Life Lesson #2 – Have Courage
Being brave and having the courage to stand by my values…
At the age of 8, I slaughtered a large cobra by myself. Like everyone, I am fearful of many things, even though I grew up in a harsh environment. One day, I saw a black cobra in the kitchen, only a few metres away. Overcome by fear, I didn’t dare to move. A few thoughts flashed through my mind. I thought if I didn’t kill it, my family might be harmed. With that thought, I gathered all my courage, immediately grabbed a steel rod, and killed it with all my strength. Whenever I think back, I consider myself very lucky, as the cobra was already facing me before I struck it. After doing some research about the cobra, I realised that I could have been killed, as I was only a small boy. I believe that the thought of my family being attacked by the cobra helped me do the right thing at that moment.
When I was in secondary two, one of my classmates taught us how to blow a whistle using grass from beside the basketball court. This happened after school, and I didn’t realise I could get into trouble with a whistle. As a first-timer, I blew it so loudly that the school principal came out to catch the culprit. My school bus arrived at that point, and I didn’t know what was happening. It was only when my classmate told me that another student had been caned after being caught by the principal that I realised the gravity of the situation.
Feeling guilty, I decided to inform my form teacher about it. My form teacher brought me to see the school principal. Overcome with fear, I was worried about being caned by the principal and then punished by my parents. Surprisingly, the principal did not cane me; instead, he accepted my apology. He even praised me for being honest and having the courage to own up.
During my primary school years, I had no friends, as I was extremely shy and lacked self-confidence. This continued during my secondary school years, as I didn’t dare speak in English, having come from a Chinese primary school in a kampong. As a student, I was always one of the few who consistently achieved poor results, as I had to spend between six to twelve hours every day on the farm with my parents. I never had the courage to even utter the word “achievement” after finishing secondary school. In fact, I nearly ended my life, as I was often told I was stupid.
Man Hunt Singapore
In August 2002, I saw an advertisement for signing up for the “Man Hunt Singapore” contest. It promised a prize of $15,000 and a career as a model. The advertisement caught my attention, and perhaps it attracted many young people at the time. I was very eager to achieve something in my life and wanted to give the $15,000 prize money to my father so that he wouldn’t have to worry about money. I decided to take part in the contest. This thought excited me, although there were many reasons why I could easily fail. Besides the fear of wearing swimming trunks and performing a catwalk on stage, one of my greatest fears was the thought of speaking English in front of an audience. I kept comforting myself by thinking that I had always been unsuccessful and that I wouldn’t lose much even if I didn’t win anything.
I worked hard every moment, reading up, asking people for help, spending more than 12 hours every week in the gym, sticking to a very strict diet, and constantly reminding myself to stay positive. I emerged as a finalist in Manhunt 1993. It was then that I realised something very valuable in life: that God or Buddha will only be there for those who believe in themselves. I continued on this journey, and after 15 years, I became the champion of Men’s Health 2007. It was the courage, focus, and the mindset of beginning with the end in mind that transformed me from an extremely shy Kampong boy into someone capable of speaking confidently.