“When there’s no cash, for example, and reality hits (that) you can’t put food on the table, you really have to be creative in making money and think of new ideas.”
Even as young people venture out to define their own pathways to success, some – as Mr Tan found out – still want a safety net, in case of failure.
He said a youth asked him a couple of weeks ago: “What is the Government doing to ensure I have a job?”
For MOS Tan, the question posed a dangerous trap. “The worst thing we can do as a government – or as anyone who cares about our country or youth – is to provide a fail-safe environment, mollycoddle them, and protect them.”
In the real world, there’s no such thing, he said.
When talking about redefining success, I wanted to know what happens on the flip side: What does it now mean to fail?
Clarence, who talked about the early days of starting Access Singapore, said it would be about reframing your mindset. “Sure, right now, it may seem to be a failure, but what can I do to get out of the rut?”
Mr Tan pointed out that life never follows a linear path, and shared an adage that encourages him.
“A setback can be a set-up. Why? Because a setback can allow you to refocus and reprioritise. It allows you to sometimes be a bit more humble, reevaluate, and can also refocus your mind to set up something different and you may want to pivot to something else,” said Mr Tan, who talked about his start-up that tanked.
“I don’t see failure as failure. I see that setback as setting me up for something else.”
What’s your definition of success, and what mindset shift will you make? Write to me at [email protected] or DM me on Instagram to tell me why.
I’ll see you next time at The Usual Place,
Nat
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Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])
Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong
Filmed by: ST Video
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