I first recalled the word ambition in 1981. I was in standard 1. I have never enrolled for kindergarten before that. Primary school was the first forum where I learned about education and ambition. It was never taught in school how the working environment looks like or feels like. I even posted a question to my dad how the office environment was. IN school, during that time, whoever commits mistake will be punished by teachers. Either to stand in front of the class, stand on the chair or a good slap or cane by the teacher. I can vividly remember my father smiling face when I posted that question to him. I asked him whether he got canned by his boss upon commiting mistakes at work. He joked that it was the same practice as in school. I kept quiet and imagine to my self that the world of obediency and punishment carry on forever in life. Even after school. Even after death.
I had a friend named Ahmad Rithaudeen in 1981. His father was a jetfighter pilot. On the first day of school, his mom and dad accompanied him until the dismissal bell rang. During break time, his mother spoon fed him the breakfast. He told me proudly about his father being a jetfighter pilot . Somehow rather his story influenced my ambition. I told my mom that my ambition is to become a jetfighter pilot. But the ambition has never come with action plans. So ambition is just a fill in the blank statement. When I think back, the reason I put pilot as an ambition was because I have never had a better career examples other than Rithaudeen's story. On the other hand, frankly, I viewed my father's career as a boring one. He was a government servant. A land surveyor technician to be exact. And I didnt even know what was that all about. In 1991, when I was filling up the form to further my studies, I came across a course offering about land surveying. Again, I asked my father whether I should try something related to what he had done before. Ironically he gave a discouraging response. Probably he knew my characteristic and abilities.
My eldest brother told me that he has already had a clear vision to become a lawyer when he was in form one. To support his ambition, he stressed more on public speakings and participated in the school elocution contests. On contrary, I have a flip flop kind of ambition after becoming a pilot was no more in my wish list. When I was in form 4, I was positioned in the best science class in school. I slightly screwed up my maths and science subjects, not getting distinction. That blew up my road map to further my study to MARA junior college. I got offered by other boarding schools but I have made up my mind to stay in the same school for the next two years. With a minimal guidance I may say, I have switched the streams from pure science to the social science stream. Short term planning was to become a businessman. That was my ambition. So I took accounting/commerce class instead of pure science. I just hate add maths. It was not a bad decision though my results for accounting subjects for SPM was terrible. After the SPM result was announced, I still managed to position my overall results as not so bad but not distinctively to be proud about. Again, another big decision. Whether I should continue doing form six or apply for Matriculation Programs. At that moment, as I mentioned earlier, my ambition to become a businessman subsided as I got frustrated with accounting subject. My favourite subjects were shifted to Geography and History. I did well in both subjects. At first, I decided to proceed with form six as there were no geography or history course available for pre-university courses. But inputs from family members and friends have significantly changed my decision. At that moment, I was so fond of becoming a geologist or archaelogist. Why ? Indiana Jones was one of the factor. The other factor was I could not imagine myself working in the office environment. I always imagine myself doing field works or outdoor stuffs. And I still do now.
As I filled up the UPU form (form to apply for Matriculation study), I knew that I hadnt got much choices without the Add Math subject. So business study is the only bright future for me to carry on. I got the offer then, to further my studies in Universiti Utara Malaysia Matriculation Program. Half hearted, I went through the years there. I graduated in Business Administration with major in Marketing. One thing I remember, the words of wisdom from the vice chancellor. He said, " Being in university doesnt promise a job in the outer market once you graduated. Years spent over here is to make you a better person if not a well prepared person. Not just academically but mentally and socially. You may wish a job that related to your study but you may or may not get one. A scholar should be able to position oneself in the dynamic world. One should be able to create jobs. Not to wish for someone to give him job."
I admitted that there were many opportunities that I didnt grab or utilize during my varsity time. There were many courses available that I should have enrolled. There were so many social associations that I should have joined. Again, it was the flip flop in ambition that made me in inconsistent even during the varisty time. But I did gain lot of experience, from lectures and friends. Especially good friends and room mate. I thank God that I was given good and reliable friends during my time at the university, from all races and backgrounds. And I will never forget them, too many to be named.
