I am reading a book on leadership when I came across a sentence which states that leaders always live their lives with values. However, this point is not elaborated further and I am left wondering what the values are.

Personally, I feel that living lives with good values is important not only for leaders but every one of us. However, what are these values? I feel that they are as follows:

• Respect: I figure that I won’t have to elaborate much on this point since all of you have learnt this in your cross cultural communications for two semesters. We have discussed how important respect is when it comes to establishing rapport with others but it’s also important to note the consequences in the absence of it.  Therefore, we should make every effort to respect others as unique individuals with their own strengths and talents.
• Thriftiness: This is a value that is rapidly eroding in today’s society. This is especially so in this day and age where consumerism is becoming more prevalent. In Barry Schwartz’s book “The Paradox of Choice“, the author mentioned that we become less happy when the variety of our choices increases immensely. Therefore, it’s best we think twice about walking into a retail outlet the next time we are in a shopping complex. We should draw a distinct line between what items are “necessities” and what are “luxuries”. This is even more important in recently years where media advertising has somewhat blurred the lines between the two terms.
• Reciprocity: The tendency to reciprocate is losing its impact on society in recent years.  While we used to send season’s greeting cards to friends and anticipating a letter from our pen pal in the past, we are seeing an increased signs of societal isolation in urban society, where urbanites are inclined to listen to a music player than making an effort to talk to their friends. This observation has been given a name by psychologist Daniel Goleman in his book “Social intelligence“, which is “urban trance”. Most urbanites are almost trapped mentally in their own world, and much might be attributed to their bid to avoid the bombardment by media advertising and all the distractions around them. I feel that it’s time that we go back to basics by engaging others in more face-to-face communications.
• Integrity: The value of integrity is also decreasing in value in recent years. You read about it in the papers (cases of embezzlement and frauds), you will observe it in the workplace and you see it in the streets. Personally, I consider integrity as one of the personal values that should be upheld by us because should the value of integrity depreciates drastically, the very social fabric of society will be destroyed, and this will eventually plunge society into a state of decadence.

Personally, I feel that the abovementioned values are good values to hold on to. I hope that you feel the same way too.       

In life, I believe that all of us have dreams. It is easy to have a dream in life. The challenging part is in turning our dreams into reality. Some of us didn’t put in the effort, some of us think that it is too difficult and some of us give up midway. If you were to look closely at the cause of our procrastination, we will realise that it is fear and insecurity that stop us in our tracks and prevent us from going forward and realising our dreams.

So what are we afraid of?

In a society that recognises achievements and applauds prestigious titles, it’s not surprising to see many of us not daring to undertake challenging tasks like public speaking, coaching/mentoring tasks etc. The challenge is even greater for students who do not have any previous experiences, unlike working professionals who have both experience and credibility. Merely looking at a public speaker’s online profile and/or resume can be intimidating.

Nevertheless, we have to ask ourselves this: how do all these professionals become successful? And we will realise that – like us- these professionals start with nothing and accumulate their experiences over time. But is it smooth-sailing? Probably not. We only see the successful aspect of their careers but we often overlook the obstacles and difficulties that they overcome over time.

As students, have more courage and believe in yourself. Constantly remind yourself that successful people do not become successful overnight. They put in a lot of time and effort before they become successful.  You can do the same thing if you live life with courage.

Life is not smooth-sailing and it can get rough at times. What’s important is not to hope for a life with no worries, because it’s not going to happen. Life’s a roller coaster ride with its ups and downs. We can’t stop the roller coaster from moving but we can definitely brace ourselves for the ride.

As the saying goes, “the night is darkest before the dawn”. If we have the resilience, determination and perseverance, we will definitely get to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  

Dear students,

I will like to introduce you to a website for journalists, which is Poynter.org. This is a website that was first introduced to me when I am still a student taking Mass Communication studies. I find it to be a very good resource for journalists and for those of you who wish to join the media sector.

