Ivan, you hit the nail right on the head with “life is meant to be lived Big - so take your shot”. Can I be honest with you? There was a time when I often found myself drowning in thoughts of not being good enough. Whether it was work, making friends, or even my hobbies, the fear of not measuring up was always lurking in the back of my mind. But one day, I realized something. These feelings of inadequacy were just that “feelings”. They weren’t facts. They weren’t defining who I was or what I was capable of. The truth is, we are all a work in progress. We have our strengths and our weaknesses. And that’s okay. That’s what makes us human. So if we ever find ourself worrying about not being good enough; remember, we are enough just as we are. We don’t have to be perfect to be worthy. We don’t have to do everything right to be valuable. In the long run, it’s not about being good enough for someone else or the world but about being true to ourself and giving our best in everything we do. My takeaways: Personal growth is often glamorized, but the truth is that it is in those severely uncomfortable moments when we’re facing our anxieties and fears that true growth happens. And trust me, doing our best is more than enough!
Ever Wondered How You Become a Speaker or Facilitator? 🤔 🪧 My 4 Steps To Step Into Speaking During my finance career I often attended speeches & training, and thought - “That looks like a good gig!” But like many things back then, … I used to think that options like those didn’t exist for mere mortals like me However the skills & experience we build in our careers actually have a lot more market value than we think 🤔 1️⃣ Put Yourself Out There My speaking & teaching gigs with consultancies & universities have all come from contacts I made trying new things and being open to new connections So get out there and talk to people 2️⃣ Tell The World What You Want If you want to add speaking, teaching or facilitation to your Portfolio Career - start telling people If you never say - no one will ever know … or think of you 3️⃣ Everything Compounds Most mid-career professionals have some experience presenting - at townhalls, events, running training Even the greatest in the world start somewhere … so don’t short-change yourself Believe you too can learn to become great … and small initial gigs (Q&A’s, moderating, panel discussions) lead to bigger things 4️⃣ Say Yes! Most important of all … when the opportunity comes yourway - make sure you say “Yes!” With preparation we can do almost anything … and nothing builds skill like practice! 🔑 Openness & Opportunity On my journey I’ve found again a & again that openness leads to opportunities So open yourself up to possibility … And grab your chances when they come Remember, life is meant to be lived Big - so take your shot ✨ #LifeStyleFreedom #LiveBIGBreakFREE 📸 Having fun teaching mid-career professionals on the BCG U: RiSe Green Economy Program 👨🏫
I know those feelings too Clarence We often lock ourselves inside prisons in our own mind … but the exciting part is we have the power to set ourselves free ✨
Ex HSBC CEO Impact Award / Agile Coach / EXSA Star Award / member of the team that won the prestigious “Best Big Data, AI / ML Initiative in HK at The Asian Banker & Platinum Award Winners for Facility Mgmt project.
7moIvan McAdam O'Connell 🌏 thanks for triggering my past fear and reinforcing that we have all the power to move forward with confident or to stay stagnant and perish. Challenges & hurdles were not there to deter us; they were there to teach. To show us that life wasn’t meant to be perfect but to be lived. Each obstacle was a lesson, a testament to our strength and resilience. Like what you preached: Quote: So open yourself up to possibility … And grab your chances when they come Unquote