2005-a year to remember

Throughout the entire year, my greatest lesson is that of working hard and playing hard. When I was in secondary school, I placed much emphasis on academic performance and studies, as the saying goes, “Too much work makes Jack a dull boy”, but in this case, I’m not really what you would call a boy. However, when I came to AJC this year, I found that my classmates are really a fun-loving and amiable group of people. I have learnt to be more vocal and friendly as a result and somehow, I feel that the exposure that I have been getting in AJC has created a profound effect on me. I cannot really articulate optimally what I feel in words, but simply saying, it has been an enjoyable year.

Of course, during the course of this year, there have been hiccups and unhappiness arising from different sources. Through facing obstacles valiantly and overcoming them can one ever hope to truly be more experienced and confident. In the course of everyone’s life, a myriad of events will occur. Not every incident is smooth and to one’s wishes. Being averse to challenges in life only serves to narrow one’s experiences and growing up in a protected environment only results in lower self-esteem when facing external pressures. In a sense, the variety of exposure in AJC has given me considerable experience and confidence in undertaking tomorrow’s challenges, whatever they may be.

Firstly, it was the first time I attempted to take up leadership positions in class and in CCAs and other activities. Being in the House and CCA committee is actually a very stressful affair and not as enjoyable as I envisioned it to be. Indeed, responsibilities increase when one takes on more roles. Sometimes I do feel that I cannot cope but I’m trying my best to manage. I realize that being able to put in one’s best foot for everything and excelling at them is actually very daunting. Indeed, it’s the survival of the fittest. I really hope that being exposed to such stress is actually helpful for life in the working society in the future…

In this year, I’ve learnt to talk and communicate with more people. In a way, it is like a turning point in my life as all along I have preferred to indulge myself in solitude and accomplishing things independently. Maybe I might have had an attitude problem previously, but sometimes, it is simply a case of feeling misfit and unable to merge in with the crowd. Through joking and playing around with my classmates, I suddenly realize that talking is actually an enjoyable activity. Of course, it is highly dependable on the person you are actually communicating with. But sometimes, it can get very addictive too. There seems to be a flipside to everything in life.

This year, I’ve also learnt to make myself happy. Sometimes, one should be just contented with simple things in life and laugh off any unhappiness. Quoting Chicken Little, “Every day is a new day”, I think that one should learn to get on with life and not brood over depressing issues. Although it is a tortuous affair, but ultimately, it is a test of how strong a person’s character is. And finally, I’ve learnt to weigh my thoughts carefully before deciding on my course of action because regret is a painful word.

I have made a lot of valuable friendships this year and I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has brightened up my life and made it different! Hope that next year is a better year!