
I could not recall correctly when the program had been conducted, sometime 3-4 weeks ago. I was a volunteer for Educational Sponsorship Unit (ESU) program held at MTBE kuantan. This program was attended by about 80 PETRONAS scholar whose also top students around Pahang, form 4 and form 5. The main objective was to introduce them to job opprotunities in PETRONAS which the true intention was to motivate them to work hard, smart and achieve excellent result in the coming SPM, the third academic hurdle in their life after UPSR and SPM. I was a speaker that day talking about petroleum engineering job.
I had been a facilitator for many motivational programs, be it for high school student or university student. The program always aim for specific short term motivation for example for exam preparation, for excellent achievement in university, etc. For me, it still good but I always not following the rule. I believe in giving more than that, more in terms of stimulating them to analyse their life, for them to think what they desired to be and to make them aware of what will be the ultimate result of controlling your life.
During the grouping session where the facilitators need to sit with a smaller group and share your experience in life for 15 minutes. Obviously, I need to think what to say in 15 minutes about my 31 years of life. Then I decided to give them 3 important advices. I told them "you can forget what I told you just now on petroleum engineering, you can forget my name. I don't even care wheather you want to be mechanical or chemical or petroleum or civil engineers, or an accountant or CSI. Just remember 3 things that I will say"
1. Plan your life - The End In Mind
Many people don't do this. Plan your life is the key for individual to have control of their life. Many of us believe that they are controlling their life, but at the same time keep complaining about what happen around them especially on the work, bosses, other staff, traffic jam, etc. Obviously they are not in control of thier life because they let the surrounding affecting their life. I said to them "Look through the future, in 10 to 20 years time, where you want to be. Put it on paper and keep it in your mind and heart - then believe in it. Your life is not about SPM, not just about going to good university, not just about getting a good job, high salary. There are so many things to explore in life. Because there are so many things to explore, you need to plan carefully, and you need also to plan for alternatives". What happen was some of the student have a thinking of "what i'm going to do if PETRONAS withdraw it scholarship when I enter university. What happen if I could not attain good result in my SPM. What happen if i could not get a place to enter university". You can see , how the mind of our young generation affected by the educational policy.
2. Stay focus
I shared several stories about some of my friends. Some of them were excellent student in high school, but being kicked out from university because of underperforming. Some were nobody during high school, poor performer but become an excellent student at university level. Some were excellent student in both level but poor performer in their workplace. Some were poor performer in academic but very excellent worker. So what happen?I believe that the key is 'Stay Focus'. Some people talking about resilience, more fancy word but the same meaning and intention. Do not let the surrounding affect your life, whenever you face a failure, pressure, stress and disturbance in your life, do not give up, be calm and refocus. If you need to replan, then do it. But you need to stay focus in controlling your life. One friend of mind have so many good things to do and so many things to achieve in his life. In just thinking of what to focus, it already take many of his precious time. I personally think that this is due to the absence of his so call big agenda in life. The first point. Once you know what you want to be, then make your decision on what to focus and then you must stay focus.
3. Belive in yourselve
We have our plan, we have our mind and heart but we also need to have our energy to implement. This concept is the same as what Islam call 'IMAN'. We say it, we put it n our mind and heart and we need to impelment, practice and change our way of life as per what we desire and want to be. This is the main reason why people just stop at some point. They loss their faith on what they had internally believe. Mostly it is due to surrounding factor again. When this happen, you are not in control of your life anymore. Believe should give us energy to fight, hope for better future and strength to face any challenges. Some of us were very excellent student, leader in many school level organisation such as prefect, involved in state/national level competition but become nobody in their university. Why can't they continue their success story in their high school time in university? Because at some point they don't bother to be as what they were before. Somehow, the excellent mindset and believing self mindset drowned by surrounding factors.
At least this 3 points work for me so far and I really hope it work for you as well. It should work when you really internalise them. I've made several big decisions in life, but stay with the 3 principles and alhamdulillah my life still goes on the way I want it to be. Let us take some time to seriously think on our life and have a control on it.
Best of Luck!!