I was born and raised in Singapore, a little island (ten by twenty-six miles) in Southeast Asia, just south of Malaysia. Having been born in a family with six other siblings—five brothers and one sister—and being the youngest, I had the privilege of enjoying all the humor that every sibling provided.
When I was going to school, there was only one university, and hence, with the stringent criteria that our Singapore government has, only the top 5 percent get to be admitted and graduate from the University of Singapore. We graduates from the University of Singapore are considered to be the cream of the crop. Many rise to management level within a few years after graduation. I, however, remained in sales. The commission was so good that it deterred me from moving up the ladder.
Though my dad owned a jewelry store that sold diamonds and watches, it is hard to get wealthy when you have a family of nine to feed. As a matter of fact, I grew up witnessing a lot of fights over finances. I always set out to be financially independent, not having to rely on men for money, because of that. My dad was great. He constantly “bribed” me with his jewelry to encourage me to be at the top of my class
in school—watches, diamond pendants, bracelets, etc. Every year he would approach me with a piece of jewelry, like a watch, and ask if I would like to have it. “Sure, I would love to,” I said.
Then he would say, “If you are at the top of your class, you can have it.” That was enough to motivate me to study really hard to be at the top in school every year. Coupled with my desire to be financially independent, I soon became very motivated to be at the top in everything I did when I grew up.
I graduated from the University of Singapore with a bachelor of arts degree. I had a double major, in economics and mathematics (my two favorite subjects, which happen to be very practical in the business world). I was curious about human behavior, so I decided to minor in sociology. Someday I would love to go back to school and study psychology.
When I graduated, I was offered a job in customer support sales administration with Xerox Singapore, where I made $1,200 a month (which was considered good at that time—the average graduate makes less than $1,000). I was really touched by a few of my classmates who gave up their great potential future toward a bright career for God—they became missionaries instead of entering the workforce.
By God’s grace, I accepted Christ and became a born-again Christian as a result of reading one of those “four spiritual law” booklets that the Campus Crusade for Christ put on my doorstep.
I then got involved with that organization because I have great respect for their high standards
of adhering to the Bible. I learned all about praying, following the Word of the Bible, and allowing God’s spiritual guidance through morning devotion and quiet time spent with the Lord. Through that, I have developed a great personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and have been able stand on solid ground since then.
I soon learned the power of having God in my life—how He guided my every step in everything I do. He is like my parent; when I do well, he rewards me. When I disobey Him, He punishes me, and I miss out on the blessings. I learned quickly that His policy and His route in life are the best.
Many people dislike the rules and regulations, but they are really for our own good. Imagine driving without following traffic regulations; you will end up in an accident. So God’s rules and regulations guide us when living in this world. A lot of people run into problems before they realize God’s ways are still the best ways.
Most of my friends became involved with Campus Crusade for Christ, which provides no salary—instead, everyone has to raise their own financial support. This is really the best strategy because not only do I see so much faith and devotion in these people who are serving God, it also gives me a great opportunity to witness God’s blessings in my life by supporting these missionaries. When they approached me for financial support, I sought God’s approval to join sales so I could help support them. It was for this very reason I decided to switch to a sales position within Xerox.
I am now an independent investment consultant, helping individuals with their financial planning and selling life insurance and investments that offer principal and profits protection in the stock market.
I now enjoy what I do because there is no more stress in having to watch the stock market and have your heart rise up and fall down like a roller coaster. I am able to concentrate on doing other things, like writing this book for the benefit of society.
I have also established a ministry to help the aged, poor, and sick (APS) because it has always been my passion to help these people. Taking care of my mom for two years, I realized how difficult it is for someone to take care of themselves when they are aged, poor, and sick. It has always been my joy to help the APS and to bring comfort and joy to everyone in this category.
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