A rather long time since I last posted, as I was on holiday, and of course doing some soul searching with regards to taking stock of what I have done, have been doing, and would be doing.
Two things struck me about the trip in New Zealand. One was the friendliness of most people whom we came into contact with. It's always heartening to see someone wish you good morning, and asking how your day was. This general sense of courtesy and geniality is something I hope to practice back home in Singapore.
The other thing was the general expressions of people who ask me what I did back home. There wasn't the usual, "so are you a volunteer?" response that I had generated an automated response to, but instead a sense of respect accorded to the work that was being done.
On one hand, there is a sense of pride and fulfillment of having been acknowledged for the work that is being done. But on the other, a discomforting feeling that surfaces in this search for praise and acknowledgement: is this pursuit for our own validation and achievements necessarily a healthy one? Would it set us up for more failure as we constantly seek acknowledgements from our stakeholders? Or would we be better off just doing what we can, and being happy for it?
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