What it takes to be live in Singapore?

 https://dmnews.com/jus-what-no-one-tells-you-about-rebuilding-your-life-in-a-high-performance-city-like-singapore/

Just found this article online and I thought it was the German News Outlet but it's DM news and not DW news(Deutsche Welle News if anyone is interested to know). After reading through it and it also really resonates with me quite a bit because I had came back from a 1.5 years long break as well and from a much slower pace country back to a high performing country like Singapore. I probably have mentioned quite a couple of times the reasons we are back. However, I feel that this article captures those underlying thoughts that were just barely simmering below under the currents in my mind. 

1.The Dream of Many is to go to a slower paced country and live out one's life there.

Having been to Sydney and technically not working for a year and a half. One actually goes through like different stages of life. So initially ,I love the feeling of having the control of my time back to me. Mornings are walking the dog after dropping Cat off at work, playing Zelda and doing 2*exercises in the day before fetching wife back from work. Started to do lots of baking and readings and deep insights into one's self. Being mindful and all. Technically, I didn't expect myself to nua as long as I did but I am glad that I allowed myself because a main issue with my mental state was a lot to do that I keep telling myself I should not do this or that(ie. the SG society expectations is very strong in my mind). 

However, there will be a time which eventually hit me sometime in February 2024 where that there is a gnawing need for me to move forward and somehow Sydney doesn't feel like the place that is able to move forward. Even though its the country leading financial centre, but due to the laws and policies in place, the state or even the country as a whole feels like it is stagnant and that to find the political will to push ahead with projects, be it in the public sector or the private sector, just feels so tough. Projects don't get completed in time, get delayed, too high a budget in the end it's get abandoned only to be revisited in a couple of years. You see the inefficiency here?

I think moving to a slower pace of life society does allow one to heal and say find one's true self. Of course, there are some who determine that the true self is one that wishes to not progress at such a fast pace and prioritize the work life balance more. Hence, they stayed. But if one's true self is to be part of a society that moves forward, then it will be better to be in Singapore. 

Like the author, probably as an expat, I don't really feel like I am a part of the society in Sydney, like I don't believe Australians will ever accept me in their society because one is the race and the other is like I know that the stay is a short term. So to say that, to fully migrate over and build our life in Sydney or Melbourne, we never really felt at home in Australia. Like many others, we are here to stay short term and eventually will leave. 

2. Being in Singapore, one has to learn how to protect one's soul

Like the author had mentioned, behind the monetary rewards, the convenience of things, the efficiency of the country, there is quite a serious lack of feeling. It is as if it's a sin to feel like you need a break and do nothing, or its a sin if you are doing something that is outside society's norms. In general, as singaporeans, we tend to think that we don't have any agency or control being in this country. The truth is that we do have a lot of agency in life, it was due to the need for discipline and structure in the 60s, 70s and even 80s  where the country needs those traits for their citizens. Now when we are more educated and have a certain standard of living, we are moving away from the dullness and efficiency that a manufacturing economy needs and to a knowledge based one which demands more creativity and innovation. With those traits we will require the kind of freedom of expression and creativity that comes from the citizens having some level of agency in life. 

I truly believe that once one finds that inner belief or true self, then will that person be able to thrive in Singapore. Like the author mentioned, Singapore is not really a place that allows one to take a break and heal, it is doable but difficult. The country is like a test, a test whether one can survive in such an environment and with that, it is a test if an individual is able to stay true with one's self and thus thrive in this society. 

To be able to find the right balance of being one's true self, away from the talk of putting more hours , away from the talk of work life balance. At the end of the day it is the everyday waking up and being aligned with one's values and being engaged and not like a cog in a wheel. 

3.Living a Honest Life

I think this is a very used quote for some time already. But maybe in this context, it is not in the usual way. So living a honest life, is to a live a life that you are honest with your true self. Does every action you take is the one that you want to undertake? It could be the wrong or right action but is it the one that you will take even if you had to do it all again ? Of course, no one can be 100% honest so the thing is for one to strive to be as honest as possible. There are times where due to societal norms, you cannot do something and that's fine as long as at that point of time, you acknowledge it and say " I don't want to do this but I acknowledge that now is not the time for me to choose this way, hence I will do it" rather than " I don't want to do it but I shall be the one to tank this hit, to be the sacrificial lamb"