“Who are You??”

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Have you ever been asked this question: “Who are you?”

Have you ever asked yourself this question: “Who are you?”

What’s your answer? Indeed, who are you? Or rather, what’s your identity?

I ask myself this question every single day. My answer:

I’m a dreamer.

I’m a friend.

I’m a son.

I’m a man who loves living life.

I’m a man who pursues my dreams.

I’m the co-founder of Lovtoo.

I’m a person who wants to change the world in my own little way.

I’m a man who wishes for a more connected world.

I’m a man who dreams of a more passionate world.

I’m a man who dreams of a world where we don’t see strangers by our differences but rather friends by our similarities.

I’m a man who dreams of a world of dreamers.

And the man who dreams is my identity.

My name is Shawn Poh. That’s who I am.

This identity that I give myself is what guides me whenever I make any decisions. What guides you?

Who are you? What’s your identity?

Please do leave a comment on who you are.. I’d love to really know “You”.

“Are You Dreaming?!”

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“All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” – Pablo Picasso

When we were kids, we all had dreams; some wanted to be a pilot, some wanted to be a talk show host. I wanted to be Batman. These dreams sometimes end up changing the world. Sometimes they change when we get older and as we discover ourselves. Sometimes, the dreams die. And that is the absolute, most dreadful thing to happen to anyone.  When we stop dreaming, we stop living life; we merely live through a process, albeit a race to the death.

Why do we stop dreaming? When I left the army, I spoke with my colleagues and we discussed our future plans. Plenty of them have already decided on going into a profession that they disliked. Their reason: it’s easier.

Pursuing your passions can be really tough sometimes. But in the end, it’ll be worth it. It may be easier to be lazy than happy. But where’s the fun in that?

Start dreaming. It’s okay to dream. It’s okay to want things. And it’s okay to work harder to realize your dreams.

I’m a dreamer. Are you?

Tell me about your dreams. I’d love to hear them.

Why not be Happy? (10 tips to get you started)

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Do you have a dream? What are you doing to make that dream a reality?

If you do not have an answer to the above questions, try the ones that follow.

When did you give up on your passions? And why?

Based on the global average, most of us will probably live till we’re 65 (67.2 to be exact). Of which 50 years are exhausted on our careers. During these 50 years, wouldn’t it be nice have your career focused around something you like?

Plenty of people feel that passions and careers should be mutually exclusive. I beg to differ. If your job focuses on what you love, chances are, you’d do a better job at it than anyone else. It has been said: “Do what you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life”

For those who feel that their dreams are beyond their reach, here are some tips to help you out.

1) Dare to dream

The first step to realizing your dreams is to have a dream. Understand that no one other than yourself can tell you what you can or cannot do. And no one should. Have a clear vision of who/where/what you want to be.

2) Daydream

Envision your success. Think about how life would be like when you’re living your dream. Think about the things you would be doing and the rewards that go along with it. Give yourself a sample of how things will be in the “future”. This vision will help justify the hurdles that you may face while in pursuit of happiness.

3) Create an ego, feed your ego

The first step to creating a brand is to think like you’re a brand. If you like photography, position yourself as a photographer. Learn more about your passion. Immerse yourself in your passion. In time, you’ll become the master of your passion. Look to Gary Vaynerchuk (@Garyvee on twitter), author of “Crush It!”, for a real-life example.

4) Work Hard

If you worked hard at a job you dislike, work harder at a job you like. Everyone wants happiness; few are willing to pursue it. If going after your dreams require you to work 5 jobs to make it happen? Work. Five. Jobs.

5) Have a Realistic Plan

Schedule realistic steps for yourself. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Your target won’t be in sight any time soon too. Take small, deliberate steps that you can control. (But always in the direction of your dreams.) Give yourself a realistic deadline to have certain things done and make sure that you can and will keep to it.

6) Be Tenacious

Be tenacious. Be determined. Be steadfast. Don’t let every setback demoralize you. If you do end up failing, make sure you learn from each mistake (Or better yet, learn from others’ mistakes), change your ways and try again. Don’t give up. Thomas Edison, in his pursuit for electricity-powered light, tried and failed with thousands of different materials before he succeeded. When asked about his numerous failures, he said this “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10000 ways that won’t work.” Imagine if he’d given up on his first failed attempt.

7) Be Willing to Change

Don’t be afraid to adapt and adopt new methodologies. If you ever encounter a problem, figure out what went wrong. Don’t hesitate to switch out the wrong methods and try again. One of the silliest things we can do is to repeat the same process over and over again, expecting to see different results. Just practicing alone doesn’t make perfect. You have to make sure you’re practicing the right stuff.

8 ) Do It

I came across a medical term once: “Paralysis by Over-analysis”. Don’t let that happen to you. There are too many “what-ifs” for you to actually cater to. Concentrate on the issues at hand and solve them as they come. Keep moving and you will be all right. Doing it instead of just thinking about it can give you a different perspective. And that may be just what you need.

9) Have a Plan B

“The most successful people are those who are good at Plan Bs”. Understand that things don’t always go according to plan. Always have a backup ready. Know that in the worst case scenario, you’ll still have something to fall back on.

10) Be Unhappy (Be Really Unhappy)

I’m sure you’ve had days when you claim that you hate your life. Well then, be truly unhappy. Let your unhappiness push you towards change. Every day you spend bearing with your unhappiness, is a day you waste not doing something you enjoy.

It’s time to be happy. Why not?

Too many people forget that their happiness matters too. Have you?