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Better life is where you make it
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“Hong Kong is cold (temperature-wise) but work is competitive. I have to work hard, no more honeymoon days as in Singapore.”
That was the SMS message that I received from my former trainee when I inquired how life was in Hong Kong during the Christmas holidays.
A HR director of an international organization, Susan Ling had relocated to HK. She told me: “The current journey in Hong Kong has been tough so far but I believe I can also build resiliency in my sons and me.”
“I basically worked 16 hours a day, my health (heart) deteriorates because of the stress I face at work,” Susan continued. “Once, late at night in the office, I was busy typing, and when I paused to think, realizing that the lights were off outside my room, my tears rolled down my cheeks. I have never worked so hard till I cried.
“Sometimes, I wonder if it is worth doing all this, but I do believe everything happens for a reason. There is no right or wrong decision. Every journey is worth the experience. From a young age, I was always on the move... I learned a lot along the way. I want to give my kids the same experience so that their views are broader. I am thankful that my late father gave me these valuable experiences.”
About her son, she said: “When I was in Hong Kong with my son, he noticed an old woman in her 70s picking up cardboard for a living. He was curious as there is no such scene in Singapore. Everyone lives a comfortable life in Singapore because the government provides for the unfortunate. It made him realize what reality is about.”
In the latest Korean serial “Wonderful Mama,” the main character had observed that her wealth had created three young adults who led opulent lives, without jobs or plans for the future. They considered their mother an ATM without limits!
She realized that they would grow up to be spineless and aimless individuals.
Faking a bankruptcy, she transported the young adults into a congested, squalid living environment, and forced them to look for jobs. Ignoring the protestations and whining of the children, she declared, “All parents want their children to lead better lives!”
A great fruitful thought for uplifting the well-being of future generations to come, and in this digitally connected village and times these family values are increasingly adopted globally, for the better of mankind!
Tan Thian Seng is a senior HR consultant in Singapore.
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