the first time we have ever had a GET teacher from Indonesia!', one of them exclaimed. They were also delighted whenever my language students practised their basic Indonesian on them.

The experience ruined me because I think I left my travel bug on the boat. I still love travelling, but somehow it has satisfied the 'I need to see more of the world' that I was probably born with. It also gave me lots of memories that will get me through my ho hum and rainy days.

3. Invest in yourself with certifications that equip you with life changing skills

In a world that's constantly changing, there are key skills and qualifications that can equip you for life. You don't need to do another degree or diploma, many of these are only a few days long, and can be completed online or part-time. Here are a few certifications worth investing that has changed me, opened doors for me and given me multiple sources of income. Notice that they are all globally recognised and can be practised from anywhere?

(i) CELTA

In a nutshell: a teacher training qualification for teaching English as a second language

Who it's for: anyone who wants to teach English

How it has helped me: CELTA was my first teacher related qualification, and it set a good foundation for my current training career. It also landed me the Peace Boat job, and made me an in demand volunteer wherever I go. There's always someone in the world who will want to learn English. I also ended up running the ESL department of a non-profit organisation and training a team of new teachers in Sydney, which was one of my most priceless experience.

(ii) ICF

In a nutshell: The world's most recognised and leading certification body for coaches; the gold standard for coaching

Who it's for: Leaders and managers, current and aspiring coaches and anyone interested in personal development (yes, you can coach yourself too)

How it has changed me: It completely changed the way I coach. Before this, I could only offer advice and guidance in my areas of expertise, but this has widened my repertoire and given me an entirely new skill that can be monetised. I was able to deliver more than what a typical career coach delivers. Coaching now forms at least one-third of my portfolio career, and I can do it from the comfort of my home while delivering the same results.

(iii) NLP

In a nutshell: Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a set of tools, techniques & processes that you can use to create positive change in yourself and others. It is a toolbox that helps you to think and communicate in better ways.

Who it's for: Anyone who has a brain and who communicates :)

How it has ruined my life: I attended my first NLP bootcamp when I was 21 years old, and it has served me every single moment since then. Everything starts in the mind, and NLP is like a set of light switches that you can on and off in your brain. NLP ingrains new ways of thinking so that you can change your perspective. When you change your mind, you can change your life. Changing how you communicate will also give you the results you want with people.

(iv) Image and Style Certification

In a nutshell: Training to turn you into a qualified image consultant

Who it's for: Anyone interested in becoming an image consultant, trainer or anyone who's keen to enhance their personal branding, image and style

How it has changed my life: What should I wear? What's my best colour? Why does this dress look good on me but not on that person? You end up becoming the image consultant version of the psychologist who psychoanalyses everyone. You have internal thoughts such as 'it's such a shame that the branded shirt is not the right colour for the person' and 'I wonder how his style personality has resulted in conflicts with his significant other'. And you stop yourself from sharing those thoughts because your mentor once told you, "If they don't pay, you don't say." Very wise advice, don't you think?

Interested? If any of the above certifications have piqued your interest, I am more than happy to recommend the best places for you to pursue those. I've done my research, gone through the trainings and benefitted from them.

Disclaimer: You may get a special rate or/and I may be given referral bonuses if you do decide to sign up for some of them. Shall we go for coffee or drinks? ;)

4. Live in a different country for an extended period of time

The impact of living in a different country travels far and wide. There are challenges and joys that you will never experience in your own home country. It is completely different from travelling or backpacking, as you literally have to uproot yourself and plant yourself in a new place. You learn independence, you learn culture and you learn about different worldviews. We all have our own worldviews and when you are exposed to different people your worldview expands. Once that happens it cannot be undone. You won't ever see the world or your country with the same lens again.

There are so many ways you can do this. For me, I chose to further my postgrad in Australia and I stayed there for five years. I have friends who found employment there or who did a working holiday there. What's important is who you surround yourself with when you are overseas. I've seen too many people go on overseas exchanges and only ended up hanging out with people from their own country. That's just a change of scenery. How will you challenge and change your worldview, and your network if you stay with your own kind?

5. Be part of an exciting start up or a cause bigger than yourself

I always say 'no vision, no mission'. Get involved in something that lit a spark or fire inside you. If you don't have a personal vision, then support someone who has a big vision. Most start up founders are visionaries and they're always recruiting good people to their team. Join a start up at least once in your career. The feeling of building something from ground up with a group of passionate people who are on the same mission is exhilarating.

I've done this in various ways, but I want to share one of my most significant experience. In 2017, my church announced that they were planting a campus in Perth, Australia. I decided to be part of the startup team that would relocate from Sydney to Perth. The stories of how we each felt the tug to go were simply divine. We were a small group, but I felt I was in a team of giants - people who were solid leaders and fully sold out to the cause. We grew from nothing to a full auditorium of people and fully functioning teams within a few months. I got to hone my people, leadership and time management skills. We were stretched beyond my limits. We joked that one day in Perth was like one month. We were probably the 'busiest' people in the quiet, little town of Perth. Everything was accelerated, including our friendships. We were making history and it was all worth it.

So there you have it, my past bucket list experiences that have spoiled my life. Want to see my future list? Check it out below!

BUCKET LIST of experiences to ruin my life(in a good way)

• Go on a free holiday to Vaughantown - https://volunteers.grupovaughan.com/home
• Do a remote year - https://remoteyear.com
• Conduct a training retreat or be invited as a speaker/trainer to an overseas conference
• Language immersion in Spain, Japan or Israel
• Learn how to skydive myself and then Skydive over Mount Everest https://skydivehigh.com/skydive-everest/
• Do an advanced scuba diving course
• Train entirely in Mandarin or Indonesian
• Be part of an overseas missions trip where I get to use my teaching/training skills
• Go to Mind Valley A-Fest(www.afest.com)
• Finish my NLP Master Practitioner and Timeline Therapy
• Do a 21 day juice fast or detox retreat
• Go on a silent retreat (You are given a break from speaking out loud during the retreat. No distractions. Have you ever enjoyed your own company for an extended period? I know someone who runs such retreats, message me for details)
• Learn and master unique but life changing skills such as emotional intelligence, dream interpretation (I'm not kidding, my dreams shape my life decisions), workload management, networking and coaching
• And many many more ...

This is my running list which I will keep adding, changing and crossing out. Don't you just wish you have more time to do all that you want?

Conclusion: One life is not enough to explore all that the world has to offer. But you only live(or die) once, so do something that will ruin your life in a good way! I hope this article has inspired you to pursue more bucket list experiences.

Is there anything here that's also on your bucket list or anything you would recommend? Do share! :) Perhaps I could help you or vice versa!

I coach and train individuals to #sparkmorejoy in their career and life. Do you have a bucket list item that is a MUST DO? Not sure if you'll ever cross it off or why you are delaying it? Why not give coaching a go? Get your first coaching session with me for only USD99 (fully redeemable for a coaching package). It will be a full coaching session where you will leave with more clarity and motivation around your most important bucket list goal as well as an action plan. Complete this free coaching assessment and you'll hear from me within 48 hours.

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