The Opportunities I Lost By Not Taking Personal Responsibility
I can't get those opportunities back. What I can do is...
For the twenty three years that I’ve been living in Hong Kong, nothing much has changed when it comes to who the locals are more accepting of. I’m talking about the ‘most’ of the local Hong Kongers. Not all of them.
The working languages in Hong Kong are Cantonese, Mandarin and some English. If you’re an expat in Hong Kong, you’re either working in the finance industry or in the education industry. There are opportunities for speakers of other languages, but they are few and far in between. Most people in the finance industry are brought to this city by their big budget banks and financial institutions. I had zero experience in finance. That left me with no choice but to go with teaching. Don’t get me wrong. Teaching (English) is a great profession, and pays well. BUT.
No one likes not being able to choose.
No one likes being put into a box.
No one likes being judged.
Guess what? That’s the reality of the world we live in, especially in cities like Hong Kong. I happen to be good at teaching. What I love more is training people for communication skills, public speaking, presentation, confidence, meditation, life skills et cetera.
Most Hong Kong people are superficial and will gauge a person from their appearance to see what they can get from them. Below is a screenshot of comments under a pathetic video Hong Kong government created to promote tourism in post COVID Hong Kong.
You can read the highlighted reply in the screenshot.
So this is just the sad reality of Hong Kong. And I’ve had my fair share of racial prejudice. It hurt me. I stopped asking my local connections for help, because no one in Hong Kong would be interested in listening to what this brown girl had to say.
I’ve watched locals get up from their seats if a black or Indian person came and sat next to them on the train. Locals think Indians stink. I’ve seen some of these ignorant folks cover their nose when walking past me. It’s hurtful behavior, beyond disgusting.
Hong Kong was a British colony, and Hong Kongers lick the soles of white people! Anything white is good in their eyes. Anyone with light hair and light eyes is qualified to teach English, regardless of which country they originate. You see, it’s all superficial to the point of stupudity.
I now work part-time at a local kindergarten. I love my colleagues and my students. They’re all local Hong Kongers. They love me and appreciate me. I’m at a different place now. Yet, there’s so much more to I yearn do for the people of Hong Kong. How could I find the opportunity to be a speaker, coach, and trainer locally?
Obviously, this racism made me angry and bitter toward Hong Kong people. I was giving my power way every time I gave these racial occurrences my energy. I wasn’t being responsible. I was forced to ask myself to do something about it because I’m ever so keen about getting myself unstuck and grow. I put on my big girl pants.
I asked myself, “What can I do whilst I am in Hong Kong?”
Besides reaching out to audiences outside of Hong Kong through online platforms, I thought, how about I, for the sake of feeling better, for my own peace of mind, do myself a favor and simply let go of my judgment of Hong Kong and its people.
You know, I had got really, really tired of constantly judging others, especially locals on social media. I wanted to stop that so badly. I wanted a quieter, calmer mind. So that I could focus on doing what was necessary. So that I could save my energy to do the things that mattered to me the most. I have to admit. It’s been a battle. It’s been a uphill climb!
My efforts are starting to pay off. That uphill climb has brought me to beautiful view - my heart’s greatest desire.
On Monday, the 27th of May I will be giving a mini-workshop in-person to a group of fresh graduates embarking on this journey we call real life! And they want to learn how to balance work, studies, family, social life and responsibilities. All I can say is a HUGE thank you. I am thrilled!
I don’t know what I lost. This one’s been a lesson of a life time. Some times things like mindsets take a while to change. The key is to not give up on yourself, and be clear about what you want.
Keep your eyes on the gold, people!
A big thank you to the people who attended my online event on personal responsibility last night (May 13, 2024)!
I’d love to invite you to my next online event on Saturday the 15th of June from 7 pm HK/SG/KL time. That’s 7 am EDT, 12 noon UK time.
The topics is How To Be Confident And Influential In Public Speaking. This link has all the details you need to know. I’m bringing my two years of toastmasters experience, storytelling, as well as over ten years of meditation practice. What has meditation got to do with public speaking, you ask? EVERYTHING, I say. Come and find out if you’re curious.
Have you had any experience with public speaking? Embarrassing ones, or funny ones? Inspiring ones?
Let it rip in the comments! I wanna hear it all. Your thoughts. My eyes, ears and heart!
Talk soon!!