Below are some interesting sections of the website that you might find interesting:

• Design / Graphics:  For those of you who are into the visual arts as well as page layout and design, you might like to explore this section to gain more insights into the intrinsic workings of the visual artists.  Some interesting links include this link where photographers bring art to life. This  link  provides you with some insights into what makes good newspaper layout and design.  
• Photojournalism:  As the title implies, this section takes a look at various aspects of photojournalism.  Some interesting links will be this where a photographer Mona Reeder provides her take on photojournalism. More noteworthy is her perspectives on the qualities of being a news photographer and her advice to all aspiring news photographers. Another interesting link provides a visual treat for enthusiasts of photography.
• Writing/Editing: For this section, this interesting link enables readers to see life through the eyes of a journalist through a comprehensive interview. This link  highlights the outsourcing of editors to India, China and the Philippines and questions the standard in news editing.

There are many useful and interesting resources for journalists and media professionals, so do have a look at the website and hopefully, learn something from it.  

Out of all the talents, the Enthusiasts may be the easiest to identify because they are often the most prominent, both in terms of their verbal contributions to any conversations as well as their bubbly and their ability to create laughter around them.  Enthusiasts may not be complete optimists but their vibrant personality often misleads people into thinking so. Nevertheless, Enthusiasts are often the people that one turns to when they need a listening ear or just wants to lighten up, besides the Nurturers.

They also have an ability to turn mundane things and activities into interesting endeavours.  They make work enjoyable and are often able to see the positive side of things. It’s almost impossible not to be affected by the positive vibes  of Enthusiasts. Thus, Enthusiasts often have the privilege of being asked to be the team player who gel people together. This is because most Enthusiasts have the ability to communicate with most individuals of diverse personalities. 

Because Enthusiasts are spontaneous, they are often individuals who like variety. Hence, Enthusiasts are also among the individuals who will often pursue the latest trends and look for the latest technical gadgets in town. This tendency might not be true for all Enthusiasts but it does illustrate the fact that Enthusiasts are individuals who like changes and have fun at the same time.

This desire to have fun is actually a weakness of Enthusiasts, as they often do not have a tendency to take on heavy responsibilities. As taking on responsibility means tackling tasks with intense seriousness, Enthusiasts have a tendency to steer away from it. However, with encouragement from friends, Enthusiasts might just overcome this psychological barrier. 

After looking at the Nurturer and the Reformer, it’s probably good to look at another type of talent, known as the Achiever.

Nurturers thrive in relationship building and Reformers have their strengths in following and achieving their life goals. The Achievers, on the other hand, have their eyes on achievements. To the Achievers, achievements are their life. Every moment in their lives are dedicated to achieving something. These can be in the form of academic qualifications, sports achievements (it is interesting to note that trophies are especially important to them since it’s a physical symbol of their effort and achievements), positive job appraisals and compliments from friends or any form of contributions that they consider valuable.

While it’s true that some Achievers do well in life in terms of financial stability and/or wealth acquisition, most Achievers do not measure their worth in life in terms of monetary terms but rather, in their achievements. It can be a closing of a sales deal. It can be a contribution of an article to a magazine and seeing it in print. It can also be the completion of a 3.5km run. As can be observed, monetary acquisition is not a prerequisite in the lives of  the Achievers. But making positive contributions through their own effort is.

Achievers can be found in all walks of life and their entire lives are often purposeful. Once they have directed their focus on their life goals to contribute their abilities to make the world a better place, they will almost always achieve them with excellent results. Their existence is hence beneficial to society and their contributions immense.  

It is important to note that the Achievers are often independent workers. If they are invited to work in a team, it is important that the objectives of the team work be aligned with the objectives of the Achievers and that efforts be made to ensure that the achievers be placed within a specific job domain where they have full autonomy. For example, should Achievers be tasked to work with a team in an advertising company for a publicity campaign, it will be advisable for Achievers to be given full autonomy over a certain product line. Giving Achievers a sense of control over their work is vital to them doing their best.

