I set my intention for this last quarter of 2025 to prepare myself for 2026. This is one of the things I do.
As October rolls in, I try to reshape my mind, my soul, and my whole self for next year. One small step is to seek counsel from people who are way wiser than I am.
Alhamdulillah, Gita Wirjawan, the former Trade Minister of Indonesia, visited Singapore on October 23rd for a fireside chat on The Front Row Podcast with Keith Yap.
I actually attended Pak Gita’s town hall in Jakarta a couple of weeks ago, but getting another chance to meet him and learn from him in person is something I cannot say no to.
The talk went on for around an hour, and my brain felt freshly charged. One point that stayed with me was how people in our region need better storytelling skills. Maybe we are just soft spoken. Perhaps, we feel shy. But Pak Gita is right. We often do great things, but we let them hide in the corner. We are not promoting them. We are not proud of them.
In his just-released book “What it Takes Southeast Asia,” he pushed the idea of building stronger narratives through storytelling.
And this part really sits in my heart. I sometimes feel that sharing sounds like bragging. Like I am showing off.
It may be time to change my perspective. The more I share and tell stories, the more I understand who I am and let people understand me, too. And this can help me become a better #DiplomatSwasta.
