Confidence

Although this topic is about confidence, there are also many things I like to touch that I viewed it as equally important.

In around the 4th quarter of 2008, the company that I work has decided to sold off the division that I have work in for almost 8 to 9 years. Since 6 years, I have found myself not progressing much and wanted to leave. However, not comfortable to leave my comfort without a head start, I prayed to get myself retrench which never happened during the 6 years. Because of the financial crisis in 2008, the company announced a voluntarily resignation package. I was particularly interested in it but because I am in the negotiation stage of being sold off, I am not qualified for the package unless.... I stumbled upon a book called 'The Secret' by Rhonda Shepherd and boy, I begin to experience the magic. Everybody do not believed that I can get the package but I practices what was preached - The Law of Attraction and the first thing to do is Believed in it, feel it and felt that you have it in hand. I tell myself everyday and when the day comes to meet the VP of the purchasing company, he told me he will help me to get it and guess what, I got it. Long story but this is the intro to my next part where I want to highlight the magic works again.

A few months back, I was reading a book on EQ by Daniel Goleman and I took the theory that a successful person depends 80% on EQ and only 20% on IQ. And as such, I was kind of thinking of enrolling my daughter in a school that focus on EQ at early age. I don't find that the current school is doing much on EQ. However, because of my comfort zone and switching cost, I have not been looking for that school but thoughts still linger. Then the school announced a 10% hike in fees which they have just done one last year. I wasn't pleased with that and hence I went around looking for a new school. And guess what, I came across this school where the presenter introduced their method. What strike me are the following :-

1. They touches on EQ - Interpersonal Skills. That is what I have been looking for. Besides that, it also touches me that my EQ wasn't that high either. Opportunity strikes one more if one has a higher EQ such as being very approachable, very charismatic etc and they are traits of people who has awesome EQ. I'm a pretty shy person and when it comes to crowd, I tend to make myself less conspicuous. I lack confidence in this area and that is something that I have to improve. Anyway, not too much about me.

2. They touches on assessment not based on regurgitating every single word what was taught but rather a student own views on the subject. This way, they can assess the value perceived by the student. A student will not perceived any value by regurgitating what was taught. In my past year, I remember history lessons. My teacher will asked me to memorize a paragraph and do self dictation. I don't find any value of memorizing paragraph. She should instead asked me to read the paragraph and write the events on my own word and provide my view of what the paragraph means to me. That is alot more precious as it cultivate real meaning in learning.

3. They touches of self confidence and this is a lesson that came to me not just today, but also on Friday when I was doing trading. My mentor mentioned that the worst thing that can happened to a trader is not losing money. It is losing CONFIDENCE. I remember my days when I was in my secondary school. I was in Whampoa Secondary School, now extinct. Sec 1, I was in Position 16. Sec 2, I came in 8. Sec 3, I came in 4 and guess what I came in in Sec 4. I topped the school. Following that, I got 4A's in JC and a First Class Honors in NUS. I reflected why was I pretty good in my studies. I got a method of studying and that is to understand what I'm doing but most important of all is, I am confidence that I can passed exams and I love seeing the outcome. With confidence, I also feel the flow of achieving my optimal performance. Till date, I still have the confidence though I must admit that it was alittle shaken by the next point.

4. They touches on speed reading. I don't really considered that as a must value as I think one still can do well in society if one is slow in reading. However, this is a bonus. I am lacking in this as when I was attending a lesson, a part of the lesson was doing questions. Every time I was reading a question and before I could finished, someone already gave the answer. Wasn't that sickening? Hahaha... Then the lecturer goes on and say that the exam also test on how fast you answer your questions. Oh boy that almost kills my confidence in passing exams... hahahaha....
Nevertheless, I have done a 250 multiple choice paper in 6 hours and passed. So screw that thought :).

The last few other decision is of course, cost and proximity and both is better than the current one. So I asked, why not give it a go. The last question I asked myself is - the teachers. Are they able to deliver what they preached? That is where I need to find out by getting my daughter into the school. I learned also that never seek an opinion from someone who never done that thing before. I heard parents claiming that this school and that school is good and when I asked whether they have enrolled their child in it, they says no. So no point going forward to believe in what they say.

Anyway, the whole long blog is about CONFIDENCE which I find this very important. Don't lose your self-confidence. Never let anyone pull you down because you are the one that can only pull yourself down. Self confidence leads to optimal flow where the things that you do begin to feel so effortlessly. ~ for my daughters