Leaving schools and entering the world of career was like the third phase of my life roadmaps. No doubt that working environment has the similarities like those days in schools or college. But this is more on proving what you have learned and showing or delivering results. And most importantly sharing results with the team or organization. During school time, screwing up means screwing mainly yourself but in the working environment, screwing up could mean screwing up your whole team or company. And more challenges arise when you have a family on your own to be fed. I always told my team that working is like a continous process of learning. The different here is that you are paid to learn and deliver. Sounds better right. So my first ambition of becoming a pilot, and then businessman to becoming a geologist didnt really end up to be that way. But the essence of the scholarship are then ingredients to pursuing your career, whatever it is. Luckily there are not many segments in my current job that require Add Maths. But in future it may, who knows. I have never known my plus point until I was told by others. Who told me ? My family, friends, colleagues, some who are with me and of course, some who are againts me. God is Great. Human beings are created with their own specialties and capabilities. That's explain why we need different kind of people to produce great results. A company cant be great by only having good managers. A company cant be great by having only good engineers, accountants, secreatary, operators or architects. It must have a good mix of people that synergize their effort to achieving great results, with clear goals amongst the team members. Same application and formula for a country to be successful. The rich need the poor and the poor need the rich. The poor set a benchmark for the rich to measure their success, and the rich set the benchmark for the poor to climb the ladder up to becoming rich person. This is just example of a social system, rich and wealth are not solely the gist of a great nation. Love, spiritual, happiness, integrity, respects, virtues are many more elements that made up a good nation. Rich and wealth are easier to be measured than the later elements. And we do need money to build schools, mosques, buy religious books, help the needies etc. Being rich enable solutions. Being rich can also enable destructions. For those with the appetite for destructions.
Some time ago, I was one of the volunteer in the community service program organized by the company I work for. I was suppose to do housekeeping and clean-up jobs. But end up being a facilitator to a group of school children instead . I was one of the speaker to give a spontaneous talk on motivation subject. I was not prepared at all. I had no clue what to talk about. I even dressed up not to the standard of a motivational speaker in deed, wearing only a round neck T-Shirts and a baseball cap. I felt so out of tune that morning. But looking at the children faces, I put aside all the discomfortness and inferiority of my dress code. Their faces were like mine years ago. Blur and flip flops I may say. I started off the session by asking them about their ambitions. There were about 30 of them in the class room. Majority of them wanted to become a policeman or teachers. One boy claimed to becoming an astronaut. I reserved my comment until the last person talk. They ranged from form one until form five, so the mentality and maturity level have some slight difference. They reminded me of myself when I first having ambition of becoming a jetfighter pilot. As I mentioned, it was from my friend Rithaudeen. Probably these boys heard or read more about police and teachers. Probably they like to watch the Yusoff Haslam Gerak Khas series. Probably they like uniforms and heroism. Probably the envy their teachers well being. Probably the boy who wanted to become the astronaut admired Datuk Sheikh Muzaffar Shukor, Malaysian first astronaut. I do not have the answer for all that, but one thing for sure, I could sense that majority of them were not firm with their ambition. They just voiced it out because everyone has to say something in that forum. When I got back home, I asked my 5 years old daughter what she would like to be when she grow up. She simply mentioned that she wanted to work with the company I am working with. Probably because that was the only source she could think of, probably because she likes the logo very much. Probably she just want to please me. One think for sure, I will try my best to make her to be firm with what she wants to be. But influentally, I wanted her to become self employed, do business, become rich much faster, and do good things when she is rich.
I had a friend named Ahmad Rithaudeen in 1981. His father was a jetfighter pilot. On the first day of school, his mom and dad accompanied him until the dismissal bell rang. During break time, his mother spoon fed him the breakfast. He told me proudly about his father being a jetfighter pilot . Somehow rather his story influenced my ambition. I told my mom that my ambition is to become a jetfighter pilot. But the ambition has never come with action plans. So ambition is just a fill in the blank statement. When I think back, the reason I put pilot as an ambition was because I have never had a better career examples other than Rithaudeen's story. On the other hand, frankly, I viewed my father's career as a boring one. He was a government servant. A land surveyor technician to be exact. And I didnt even know what was that all about. In 1991, when I was filling up the form to further my studies, I came across a course offering about land surveying. Again, I asked my father whether I should try something related to what he had done before. Ironically he gave a discouraging response. Probably he knew my characteristic and abilities.
My eldest brother told me that he has already had a clear vision to become a lawyer when he was in form one. To support his ambition, he stressed more on public speakings and participated in the school elocution contests. On contrary, I have a flip flop kind of ambition after becoming a pilot was no more in my wish list. When I was in form 4, I was positioned in the best science class in school. I slightly screwed up my maths and science subjects, not getting distinction. That blew up my road map to further my study to MARA junior college. I got offered by other boarding schools but I have made up my mind to stay in the same school for the next two years. With a minimal guidance I may say, I have switched the streams from pure science to the social science stream. Short term planning was to become a businessman. That was my ambition. So I took accounting/commerce class instead of pure science. I just hate add maths. It was not a bad decision though my results for accounting subjects for SPM was terrible. After the SPM result was announced, I still managed to position my overall results as not so bad but not distinctively to be proud about. Again, another big decision. Whether I should continue doing form six or apply for Matriculation Programs. At that moment, as I mentioned earlier, my ambition to become a businessman subsided as I got frustrated with accounting subject. My favourite subjects were shifted to Geography and History. I did well in both subjects. At first, I decided to proceed with form six as there were no geography or history course available for pre-university courses. But inputs from family members and friends have significantly changed my decision. At that moment, I was so fond of becoming a geologist or archaelogist. Why ? Indiana Jones was one of the factor. The other factor was I could not imagine myself working in the office environment. I always imagine myself doing field works or outdoor stuffs. And I still do now.
