Here's a little comeback after a 2-year hiatus as I have been battling with my inner demons once more. For those who feel demotivated or discouraged on their journey throughout their studies and/or career paths, whether it be by people's comments about you or your own doubts, I just want you to know that you are not alone and that even though it is difficult, it doesn't mean it can't be done!
Delivered a 'Vote of Thanks' at my Graduation.
I have been, and will always be, passionate about business, particularly marketing and finance. The moment I was thrown into that subject in high school, I fell in love with the idea of solving problems and the fact that there are no right answers - just suitable solutions while being creative at the same time! The very notion of being able to voice out my own opinions and benefit people respectively with regards to a specific situation is absolutely rewarding and fruitful! Not to mention, being an expert when it comes to wealth management and investments is something I find rather satisfying and just plain - fun! However, it was not all rainbows and sunshine. In fact, even in this career path at the moment, I still experience some downs. It is inevitable, but it doesn't mean I can't enjoy the rest of my life! A wise person once told me,
"Look at things at a Macro level, not Micro"
From the moment I heard this, it brought me back to the many struggles I've faced when I was studying in high school as I journeyed to become a symbol of hard work and grit when leaving my study life. This story became my motivation into striving hard in my current career and I hope this will inspire you as well, albeit career wise, studies or even throughout your whole life.
Back Story:
I've repeated 3 times in my whole studying life due to different reasons. In all my years of studying, I've been crying my eyes out because I kept failing and it's always been 2-3 marks away from the passing grade, and like many others, I have done my best, like LITERALLY. I've studied long and hard; sacrificed many hangouts and yet, it was still not enough. What's worse, I've had some people telling me things like, "Loria, I don't think you're meant to be in this field. You should do something else" or "Loria, you really think you can get into University with these grades?" or even "I think you should get into Science instead, that looks more like your forté", etc. (Honestly, that was pretty funny because I recall not being that good in Science either 😂)
But despite all that, I listened to my own heart and powered through. I took these remarks as a motivator for myself to work even harder. In fact, to stray away from such comments, I used to picture myself in professional attire with a headset talking to people and going out for meetings over coffee. Of course, it was (and still is) absolutely difficult to fight through these remarks, let alone, your inner demons telling you to agree with them when in fact, that really wasn't the case. There were so many instances where I wanted to stop and quit while I was ahead, but for some reason, I had a little voice inside of me; telling me:
"You have come this far. Do you really want to give up everything you've worked so hard for?"
Every time I heard this, my heart and mind would always say NO. Why? Because I can do it, and nobody can and will tell me otherwise.
Eventually, I graduated from high school and landed a place in the University of Sunderland in Hong Kong. Of all the universities out there, this University gave me a chance to kickstart my dream. Mind you, by the time I graduated from high school, this University opened its doors in Hong Kong, which means that I did not have to travel all the way to the U.K. for studies. (Although it would be an amazing opportunity to go abroad, I am already happy to stay with my family and friends while earning a degree that's recognised in the U.K. Plus, it's more affordable.) However, I thought learning about business was not enough, so I decided to take up 3 different jobs at the time while studying my degree. I was an English Teacher for a humble Tutorial Centre, a Marketing Associate at the University and an Intern for an IOT Company. Although the roles were different, they each gifted me a level up in character and knowledge and I can't thank them enough for it.
3 years later, I surprised everyone, including myself, that I became a First Class Honours Student and obtained the title of Outstanding Student of 2020. I was also chosen to represent my peers on graduation day to give a Vote of Thanks!
Received the Outstanding Student Award.
After all of those tears, I finally made it, and I thank God for the experience. Looking at the journey at a macro-level, I would have never made it without my family and friends. In fact, if I had not gone through that, I wouldn't have met the friends I have now and I wouldn't have ever learnt how to overcome such obstacles. This made me the person I am today and I am super grateful! Now, I wouldn't say that I have become the best version of myself just yet though, because I still have so much more to learn.
Catching up with a few old friends after a year. (We had to postpone our ceremony due to Covid, but thank God it all worked out.)
At Present:
After applying to many different firms, (and of course, received a lot of rejections), I eventually seized an opportunity to work at AIA as a Wealth Management Manager! (I actually have another story on how I got into AIA but I'll save that for another time 😄) I am finally doing what I dreamt of when I was in high school!
It was an amazing journey, but the story doesn't end there. Who knows? I may end up surprising myself once more.