Happy reflection on my 2022

29 December 2022

I curated 19 reflective questions for my contemplation

1. What was the most fun I had this year?

2. What is the most important goal I achieved this year?

3. What was my biggest career accomplishment?

4. What was my biggest relationship accomplishment?

5. What was the most enjoyable part of my professional work?

6. The most enjoyable part of my volunteer work:

7. What was the most enjoyable part of my academic study?

8. What was the most enjoyable part of my time at home?

9. In what area do I feel I've made my biggest improvements?

10. Something I am proud of myself.

11. What was the most challenging part of this year for me?

12. 3 people I feel grateful for the most?

13. 3 things I feel grateful for?

14. What was the biggest surprise of the year?

15. The best movie of the year?

16. The best book of the year?

17. The best quote of the year?

Let the trees be the background for this reflective space

1, The most fun:

To play many board games! I never had any partner to play with over the past years. I find board games interesting to relax and daydream. Lazer tag was also fun. Watch stars by cool mobile apps (Sky Walk or Night Sky).

2, The most important goal I achieved:

• Maintain a good academic performance

• Gain professional improvement: conducted more in-person programs, sought new opportunities for jobs

• Diversify new skills for side jobs and make more income

• Be happy and peaceful with myself and my love ones

3, The biggest professional accomplishments:

• Transformed my initial stressful program in Sam Roi Yot into a smooth and enjoyable one in November 2022. I was able to apply 2 years of learning and practice at JUMP! into a program that made me cry out of anxiety and overwhelming workload in 2020.

• Being a coordinator of GSSE Summer Pre-Program Course

• Be a happy facilitator in Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia - mindblowing countries and so lovely students

It takes time to be better at this demanding outdoor job. And it is possible to be good at it.

4, Biggest relationship accomplishment:

Accept my selfishness and stupidity in my love relationship. To be kind and understanding to the one who is different from me in lifestyle, work, study, habit, language, and culture. The key is honest communication. It takes courage to speak about how I feel and what issues I have. Never be silent to avoid conflicts.

5, The most enjoyable part of my professional work:

At JUMP!

• Meet people who are introverts and humble about their knowledge, pay attention to people’s feelings, and are able to engage students through their stories and fun activities. I am thankful to those who are willing to listen to my random ideas and stories. Such random thoughts breed the connection between us.

• Conversations with students about things they love, friendship, their dreams, and their special interests. Read thank-you notes of students and colleagues at the end of programs.

• Travel around Thailand and the world! I went to 3 countries (Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore).

At GSSE

• Own the fun of leadership when working individually and in a management team

• Propose ideas to run events, offer support and create joy for students

• Read and analyze work-study reports of people that have uncommon mistakes

Freelance

• Listen to voices of people who are addressing environmental issues in Vietnam and those who are working in informal sectors

• Miss home

• Play around with my English and Vietnamese languages

6, The most enjoyable part of my volunteer work:

• Be a RISE selector for applicants of RISE scholarships around the world

• Look super professional in assisting Ed-Tech Asia conference in Singapore, listened to inspiring work of people contributing to this industry

• Engage with Youth Nurture Club throughout the year, especially everytime I get to go home!

7, The most enjoyable part of my academic study:

• Create creative projects about things we love such as healthy drinks, reflect on my cross-cultural experience

• Study with many guest speakers working in sustainability, mental health, education

• The final exam of the Senior Project 1 (a workshop on rigid competition system in schools in Vietnam)

8, The most enjoyable part in free time:

• Blogging and composing random poems

• Make coffee

• Read books

• Cooking

• On calls with friends and family

• Create a board game

• Play a bit of chess and kalimba

• Clean my room

• Listen to podcasts

• Running and playing badminton on campus

The trees made me feel like the whole world is mine or I am the only one in this space HAHA

9, The most improvements:

• Facilitation skills, coordination of work, communication among stakeholders, accommodating diverse needs and expectations

• Read more Thai haha!

• Physical skills: running, badminton, kayaking, hiking

• First-aid skills and understanding about human bodies through the Wilderness Training Aid Training Course, watching documentaries and re-read the book Flight by Olga Tokarczuk.

• Religious awareness: Muslim, Christianity and Buddism. Thanks to my work in Bangladesh, Saudi and talking to my friends who practice Muslim and Christianity. I love the feeling inside the church and pagodas. Enlightening books about Buddism and inner peace: Radiant Mind - Jean Smith, and Buddhadasa’s Handwritings and Thich Nhat Hanh Calligraphy. The pass-away of Thich Nhat Hanh made me pay respect to Buddism more…

• See and read about death as a common topic to be well-prepared

10, Something I am proud of myself:

• Able to do multiple jobs at the same time and be independent

• Complete the 2-day-1-night trek in Tak province!

• Publish blogs regularly to record my growth and appreciate my life

• Pick up new interests: painting landscapes with watercolor and reading the long book “Pachinko” - which portrays the wartime and the tough life of Korean migrants in Japan

• Care for myself and my loved ones most of the time and in important events

11, The most challenging part I need to work on:

• Learn to have no attachment to people, things or places. So my heart can be light and peaceful at every step. I still have a strong emotional relationship with many people and places because they fill my heart every time I think of them. However, such associations can be painful as I have to travel often and stay away.

• Embrace the uncertainty of my career and future. I have some options. I have rejected some, I was rejected from some, and I am in between some. I try to embrace the uncertainty and perceive it as part of the excitement of the life journey.

• Being unsettled in mind about the health of my parents

• My childhood trauma - will be a lifelong process: to not live for others’ expectations, to not suffer from making others disappointed, to not use abusive words and violence in education, and to not let irrational emotions control my actions.

It is to live for my own happiness. It is to bring my strengths to help others heal and see the beauty of life, do small steps to solve social problems. It is to help the universe stay healthy and as long as possible.

12, People I am grateful for the most:

• Family: parents, sisters and brother: for loving me and caring for me

• My partner: for being with me and supporting the way I am

• Nath: for helping me think about life decisions and be my partner in crime

• Shannon: for giving me work opportunities

• Ajarn Dipendra: for teaching me to break the status quo in politics and being straightforward in communication

• Aie: for being my best facilitation mentor

• People who supported me with the YSEALI application: Nath, Hau, Thom, Song, my academic advisor, Khanh.

13, Things I am grateful for:

• My body, my hands, my eyes, my feet, every single part

• My school campus - Thammasat Rangsit (especially trees, Badminton court, the library, learning center, Kommon room, Dome building’s pond, cycling path for biking and running, swimming pool, Puey Park, many good coffee shops, Tewson Canteen, everywhere!)

• My room

• My ipad and laptop

14, The biggest surprise of the year:

• Met Kim Jaejoong in person

• Apply for YSEALI, got into the interview round, and feel happy about everything.

• Attend the 10th Anniversary of Purple Parade - celebrating diversity and inclusion for people with special needs in Singapore

15, The best movie of the year:

Cast Away! OMG

16, The best book of the year:

Pachinko (Min Jin Le) and The Fountain Head (Ayn Rand)

Other favorite ones: The School of Life (Alain de Botton); The story of a seagull and the cat who taught her fly (Luis Sepúlveda)

17, The best quote of the year:

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eyes.” The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

my inspiration, inner compass and also an everyday reminder to live and feel life with my heart.