It can be observed that Achievers often have a tendency to do their best and excel in what they do. This tendency of theirs actually reveals their primary weakness, which is their competitive nature. While competitive nature is good for solitary activities (such as writing and editing) and solitary sports (such as jogging and cycling), being competitive is detrimental to their effectiveness as team players. This is because they have a tendency to stand out from the rest. In another words, Achievers are more of an individualist than a conformist.  

But all is not lost. Achievements are often sought after by employers who need people to spearhead projects. This is because the Achievers’ passions for achievements are crucial to the success of any tasks. Hence, Achievers are often regarded as an asset to an organisation.  Nevertheless, care has to be taken to ensure that Achievers are given the flexibility and freedom in their work.

Achievers are at their best as independent workers and when empowered, they are almost unmatched in terms of work efficiency.

Some possible career options for Achievers will be:

• All professions where the Achievers have the expertise, flexibility and freedom to maximise their abilities to the fullest.

During our course of studies, we have learnt many things. While it is always good to be knowledgeable, not all the things that we came across are relevant to us in our lives. And what’s interesting is that we usually forget what we have learnt once we lose touch of them. For example, how many of you are able to remember every significant date from your history classes (for those of you who have taken history lessons)? Or how many of you are still able to remember all the equations in your chemistry classes? 

So, what is important in our learning process is not to gather as much information as possible in our lifetime, because we usually do not use most of them. Try reading today’s newspaper from front to back and see if you can remember the details of every news articles that you have read ten weeks down the road. You probably can’t, and you won’t need to.  So, what is important in our learning process then? It’s actually to convert what you have read (that is, data) to something that you understand (that is, information) before finding ways to make use of the information to your advantage. That is, turning information into insights.

But how do you turn information into insights? This is what the bulk of this article is about.  Well, you can do this by making the effort to relate everything that you have learnt to your lives. Of course, when it comes to the media, there are some knowledge that is either irrelevant (such as the announcement by the media on an upcoming conference for engineers. Why do you want to know that if you are not an engineer and have no use of such information for anyone? ), redundant (such as an article on the convergence of digital technology. Well, you have known this already, yes?) or short-term (such as a publicity on a car exhibition tomorrow. Such information is useless since the occurrence is not long-term, and this is especially so when you have absolutely no interest in the event). 

It is important to note that the media caters to a large group of readers, which differs greatly in terms of demographic and psychographic profiles. Hence, not all the information that is provided by the media is related or even useful to us. We need to sift out the relevant content for ourselves, else it will be a matter of time before we suffer from information overload.

So relating the things that you have learnt to your lives is crucial, since these are often the things that you will remember for a long time. If you do not believe this, just think of the most memorable scene and/or character in a movie that you have watched. You will not be able to remember every single detail of it but rather, certain snippets will stand out. Examine these snippets and you will realise that the reason that you find these moments/person memorable is because you can relate to it in some way. Maybe it’s the humour, or maybe it’s the emotion(s) that you have experienced when watching the film that reflects how you feel in your real life, or maybe it’s the fact that you are able to relate to the characteristics of the lead character(s) in some ways that are similar to your own.

Therefore, it will be good if all of you are able to relate what you have learnt in class to your lives. Try to see if you are able to apply what you have learnt in the classroom to your own lives. This is because when to comes to acquiring knowledge, its application is equally if not more important.

Whatever you are able to relate to, you will remember it for a long time.

Dear class,

Through the times that I have been facilitating classes for the past semesters, I have observed the strengths of different teams from their presentation sessions and have noted the various qualities that make such teams strong. I wish to highlight the essence of these teams’ attributes through the description of a hypothetical class Team X as shown below:

When Team X is asked to present, its members are calm and composed. Their strong coordination skills can be observed as each members goes about setting up the presentation. While some set up the projector, the rest began to position themselves either at the front or the back of the class, readying themselves for the presentation.

When all are ready and the facilitator gives the signal to begin, the team members are at ease and one presents after another. During the course of the presentation, the members are confident of their content and – save for some technical details which they might refer to on their laptops or scripts, they present their points using their own words to the best of their abilities. They put in the effort to elaborate on the points that they are presenting and they provide relevant examples whenever it is applicable. Coordination skills between them are strong when the team present.  All the members are attentive and focused on what the other team members are talking. In the event that any of their team mates fumble in their presentation, they will immediately step in and assist.  This same phenomenon can be observed during the “Q & A” session as well.

