About challenging ourselves.

It has been awhile since I've last wrote about something thought provoking or in my blog's case, worthy of reading. 

Sharing a picture of the day after the 3 day Raya-Merdeka break. A boring Friday afternoon with barely 10 people who showed up for work.

The aftermath of my company's photoshooting session. A gruesome 2.5 hour photo shoot where I was required to wear heels and pretend I was about to fall and not fall. Had peeling toes thereafter. Also, found out that hiring a cameraman and make up artist would cost a bomb.

I have always wanted to be in a smooth sailing, chilled learning and medium paced working environment. I have never really believed in the need to be a workaholic nor do I think I will ever end up being like one. Like the Spice Girls hit single from a decade ago, "Too much of something is bad enough". 

In contrast, it is a known fact that young and motivated professionals would need to absorb as much knowledge as possible in the early phases of their career either through practical or theoretical experiences. Hence, having a steep learning curve. I must agree that this would be the most beneficial and effective way of learning in the long run.

That said, the above mentioned statement is somewhat contradictory to my principle of work-life balance. Something which I strive upon since stepping into the corporate world. I've experienced both ends of this corporate Siberia; not having any work at all and having an amplitude of datelines all at once.

I've just passed through what my team mates call it, the peak period for this quarter of the financial year. However, I don't feel anywhere near relieved since my personal peak period will be running throughout the month of September. I can honestly say that I'm not looking forward to it  but since I do not have a choice and that I have to tolerate it anyway, might as well take charge with an optimistic mindset. Easy said than done nonetheless.

Public speaking. Something which I dread and want no part of for the rest of my life. Contrary to being able to socialize and speak up during round table discussions, I tend to stutter, pause constantly and with a high possibility of my mind going blank if I were to speak in front of an audience. I would very much prefer to have the security of a table or someone's head for that matter, so that people won't have a full view of my face. To top that off, I made a minor blunder during one of my company events where I was coaxed by my bosses, last minute, to be the designated Emcee for the day. After the brief mix up, I was somewhat demotivated and swear not to do public speaking ever again.

At times like these, I feel like I'm pushing away responsibilities and the opportunities to learn. Instead of running away from the root cause, which could ultimately lead to a downfall later on in life, I should be tapping away on improving it instead. Hence, the above mentioned learning curve. Harry Truman once mentioned, "A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties."

I'm going for a presentation skills training course in about a weeks time. I know I will be trapped with numerous public speaking exercises and not to mention the hounds of eyes starring at me throughout the presentations. I have been avoiding public speaking since adolescences and have an inclination towards picking courses which does not require presenting my assignment in front of a class during my university years. Some people call it a characteristic of insecurity but some people might just deemed it as an attribute which I'm not simply not good at. I will also be doing a budget presentation to top management thereafter. So, Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew, right?

Oh, by the way, Mooncake festival is coming and I'm excited!