Finding Your Strongest Life

Picked up this book, Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham, a few weeks ago. In fact, I was looking for some other books to read when I chanced upon this book. Attractive title and when I read the synopsis and the reviews, I was WOWED and I decided I am not going to put this book back on the Library shelves.

I am glad I borrowed the book for it is one of the most powerful book that I certainly had read thus far.


The first take-away:
This book shows how two person undergoing the same life courses can have varying feel and outcomes based on the decisions and choices they have made when they encounter needs to make decisions/ choices. It tells us the importance of making choices based on our 'strongest moments'. 


There are times when the path ahead may seem uncertain but if we feel strongly in moving ahead, we should. Even if it may not lead us to anyway we thought it, we will not look back in our old age one day and regret that we have not taken that path.

The second take-away:
It is a fine line between doing the right things and doing what we want to do and the former usually drains us of our energy because of us trying to strike a balance. In all our lives, many of us try to strike a balance in all that we do, because that SHOULD be the right way, but this book tells us to find the imbalance in life - to go for what we really want to do and believe in.


The third take-away:
Work on our strengths rather than weaknesses. Focusing at a person's strength enhances and magnifies them, the same goes for focusing on our weaknesses. Focus on what we can do best and let the weaknesses stay in the background.


The fourth and most important take-away:
Finding out my own 'roles'. Take the Strong Life Test at stronglifetest.com and find out your lead and supporting roles you are born to play which makes you feel good and how you can make better choices in life based on these roles. 

The 9 Roles of Women

My lead role is: Creator (which surprises me) 

My supporting role is: Advisor

From the book:  "If you look at what you have in life, you'll always have more. If you look at what you don't have in life, you'll never have enough." ~ Oprah Winfrey

Journey of a Thousand Miles start with a Single Step

Fuji Maru - My Home for over 40 days (Photo credits: Koh Zhizheng)

Having been on the 53-days once-in-a-lifetime journey on board Fuji Maru really defines the above saying very well. With Grace's numerous persuasion, I finally get to achieve what I have wanted to do since 1999. The hectic lifestyle is one reason that kept me postponing my encounter with the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP) and when I thought it is a dream that can never come through, opportunity struck.

25th October 2011, I started on this journey on board Fuji Maru together with 318 other youths from ASEAN and Japan. And of course, nothing comes easy. The build-up to this journey consisted of arduous pre-journey work of 91 days, 28 Singapore youths, 1 National Leader, countless late night meetings and many other things starting from 26th July 2011. However, looking back at the effort and time invested into it, the take-away can be described with one word, "Magical".

Photo for individual namecards (Photo credits: Koh Zhisheng)

Magical because of the friendship that I would not have thought of forging. Magical because of finding affirmation of my directions in life. Magical because being able to showcase my first (not to mention a couple more times) dance performance in front of hundreds of audiences. Magical because of the countless opportunity across contingents that had been opened up. Magical because of the growth it had given me, as an individual, in the short span of 53 + 91 days.

Pre-departure trainings

Demonstrating indoor kite flying during Pre-departure training

Team Building activities

Rehearsals for Pre-departure Concert and National Presentation on Board Fuji Maru

On-board Fuji Maru:

25th October to 2nd November 2011:

Departure from Singapore, Japan-ASEAN-Youth Leaders' Summit in Tokyo (National Youth Centre)
and Niigata visit before Homestay in Niigata

Homestay family in Niigata, on board Fuji Maru and 
departing and sailing from Yokohama port, Japan to The Philippines

4th to 13th November 2011:

On board ship programmes
(Solidarity group activities, cultural performances, costumes exchanges), 

Institutional visit and Homestay in the Phillipines

13th to 19th November 2011: 

Sailing from the Philipines to Brunei, on board ship programmes,
Institutional Visit and Homestay in Brunei

19th to 28th November 2011: 

Sailing from Brunei Darussalam to Indonesia, on board ship programmes,
Welcome ceremony in Indonesia, Homestay in Indonesia, Institutional visit in Malaysia

28th November to 6th December 2011: 

Homestay in Malaysia, sailing from Malaysia to Vietnam,
Institutional visit in Vietnam and Homestay in Vietnam

6th December to 16th December: 

Sailing from Vietnam back to Tokyo, Japan 

So, why Journey of a Thousand Miles start with a Single Step? For, I see SSEAYP as a beginning of more great dreams to come. I thank SSEAYP for all the Eureka! moments as well as the tough times I had to go through that made me a person more affirmative of my role I want to play in the community I work with and is involved with. And thus, I have finally decided to get this blog going...

For more information about the SSEAYP program, please kindly check out
1) SSEAYP Singapore International:  http://www.sseayp.com/sis/
2) SSEAYP International: http://www.sseayp.com/

“The place to improve the world is first in one's own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there.” ― Robert M. Pirsig