The trimester of teaching ended two weeks earlier. I was feeling the tiredness of developing and carrying out a new course. Maybe age has finally caught up with my ever-positive spirit. There are a lot of negative thoughts of wanting to stop everything I am doing cause I am feeling a sense of meaningless in many things that I do. A momentary weakness of my mind and I can feel how things are getting out of control.
In my most vulnerable moment, this low-bono six bricks project filled me with hope and joy again. This is the second time that I have been asked to run a large-scale six bricks engagement project. The last time I did it was for 800 special needs educators at Rainbow Center last year. In no less challenging environment, this time round is to engage around 220 students to play before they receive their Edusave awards from Minister Shanmugam.
Why did I say that it filled me with hope and joy?
The project was very challenging on two fronts: (a) I don’t have enough sets of bricks, 250 sets are hard to find and expensive to procure; (b) I can’t do it alone and needed at least five more facilitators.
I remembered Simon Sinek once said that he had a group of friends who will without missing a heartbeat willing to sit in a mud with him and watch him cry. My six bricks buddies are those friends for me as is those to Simon.
When I was weak, they lifted me up to loan me bricks and answered generously to my call to come facilitate with me. It warmed my heart during this vulnerable and difficult times that I have buddies that I can always count on.
When you have friends like this, how can your life not be filled with hope and joy?
And the results of the event?
Despite all the challenges, we pursued the event with an excellent mindset and emerged wonderful. You can never fully appreciate the joy of watching children totally engrossed in playing with Six Bricks until you see it for yourself.
I have friends who will sit in mud with me while I “cry”. How blissful this is and how blessed I am.
I wish that you have such friends too.