When it rains, it pours.
In the past year or so, I've severely cut down my contact with the "outside world". I went days at a time without texting, much less talking to, anyone.
Also got off social media for some time.
But once I re-opened my doors to the "outside world", I suddenly am surrounded by loads of opportunities, interruptions, requests, connections, and so on.
It's not all bad, but it is pretty overwhelming at times.
I'm going to need to clear some brainspace again soon. But, for now, I'll be sifting through the chaff to find the wheat.
Last-Minute Changes: Boon or Bane? Depends on You.
Last-minute changes can really throw you for a loop.
Especially if it happens without warning.
Now, you could complain and stubbornly try to stick to your guns as you ride it out, or you can purposefully look for opportunities to learn, grow, and test yourself.
One attitude will keep you resentful and wary of the future.
The other will keep you positive and excited for what's to come.
I know what I'd prefer to be.
Making Mistakes Isn't a Death Sentence. Learn From Them. Help Others Learn From Theirs.
I make tonnes of mistakes.
Not every second of every day of my life, but while at work, I may spell something incorrectly, mess up a presentation slide, or mispronounce something when I'm teaching.
In my interactions with people, I may speak too quickly, say the wrong thing, or commit some social faux pas that I wasn't aware of.
Even while doing something as innocuous as ordering food, I may get a meat dish that's sweet (I know a lot of locals in SG love sweet sauces on meat dishes, but I hate them with a passion) or forget to tell the lady boss at the soy curd / drink stall to make mine with less sugar.
Each mistake I make gives me an opportunity to learn so I don't repeat it (until or unless it happens to slip my mind before I've formed a habit or I "get it").
I figured at some point that I should extend this opportunity to my students.
If they answer incorrectly, miss a step in their experiment that causes it to fail, or do the wrong thing at the wrong time, I get them to try again when they're ready.
Not all of them always take me up on my offer, but enough of them do that I've noticed it's not a trivial thing to them.
Perhaps they have always been harshly penalised for making mistakes, and this is a relief to them. I'm not sure.
Whatever the case, I want to keep giving them opportunities to learn and better themselves.
Because that's my job as an educator, isn't it?
Opportunities Amidst the Current Microbiological Climate
Unless you are somehow isolated from the world and its happenings, this is a period of constant daily news about the latest disease outbreak - that of COVID-19.
Almost like a throwback to the days of SARS, temperature taking and travel declarations are the norm again.
And thus, invariably, comes the economic downturn. What else would we expect from cancelled travel, delayed shipments, and affected trade?
And yet, within all of this, there appears to be vast opportunity.
The question is, can you spot it?
Depending on your location, expertise, and station in life, you may be in a unique position to take advantage of the sudden slowdown.
For some of you, this is the perfect time to start developing that area of business that you never had the time to do earlier because you have been constantly swamped with work.
For others, this is your opportunity to just take a step back and recover from all the stresses that you have been placing upon your body and your relationships.
And for still others, this may be a chance to explore new markets and clients that never existed before now.
What I’m trying to say is that sitting around, merely reading the news, and having a pity party for yourself is not going to get you very far. Take this unprecedented opportunity to do something. You will be glad you did.