During the course of the presentation, it can be observed that the team is formal in their presentation. They are serious but not to the extent of forgetting to use a dose of humour every now and then. The team members always stand while they are presenting (and this is so even while their team members are presenting) and they refrain from engaging in any form of distractions such as eating, drinking or even spinning in their chairs while presenting.  All the team members are focused during the presentation and none of the team member can be seen to be joking with members of other teams during the entire course of their presentation. They do not walk around the class chatting with members from other teams as well while their team mates are presenting, and they do not doodle on the white board should there be one behind them during the presentation.

To engage the class in their learning, the team also pose questions to the class during the course of their presentation, making sure that they have sustained the audience’s attention with their questions while not allowing their questions to be disruptive to the flow of their presentation.  When the team presents, each team member presents according to their prepared slides while at the same time, they are aware of what other team members are presenting. This is because they have discussed the content of their presentation before the actual presentation. This has enabled all the team members to understand the content of the entire presentation and how their presentation contributes to the team’s presentation on the whole. In fact, the team members are so familiar with the presentation content for the lesson that each of them are able to switch at will and present any of their team member’s slides should the situation calls for it. This is because every team member understands the presentation content and more importantly, the flow of the entire presentation.

The above illustrates the strong team dynamics of an excellent team. Although it is hypothetical and such a team does not exist yet, I hope that all of you are able to work towards being the great presenter that you already are. All of you are doing well, and have the potential to be the great presenters and team members in such a team as described above if you put in the effort to realise your potential. I do not expect you to work towards my ideals or expectations but I hope that you are able to improve yourself to the point where you can present with ease as a presenter while being a cohesive team member in your team as well such that you will be able to contribute to the team effort.

When all of you work together as a team, you can achieve great things. And some of these achievements are things that you may not consider possible before. 

So, keep up the good work and enthusiasm!

Unlike the Nurturers who accommodate others, the Reformers are the complete opposite.  They do not back down easily when they have made a decision, even in the face of intense opposition.  Nevertheless, Reformers will still often abide by any existing hierarchical structures.

While this may seem like a weakness (since individuals who challenge others directly usually suffer a severe backlash), this is – in fact- a strength. Why is this so? This is because the Reformers are not easily swayed by the opinions of others and hence, are often able to carve out their own paths in life. While the Nurturers’ accommodating and caring nature often win the affection of others and hence attract friends to them, the Reformers’ attributes and antics usually ensure the fulfillments of their life goals. They are almost always immune to any form of distractions and external opinions, leaving them with the freedom and flexibility to pursue their own dreams. 

Reformers also have their principles, and they usually adhere to these principles very rigidly and stringently. They impose a very high standard both for others and themselves. And Reformers can be very hard on themselves if there’s a breach of this principles.  For example, if Reformers value punctuality, they will ensure that they will make it to the meeting venue before the prearranged meeting time. And they will expect others to do the same. If Reformers are late, they can be very harsh on themselves.  The good thing about this trait of theirs is that through this personality, Reformers develop discipline and order, both in themselves and others.

In the world of the Reformers, there are only two colours: black and white. There are no gray areas. It’s either that one is right, or one is wrong. Consider a scenario whereby Reformers realise that their best friend is cheating. While most of us will take some time to consider the ethical decision of reporting the cheating case, Reformers will not hesitate to report their friend to the teacher with minimal consideration, and feel that it is the perfectly right thing to do.  

As the name implies, Reformers always strive for perfection in everything they do. They find satisfaction in perfection, even when such endeavours take a serious toll on their health, time and friendships. In their world, there are no flaws, and no mistakes. And they are definitely no rooms for error.

