As my title and bank account kept growing, my heart grew increasingly dissatisfied.

Being a Christian, and a middle-aged man by that time, I was quite sure there was much more to life than a stable high-paying job.
Each time I watched a video or read the news about someone leaving his job to pursue a meaningful career, I would feel very envious, but I did NOTHING about it.

What could I do? I was the sole breadwinner, and wouldn’t DARE to leave my job.

Would I be able to earn as much if I pursue my dream to be a life coach and motivational speaker?

So this became my life for a few years – physically going to office, but mentally and emotionally wishing I was doing something more meaningful.
I prayed to God for a solution, and in late 2013, He answered my prayer.

I lost my job.

Hundreds of my colleagues were retrenched during the same period. I received a call from HR, went into a room where my manager and saw my colleague from HR sitting there.

They gave me a few minutes to leave the building.

I asked for permission to pack my stuff at my desk, and they replied, “There’s no need to. We will courier your stuff back to your home.”

Wow, a few minutes ago I was the Vice President at this bank, and now I wasn’t even allowed to walk back to my own desk.

Life is indeed fleeting, full of ups and downs.

Losing my job wasn’t the worst thing that happened to me.

For the next 9 months, I tried looking for a job, and was rejected or ignored by hundreds of companies.

At first I tried to look for “meaningful” work, a job that paid well AND could help me grow and impact lives, but I realised too late there were very few such opportunities.
On a few occasions I was tempted to start my own life coaching company, but I stopped myself.

“What do I know about running a business?”

“What if I fail? How can I provide for my large family?”

So I continued my job search for the next few months.
But nothing. No good news. Rejection after rejection. Silence followed by silence.

Meanwhile all my hard-earned savings in the bank was sucked dry by monthly expenses, and in late 2014, I was left with no choice but to borrow money from my elder brother.

I also had to apply for the “Financial Assistance Scheme” which was designed for the bottom 20% income earners in Singapore. The government gave my three kids food coupons to bring to school, as I couldn’t afford to pass them cash.

And I also received a transportation card that allowed me to save a lot on public transport.

In 2015, I budgeted $5 per day for my own meals, and could only afford to eat “economy rice” (similar to “economy flights”) – which cost me only $2.50 per meal.

When I was at the rock bottom, I was left with no choice. The only way I could provide for my family was to start my own company!

In 2016, my income gradually improved and in 2017 I was earning the same pay as my banking job! I couldn’t believe it!

It felt like a miracle.

What if it’s just luck? Perhaps my income will drop in 2018?

But it didn’t! It continued climbing, as I began to build trust in the community and became more well known as a life coach.

As I write this story, it’s now 2020.

And in the past 5 years of running my own coaching and training academy, I learnt something very valuable.

When I pursued money as the key driver of my work, I began to feel unfulfilled. I even became a “corporate zombie”

(someone who’s physically present at work but emotionally disengaged)

But once I pursued meaning as the main motivation, then I became more joyful and fulfilled – much more alive! (What’s more, the money would gradually catch up too!)