Grit

I woke up one morning and received a text message from my colleague - It was an article about children and young adults committing suicide. I read with a heavy heart as one of them was my ex-student. I remember him till this day as he was an unique boy and he was, like many students, the reason for me to stay on the teaching arena for two decades. #pleasestaymovement #pleasestay4hope #pleasestay2live

https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/mothers-who-lost-children-suicide-launch-pleasestay-movement-raise-awareness

Many of us face a lot of challenges in life - do we have flight or fight mode? When we take flight, we may either have inaction or resort to some forms of escapism. The greatest enemy that we can have in life is inaction, and inaction leads to negative feelings such as depression and anxiety. Depression and anxiety issues are real...suicide is the leading cause of death in Singaporeans age 10-29 😰

Let's learn to embrace negativity - https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/how-handle-negative-emotions.html. For example, embracing emotion provide release. If not, it will manifest by having pain in our bodies or even illnesses. Never let the negative emotions remain in us for more than 72 hours.

We can embrace negativity and acknowledge our own vulnerability as vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change, based on Amber Conroy, PHD NZ Business Director and 2019 Mentor of the Year.

She spoke and wrote that to drive innovation, change and creativity, we need to learn to get comfortable with the uncomfortable, and we need to understand the relationship between vulnerability and courage to make mistakes (link here). Vulnerability can be fostered by embracing failure, respectful conduct, open leadership and practicing self-compassion.

When we are allowed to make mistakes and face the challenges, that's when innovation takes place. Do not be beaten by challenges in life - keep your grit. As at the end of the tunnel comes creativity, innovation and positive changes.