These characteristics make Reformers very meticulous individuals, thus making them suitable for certain professions, as follows:

• Detective
• Crime Scene Investigator (CSI)
• Disciplinarian
• Lawyer
• Judge
• Military profession

It can thus be observed that each talent has their own strengths and weaknesses.   But this is to be expected. And this is also the reason why team work (consisting of different personalities and hence talents) are often preferred over the solitary contribution of an individual (regardless of his or her ability).

The Lake of Ceranest is a beautiful place.

And Ceranest is the quiet and remote town to the east of France. It has been said that people living in this town never grow old. Of course, this is merely a legend. But even some legends have their basis based on facts. And this is one of them. Stories on the origins of how Ceranest comes about have been passed through the folks residing in the town for years. Ceranest has a culture of cohesiveness, and the people in Ceranest often comes together to celebrate any happy occasions.  Doors are left open at night since theft and burglars are almost unheard of.  Smiles are often seen on the faces of the Ceranestians (as the residents like to call themselves), a sign of contentment and joy.

The name of the town Ceranest does not come by accident. Rather, it is based on a folklore. There once was a hero named Ceracrest who braved the storm to claim the land of Ceranest as his own. The land is known as Coldfrost then, as the place was covered in snow and what was left living are the scavengers and reptiles that fought for survival against the temperamental weather and the intense cold. It was a dreadful place where no humans will ever hope to live in.  But Ceracrest believed in the impossible and so set about setting up a hut for shelter and slaughtering the nearby wolves for food. Over time, the predatory animals began to learn to respect this man whom they have initially regarded as a prey but have turned out to be a formidable foe.

With his skills as a hunter, Ceracrest set about setting fire to the trees in the woods. Strange as it may sound, the fire spread through the land and warmth soon replaces the cold.  Merchant ships soon anchored near the land and explorers began to arrive. People began to settle on ColdFrost, a land who has long lost the significance of its name. As Coldfrost warmed up to its occupants, the residents decided to name the land after its founder and called it Ceranest, adding the term “nest” to the founder’s name to signify the cohesiveness of the community.

Although the land of Ceranest has lost its cold climate, the snow that has melted has formed a lake that surrounds it. This lake is the legendary Lake of Ceranest, and it’s considered by many to be the most beautiful lake in the world. It is also the testimony of one man’s sheer will and determination to turn a forsaken land into one of vibrancy. Lake Ceranest is also the place where The Fisherman seeks solace for the most of his life. Evenings have always been beautiful at the lake, where the water reflects the starry night sky.

And it was on one of these fateful evenings when The Fisherman met Sam.

The sun was sinking into the horizon when The Fisherman was in the midst of packing up his catch for the day and securing the fishing net to his bicycle. The bicycle has been The Fisherman’s mode of transport for years. He has not bought the bicycle but has received it as a gift from one of his neighbours. Gift-giving is a common tradition practised by Ceranestians. Several kids soon ran towards him, and a few of them can be seen to be hugging Peace, a Golden Retriever that belongs to The Fisherman. Peace and The Fisherman has been friends for years now. Come to think of it, Peace is now nearing his prime.

Suddenly, a man ran up the road towards the Fisherman. He was dressed in a blue long-sleeved shirt with a yellow tie and black pants, an attire seldom seen in Ceranest. Upon seeing him, the children began to scramble and hide behind The Fisherman, stealing a peek at the man from behind The Fisherman once in a while.

“Hi,” The man greeted The Fisherman. “Name’s Sam. I am from an advertising firm Lockart & Harter. I am here on business. My car has broken down further down this road, and I wonder if I can get some help. I can offer cash upfront if you need them.”

The fisherman took one long look at Sam.

“Cash don’t work here.” The Fisherman muttered.

“I’m sorry?” Sam was straining his ears. He believed that he has heard it right the first time, but he just needs to confirm it. In the same way that he always confirms a client’s request before every deal.

“I said cash don’t work here. Cash is not the currency in Ceranest.”

“Well, I can use credit. Which card do you accept? I have a few here.”