As I filled up the UPU form (form to apply for Matriculation study), I knew that I hadnt got much choices without the Add Math subject. So business study is the only bright future for me to carry on. I got the offer then, to further my studies in Universiti Utara Malaysia Matriculation Program. Half hearted, I went through the years there. I graduated in Business Administration with major in Marketing. One thing I remember, the words of wisdom from the vice chancellor. He said, " Being in university doesnt promise a job in the outer market once you graduated. Years spent over here is to make you a better person if not a well prepared person. Not just academically but mentally and socially. You may wish a job that related to your study but you may or may not get one. A scholar should be able to position oneself in the dynamic world. One should be able to create jobs. Not to wish for someone to give him job."
I admitted that there were many opportunities that I didnt grab or utilize during my varsity time. There were many courses available that I should have enrolled. There were so many social associations that I should have joined. Again, it was the flip flop in ambition that made me in inconsistent even during the varisty time. But I did gain lot of experience, from lectures and friends. Especially good friends and room mate. I thank God that I was given good and reliable friends during my time at the university, from all races and backgrounds. And I will never forget them, too many to be named.
Leaving schools and entering the world of career was like the third phase of my life roadmaps. No doubt that working environment has the similarities like those days in schools or college. But this is more on proving what you have learned and showing or delivering results. And most importantly sharing results with the team or organization. During school time, screwing up means screwing mainly yourself but in the working environment, screwing up could mean screwing up your whole team or company. And more challenges arise when you have a family on your own to be fed. I always told my team that working is like a continous process of learning. The different here is that you are paid to learn and deliver. Sounds better right. So my first ambition of becoming a pilot, and then businessman to becoming a geologist didnt really end up to be that way. But the essence of the scholarship are then ingredients to pursuing your career, whatever it is. Luckily there are not many segments in my current job that require Add Maths. But in future it may, who knows. I have never known my plus point until I was told by others. Who told me ? My family, friends, colleagues, some who are with me and of course, some who are againts me. God is Great. Human beings are created with their own specialties and capabilities. That's explain why we need different kind of people to produce great results. A company cant be great by only having good managers. A company cant be great by having only good engineers, accountants, secreatary, operators or architects. It must have a good mix of people that synergize their effort to achieving great results, with clear goals amongst the team members. Same application and formula for a country to be successful. The rich need the poor and the poor need the rich. The poor set a benchmark for the rich to measure their success, and the rich set the benchmark for the poor to climb the ladder up to becoming rich person. This is just example of a social system, rich and wealth are not solely the gist of a great nation. Love, spiritual, happiness, integrity, respects, virtues are many more elements that made up a good nation. Rich and wealth are easier to be measured than the later elements. And we do need money to build schools, mosques, buy religious books, help the needies etc. Being rich enable solutions. Being rich can also enable destructions. For those with the appetite for destructions.
Some time ago, I was one of the volunteer in the community service program organized by the company I work for. I was suppose to do housekeeping and clean-up jobs. But end up being a facilitator to a group of school children instead . I was one of the speaker to give a spontaneous talk on motivation subject. I was not prepared at all. I had no clue what to talk about. I even dressed up not to the standard of a motivational speaker in deed, wearing only a round neck T-Shirts and a baseball cap. I felt so out of tune that morning. But looking at the children faces, I put aside all the discomfortness and inferiority of my dress code. Their faces were like mine years ago. Blur and flip flops I may say. I started off the session by asking them about their ambitions. There were about 30 of them in the class room. Majority of them wanted to become a policeman or teachers. One boy claimed to becoming an astronaut. I reserved my comment until the last person talk. They ranged from form one until form five, so the mentality and maturity level have some slight difference. They reminded me of myself when I first having ambition of becoming a jetfighter pilot. As I mentioned, it was from my friend Rithaudeen. Probably these boys heard or read more about police and teachers. Probably they like to watch the Yusoff Haslam Gerak Khas series. Probably they like uniforms and heroism. Probably the envy their teachers well being. Probably the boy who wanted to become the astronaut admired Datuk Sheikh Muzaffar Shukor, Malaysian first astronaut. I do not have the answer for all that, but one thing for sure, I could sense that majority of them were not firm with their ambition. They just voiced it out because everyone has to say something in that forum. When I got back home, I asked my 5 years old daughter what she would like to be when she grow up. She simply mentioned that she wanted to work with the company I am working with. Probably because that was the only source she could think of, probably because she likes the logo very much. Probably she just want to please me. One think for sure, I will try my best to make her to be firm with what she wants to be. But influentally, I wanted her to become self employed, do business, become rich much faster, and do good things when she is rich.
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