Everytime someone asks me what do I really want to do or what am I interested in, I never fail to struggle to find something to reply.

Till today.

Gia said something that I felt was really powerful:


"PERSIST IN YOUR DREAM"


I remember that as a kid, I used to have big dreams. Many big dreams.

When I was in primary 4, I dreamt of being an inventor. An inventor of portable boats, to be specific. Why? Because Singapore's surrounded by the sea and we're such a small country, if Singapore ever goes down under, it'd probably be 'bye-bye forever' for everyone here. So I came up with this brilliant idea - that is, to invent pocket-size portable boats. My portable boat will certainly save many lives cos everyone will have it with them all the time. I even thought of including an electric pump in the whole package, cos I felt that it'd be too time-consuming if people were to inflate the boat manually!

When I was in primary 5, I dreamt of being a firefighter. After watching a movie on the lives of firefighters, I remember that I wanted so much to be part of all that action. I wanted to be one of those heroes who emerge from the rising flames - with soot all over my face, beads of perspiration trickling down my cheeks and, of cos, a child in my arms. To an 11 year-old, that seemed like the ultimate act of courage one could ever perform.

When I was in primary 6/secondary 1, I dreamt of being a fighter pilot. Yes, a fighter pilot! Having lived in a house where I get to hear fighter jets vrroom-ing past my balcony almost everyday for the past 12/13 years, it really seemed like the pilots were the guards of our skies - as they were portrayed on tv commercials. I also like the nobility that comes with being a pilot. And don't you think fighter pilots look so cool with their full gear on?

When I was in secondary 2, I dreamt of being a doctor. Not just any doctor, but an A&E one! I like the unpredictability of the job. I like the fact that everyday's a new day! I like being constantly on the go. I like that I'll be dealing with people. In fact, I like the whole idea of being a doctor so much that it motivated me to study hard for the finals, so that I could get into a triple science class where I'll be able to study biology (which I eventually got into, by the way).

When I was in secondary 3/4, I dreamt of being a psychologist. I can't recall exactly what ignited the whole 'psychologist thing', but I remember thinking to myself that those mentally-ill people are not really crazy, that they just needed some help. Even then, I was already rather interested in what people were thinking and why they think the way they did. Plus, being a psychologist seemed relatively easy to me then. Just listen to the patients' problems, offer some sound advice, and money rolls in! Where can you find such a job?!

When I was in JC, I didn't have a dream per se, though I did start to consider a teaching career. Despite all those "Eeeyur... I can never be a teacher!" and "I don't have the patience to teach kids" comments that I used to make when I was young, somehow, it gradually became a very plausible career choice for me. It deals directly with people, which I like. It's not a 9-5 job, which I like. It does not require me to sit at my desk all day, which I like. So you see, teaching may not be that bad after all!


I know I had many many dreams, some of them so far-fetched that even I can't believe I actually thought of that. But anyway, I finally did some serious thinking today, and I realised that I like a job that not only deals people, but more importantly, one that will impact people's lives.

So I've pretty much decided that I wanna study Psychology! Though I'll have to further my studies abroad if I wanna practise in Singapore, I can always go into teaching if I choose not to - and that's another rewarding career.

Woohoo! I'm one step closer to realising my dream now. How about you?