by Sim Kok Boon
First of all, I would like to say that I’m really thankful and privileged to be part of this entrepreneurship class. To be honest, my initial motivation to join the class was because my friends’ are in it. However, throughout the course, I have learnt much from the teachings and sharing from peers, especially my project mates.
My project team has taught me many valuable lessons, like working as a team, caring for not only for my own interests but also the interests of others, respecting one anothers’ views, learning to make most of the strengths, and concurrently, covering the weaknesses of others. It makes me realized that no single man is brilliant enough to do everything by himself. Thus, for a great work to happen, the whole team needs to take ownership of the work, and put their foot into it.
Entrepreneurship was never a route that I would consider taking, because it’s simply too tedious. However, this course has given me new light to this route – it’s more than just starting a business and earning profits, but it’s the pursuit of one’s own dreams; having faith and courage to venture into the unknown to realized one’s dreams.
To me, I would liken many of us to hidden coal that are buried deep in the ground. Within the coal are the hidden potential – the gifts, talents and dreams of each individual, and the thick earth represents the need for each of us to fulfill others’ expectations, to conform to societal’s standards, and to cope with the stress of life, which has accumulated over the years and totally covered these coal. Fortunately, these coals have finally been uncovered by a miner (Prof Pam Lim) with her powerful excavators (T&E module).However, such coal will still be useless unless it burns to give off light and heat to those who needs it. Likewise, the gifts and talents will become useful only when it’s ignited with the zeal and passion for the pursuit of dreams of the individual. Such passion is like wildfire; when one person is burned with passion, it spreads to the rest of the people. Being in the CondoSG team, I wasn’t the one who was already burning, but the one who caught the flame from my CEO.
All in all, this entrepreneurship journey has indeed been fruitful for me. I hope all of us would allow your dreams to surface once again. Know that it doesn’t matter whether it’s too small or too big, or whether you have succeeded in fulfilling your dream, but rather, it’s about whether you have lived to fight for your dream ever before.
