5 things I learned about life bringing my daughter to playgroup

I took my daughter to Playgroup this morning. It is my weekend routine.

Towards the end, there is usually an interval where the instructors would blow bubbles to the children.

Watching the children play makes me contemplate so much about what we do day to day. In life, it is so easy to be like the children playing with bubbles.

When the children see the many bubbles coming out, they would get really excited. They would start trying to touch with their hands.

As the bubbles begin to fall closer to the ground, their concentration with follow. Then the instructor would say, “Look Up!” and start blowing more bubbles.

1. Remember to “Look Up” and make sure you are not just focusing all your attention on one thing and that thing is about to disappear to the ground very very soon.

I was very focused on my job before and didn’t bother looking around for other opportunities even though I knew I was increasingly competed away in my position. It was a painful career mistake in the end.

Every once in a while, my daughter would start getting uncomfortable, call out and try to reach me. I would encourage her to go back to the mix.

2. Don’t go back to your comfort zone. That’s not where the fun is. Your parents don’t have the bubbles.

I always seek advice from my mother before but I realised while she has all the good intent, she simply did not know what’s the right thing to do.

I was also too comfortable in my previous job, which stopped me from identifying new opportunities and effectively wasted a few years of my career doing the same work.

The children would immediately crowd around the area where the instructor just blew the bubbles. Meanwhile, the instructor had already walked to a new area and started blowing again.

3. It is more important to follow the instructor than the crowd or bubbles. If you do that, you would be the first to poke the bubbles. Identify what’s coming, don’t just follow the crowd.

All my life, I followed the crowd, competed with others to get a sense of affirmation what I was doing was right. I didn’t know I should think more about who I am, what I actually enjoy, identify the next trend and carve out my own path.

I didn’t know this.

There are usually a few kids standing by themselves and the teacher would go to them and blow bubbles.

4. Sometimes life treats you with kindness or you are simply lucky that you have a caring instructor.

Buying properties 10+ years ago was probably the best decision the average person could ever make in my generation. People did that and with multiple properties now can retire comfortably.

I usually stand on the side watching the children play.

5. You can have a much more complete perspective on what’s going on viewing from the outside.

After I left the finance industry and started working on my own startup, I learned much more what value I can bring to the table. Before in my job, I was just chasing behind my tail, which was never ending busy but I didn’t know what was my value add.