1.550505.1

Nationality: Singaporean

Age Group: Early 60s

Gender: Female

[NFT Listing: https://opensea.io/assets/matic/0x2953399124f0cbb46d2cbacd8a89cf0599974963/92606857133730873257093297614239487190688831320231690495316773417286469943297]

A Little About Me

My personality can swing both extremes depending on the situation. I am both an introvert & an extrovert. I can be very soft in one moment yet very hard at other times; very generous to some, yet total stingy to others. If I feel strongly about a subject, I can hold my own opinion relentlessly. Yet, if I have no interest, I can be totally nonchalant.

Alone, But Not Lonely

I used to envy people who dine, holiday & hangout with 3 generations of their family line. As life will give, some things are just not within your control. I am the eldest amongst my 3 siblings. My 2 younger brothers live independently with their own family. Even with such a small family outfit, we are not close. During the 2 years of pandemic movement restriction, I spent the reunion dinner dining on my own, peacefully & happily. I have learnt not to rely on others for happiness.

20 years ago, I decided to start my own beauty boutique business providing manicure/pedicure, facial, massages & other beauty related services. This helps with bringing in more customers, some of whom move on to become friends. My circle of friends & customers expanded over the years but I never forget to always be self-reliant & independent. I always tell myself to enjoy my own company first. Every friendship & everything else are then bonuses. Today, I am more independent than before. I need not rely on anyone to make decisions or for company. During the occasional crossed-roads when making decisions, I do seek some opinions from my friends. But I make my own choices. I have experienced that one can enjoy peace & happiness when eating, shopping or travelling on your own. It is very possible to be alone, yet not lonely. It is all in the mind.

Running Own Business, No Easy Feat

My business is my life. Starting one’s own business requires enormous amount of courage, not to mention having some finances & business planning to start-up. The plunge into business is certainly not for the faint-hearted. I decided to do it anyway, pursue the life I want for myself. It has been tough on my own but I love working every single day. My business now had been different from what I imagined it to be when I started. Then, my vision was to start up on my own, then expand to larger premises with more staff when my brand is recognised. However in this industry, hiring good staff at manageable salaries with good skills & services is rare. There are moments when things were getting really tough & I could have given up. In business, as in life, one has to adapt. Since my business focus has always been providing excellent services to my customers, I am the best person to do the job – by myself. Keeping my overheads low, taking on one customer at a time, provided me the luxury of ensuring the best service done. 20 years on, I have happy returning customers from 20 years ago to happy new ones. The satisfaction & fulfilment my business provided me are beyond imagination. It is in my view important to find meaning in the work you do & why you do them. The Hows then follows. In pursuit of my passion in this business, I picked up simple digital marketing tools along the way despite not being tech-savvy. I take up courses & seek help from sometimes even my customers to advise on the possible solutions to my problems. If you are doing something you enjoy, there is no mountain too big & no waters too deep.

I did wish that I had started my business earlier so I can enjoy such fulfilment earlier in life & for a longer period of time. However, I am already very blessed. Moving forward, I just want to ensure I continue getting such work motivation & innovate my service offerings to meet the market needs. I know I can do it. I have to – for another 20 years? :-D

Retirement

At 60, it is natural to plan for retirement. I do hope that I can be physically & mentally fit to continue doing what I do. However, I am also pragmatic enough to expect deterioration in physical & motor skills. Before that happens & if finances allow, I will like to travel more, take up more courses like baking, & definitely try all the food that I love.

Happiest & At Peace

I am at the happiest stage of my life now! I am doing what I love. The freedom of not being responsible for anyone else is my best form of independence. I do not need big house, car or loads of money. I just want to live freely & eat ALL my favourite food before I depart from this life.

My Word Of Encouragement

Do the things you want to do, eat the food you want to eat, love the people who matters to you. Live with no regrets.