Sam began to open his wallet and began pulling out the numerous credit cards that he has on hand.  To Sam, credit cards are a necessary possession for any advertising executive.  They facilitate smooth business transactions when he dines with clients since he’s always the guy who gives the treat.

 ”Credit cards are not heard of here as well.” Turning to Peace with the intention of feeding him, The Fisherman smiled. “Advertising guys like you makes credit cards magical and global on TV, showing that credit cards are portals to a good life since it’s acceptable by everyone. Well, young man, credit cards are unheard of in some places, and Ceranest happens to be one of them.”

“So, what’s the currency in Ceranest?” Sam enquired.

“Sincerity and gratitude.”

The reply took Sam by surprise. Firstly, he has never heard of Ceranest. It’s a strange town to begin with, where every resident smiles at you when you walk past them. There seems to be a bouncing stride when they walk, as if the residents are always happy when they go about their daily lives.  And now, he’s being told that reciprocity is a form of currency in this town? This is just plain weird.  Back in his hometown, ”transactions” is the word of the day. Not ”sincerity”. And definitely not “gratitude”.

 ”So…” Sam began to close his wallet and put it back into his pants. “How do I pay with ’sincerity’ or ‘gratitude’?”

“Well, let’s see…” The Fisherman looks upwards, pondering deeply as if Sam has just asked a very abstract question, one that requires much thought.  After a long pause, The Fisherman turned to Sam. “A smile……. or a nod of your head?”

 ”Serious? How do all the people survive without cash or any form of credit?”

“All of us have our own strengths. We just use them to help one another. And as you can see with your eyes, we are not only surviving, we are doing very well. We are a group of close-knitted and self-sustaining communities. We plant crops, keep some for ourselves and exchange the rest with our friends who will offer us some form of aid in return. Maybe it’s educating their children? I provide these. Or maybe, it’s elderly care? Darley over the other end of the town provides those. ”

“All the residents in Ceranest are still bartering?” Sam wondered aloud.

“I wouldn’t exactly put it that way.” The Fisherman stole a glance at Sam before returning to the task of transferring his catch from a pail to several large plastic bags filled with seawater. The Fisherman intends to bring these bags back to his family to show his children. It’s not often that he was able to capture such big salmons and eels.  ” ‘Exchanging of goodwill’ will be a better phrase, don’t you think?”

Sam was amazed at the way things work around Ceranest. It’s true that the entire town is self-sustaining.  He has never seen anything quite like it before. The people have all the basic necessities and they seem to be satisfied with their possession. There are  no big cars and there’s no private housing.

How is advertising ever going to even survive here? 

This thought flashed through Sam’s head.

As if reading Sam’s thoughts, The Fisherman turned to Sam and offered him a packet of water with a red salmon swimming inside.

“This is how we advertise. We offer our friends some of our catch and have them coming back for more. No TV, no radio and no internet.”

“You know about the existence of the internet?”

“Well, yes. I know Phil Collins and Kenny G too.”

“How?”‘

“Word of mouth. We have international friends here as well, you know. There’s tons of information being circulated in the world right now. But somehow, only good things come through here, you know? Isn’t this how it works? The good things always stand out from the rest. Someone will eventually recognise them and through word of mouth, they became popular culture. Word of mouth is cheaper and often more effective than advertising, yes?”

Sam has nothing to say to that, as it seems to be true. It’s almost taboo for an advertising guy to even acknowledge this fact but still, this seems to be so.

“I am heading to Janley’s garage to see if he’s able to help you” The Fisherman began to ride his bicycle eastwards, the empty pails bouncing on one side of the bicycle and the several plastic bags of fishes on the other, swinging around with water splashing out of the bags due to the impact of the bicycle on the uneven ground.  

“Hey, I am going with you!” Sam shouted.

Without turning his head, The Fisherman pointed to his right.

“Head to the house on my right. Within two hundred metres, you will come to a hut with a signboard “Fish’s best friend” above the entrance. That is my place. Knock on the door and when my son Joseph opens the door, tell him that you are The Fisherman’s friend and pass him the packet of fish I have handed you. He will let you in.”

