I received a WhatsApp message when it was almost bedtime. The sender was in my team a few years ago. She was a fast learner and a high performer. Like many people these days, she is overwhelmed by work. Besides the never-ending tasks coming from the top, she is stressed by difficult people and office politics. Under high pressure, she feels that she is close to a mental … [Read more...]
Did high income make people unhappy?
On July 18, there was a Sunday Times Invest article titled “Fewer high income earners feel very happy: IPS study”. A survey of 2,000 respondents by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) showed that higher incomes is not a guarantee of more happiness. In fact, the higher income groups have the lowest proportion who said “they felt very happy most of the time”. For those … [Read more...]
Do you expect a new home to solve an old problem?
The pandemic is hurting us in different ways. Stress can come in different forms. Financially, it may be loss of business, work or income. Routinely, it can be inconveniences in daily activities and conflicts with family members. For some people, they believe that moving away or moving to a new home is the solution to alleviate their sufferings. Pandemic-induced housing … [Read more...]
Is property the reason why Singaporeans are not among the smartest in the world?
I had an old blog post titled “Is property the reason why Singapore is not among the happiest countries in the world?”. I thought the topic was a bit dry. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be one of the most read posts in my blog. That is not a good sign. It shows that many Singaporeans are not really happy with life. Because normally, people don’t read an article when they … [Read more...]
The secrets hidden behind Chinese wisdom
Gong Xi Fa Cai! This year’s Lunar New Year was different for the devoted Buddhists. Due to Covid-19, the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple at Waterloo Street was closed early on the eve of Chinese New Year - no more race to be the first to put the incense sticks inside the burner right after midnight to get the best of luck in the coming year. The answers behind Chinese … [Read more...]