Cash, Credit Card, Car, Condo and Career. You hear so many jokes abt S'poreans and their blind, sometimes blunt pursuit of the 5 C's and snigger. But why? As an unker in my 30s, I confess that I'm also guilty of such ungodly wants. So shoot me! :)) But as I sip my Lavazza and reflect, there are other C's that are of concern. C's that are important to me now, at this stage of my 30-something existence. These 4 C's may change later, I don't know...we'll see...
ControlAs a relatively young 'in-charge' of nearly 200, people are looking at every step you take and every breath you make. Some are genuinely concerned for your well-being, others are waiting for you to take a fall. Most look to you for leadership but there are others who just want fellowship, even if its just a gentle nod of the head to show you care and understand.
So I ask myself, what am I controlling. Minds? Bodies? Expectations? The execution of SOPs by faceless robots? There so many aspects of Control when it comes to living, breathing human beings. I find myself playing Psychiatrist, Agony-Aunt, Discipline-Master, Problem-solver and Motivator everyday.
Some aspects of Control I am blessed with innately. Others I had to learn the hard way. Why? Because I am managing individuals, not lab rats. Every workday is a lesson in the calibration of control and Situational Leadership ; how to reprimand with love, how to listen without prejudice, understanding the human psychology of ego, how to push the right buttons of inspiration...
I hope I don't lose control.
ConceptWhile most of my classmates memorized chunks of paragraphs, I sought to understand the concepts. Its in my blood to ask the Why's and the How's before the What's and When's, much less the Who's.
People have remarked that I take a while to digest a given problem/situation, often asking irritating, inquisitive and repetitive questions along the way. Well, that's my style of approach, First Principles. Maybe I'm just slow. Maybe people are just not curious and kaypoh enough.
Either way, it has served me well. The need to breed concept-biased thinkers rather than rote-learners cannot be more important now in this Global Village of milli-second changes. For a start, I try to tell people Why and How, instead of What and When.
Irritating as it may be to the majority ;)
CompassionSomething I need lots more of. Its defined by certain quarters as the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it.
Well I notice I'm good at understanding the suffering of others but not wanting to do anything about it. Compassion-by-remote if you may call it. I'm happy to direct someone to alleviate your suffering, just don't bother me.
Perhaps I need to be put in a situation for Compassion to be shown to me before I learn. In the meantime I struggle with Compassion.
No wonder some people say I'm a cold. This will change, soon...I hope.
ConsumptionAnd no, not the RON92, RON95 and RON98 variety please. Then again, petrol DOES contribute to my consumption, hmmmm :))
Well I'm just spending too much money and saving too little. I wonder if this is a characteristic of a DINK family or shall I say DIDA (Dual-Income Dual Anjing,
anjing being Malay for dog). Yes, corny.
But but but... there are so many cool things out there in this big, bad, gadget-infested world to tempt us epicurean consumers. And we DINKs lap it all up like hapless children in a candy store. I suspect Consumption is correlated to Competition. We compete to see who can consume the most and who has the most to show for it.
Just don't experience the bulimia of bankruptcy.
So there, the 'philosophical' musings of an unker at 5 in the morning. Bear with me :))