Fish’s best friend? What an irony!

Sam let out a laugh as he walks towards the hut as directed by The Fisherman. As he trekked along the worn pavement, he turned to look at the disappearing view of The Fisherman as he took a left turn and disappeared around a street corner. Peace followed closely behind. With nobody else to protect them, the kids scrambled in all directions, seeking the safely of the bushes and trees from the stranger that they considered strange. 

Suddenly, Sam came to a realisation that he did not know The Fisherman’s name. 

Letting out another laugh, Sam continued walking.

To be Continued…….

*All characters in this story are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Some issues worth exploring:

• Farmers used to produce their own crops and barter (defined as ”
  to trade goods or services without the exchange of money” by the freedictionary.com) them for goods that they need. Why is bartering replaced with currency and what are their differences?
• Is the usage of currency more efficient than bartering? Why is the use of currency favoured over bartering?  
• What is the effectiveness of advertising as compared to word of mouth (defined as “spoken communication” by thefreedictionary.com)?
• How can advertising be more effective?
• In a world of consumerism, is the value of cash more valuable than an expression of sincerity or gratitude?

Dear class,

I will be starting another series on this blog, and will be naming it “The Fisherman and Sam” series. While the “Talent” series provides a factual description of the various talents in us through our personalities, “The Fisherman and Sam” series will take on a narrative style in the form of a story. From the stories in this series, I hope that we are all able to draw some lessons of life through the interactions of the primary characters, which in this case revolves around The Fisherman and Sam. So, do keep a lookout for it.

Below are the character introduction of The Fisherman and Sam:

Sam: Sam is a typical corporate employee working in a multinational company (MNC).  He is academically-inclined and regards life as a journey to achieve his goals.  Hence, he has always put in his best effort in everything he does. This probably explains his quick climb up the corporate ladder, and being promoted to be the Director of Advertising within a year. Few among his friends ever made it made it that far within such a short time. And this is something that Sam has always took pride in. That is, his achievements.

Nevertheless, Sam always feels that something is missing in his life. He is always looking, always searching. Initially, Sam thinks that he can find the missing puzzle of his life in his work. Thus, he has spent long hours in the office, wrapping up every last piece of documentation that requires attention and closing every sales deal that is possible. “Super-achiever” is a term that is associated with Sam in the office, a mark of recognition given to him by his colleagues and peers who often held Sam in high regard.

However, over time, Sam realises that fulfillment cannot be found in his work.  So, he looks for it outside the office, in the company of friends. Still, Sam feels that his life is empty. So, he went for romance. After several attempts, Sam finds himself in a daze, as romance gives him a different type of happiness but a different kind of pain as well.

Feeling disappointed, Sam decided to stop looking. And just when he’s just wandering along the pier going nowhere, Sam met The Fisherman. Through the interactions that he made with The Fisherman, Sam’s life begins to change for the better. And finally, he found happiness.

This is often the case, isn’t it? Just when we are so exhausted in looking for something and are on the verge of giving up, the thing that we are searching for all this while appears right before our eyes.

The Fisherman:   The Fisherman has no name. Or maybe, he once has a name. It just does not matter to him anymore. People now know him only as The Fisherman. The Fisherman probably likes to be called this way. As the name implies, The Fisherman loves to fish. In fact, he often spends an entire day fishing. In good weather, of course. He lives in a hut just by the side of the lake with his wife and two children, a son and a daughter. And the other children playing by the lake like The Fisherman for his good-natured disposition and humour.

Throughout his life, he has never worked in an urban city before. Not even when people tell him that riches can be found in the faraway cities. The Fisherman delves in simplicity and is never one who succumbs to consumerism. And urban cities have an allure that attracts the unaware and the uninitiated.  The cities have a way of stuffing one with irrelevant information and commodifying things and people. And these are things that The Fisherman is aware and steer clears of.

But life has a way of bringing people from different walks of life together. This is probably the reason why The Fisherman chances upon Sam one fateful early evening, along the lake of Ceranest while fishing.  This chance encounter will change both their lives forever.