Committing to Opportunities

I have been asked about my teaching & lecturing activities quite a bit recently. This started me thinking quite a bit & I had the chance to discuss this in a little more depth with Eric Sim, when we caught up.

How did it all start?

Most people are not aware that I used to do public speaking & conduct seminars. This was some 14 years ago when I was just left banking. It has always been something I wanted to do. A simple way of giving back & I very much enjoy the interaction with the participants who attend the talks & courses.

I had to temporarily stop when work load increased along with frequent travels, which resulted in limited time available for me to commit to classes. The temporary seemed to have turned permanent with the passage of time.

How did it start again?

I was catching up with an old friend and the topic of teaching came up. He was kind enough to introduce me to Eric, whom I first met in 2017. It was over a casual drink on a Friday evening. Eric, on hearing about my desire to start again, invited me to speak as a guest at a course he was teaching that weekend. He reminded me that I actually hesitated that day, noting some prior commitments I had on that Sunday. Nonetheless, I managed to move things around and took up his offer.

Looking back together, we agreed that if I had not committed myself to that Sunday course, it would seriously have put doubt about whether I was truly committed to pursue this passion. And very likely would not have led to further opportunities in this space; at least not in the quick succession which I had the good fortune of getting.

We all have dreams, desires & passion projects. Things we wish to do, but often later or subject to whatever conditions we place on ourselves. When I have the time. When my kids are older. When I am more settled. Many ways to justify, delay or avoid. Commitment is necessary when opportunities appear. Obviously, it should never be at a cost we cannot afford, adversely affecting work or family. But sacrifices have be made if we are truly chasing the passion.

That single commitment have led me to other speaking & teaching engagements at National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University as well as at a strategy event for a listed company. Regretfully, I also had to pass on some invites as there were timing clashes with my corporate commitments. I am very thankful for these opportunities and most grateful to those who have trusted me. I look forward to further growth as I look to expand my scope while I remind myself that commitment is necessary.