C'est Belle

from A Jolly Affair

Beyond News Awards

April 19, 2008 at 10:02 pm · Filed under Self Discovery and tagged: , , ,

Recently I attended MediaCorp New Awards at Swissotel and was deeply reminded of those years in journalism school a couple of years back. The relentless pursuit of scoops, intimate probings of interviewees, all with the ultimate aim of making it THE STORY.

Why was it so important? To inform and educate our citizens? To influence government policy? To change the world? Sure, those were the ideals that accompanied me through my undergraduate years, but in retrospect, they do sound a tad too noble. That does not mean I undermine the important role journalists play in our lives, because I was one of those who unanimously nodded when Chairman Mr Ho Kwon Ping said news-makers work long hours and get very little pay. So I derive that anyone who is overworked and underpaid must have a reason for accepting this sort of fate.

At the back of my head, passion was beckoning me.

Passion fuels the work you do and oils the desire to improve to get better at what you’re doing. It’s less about slipping into the monotony of assignments and deadlines, doing what is required and more about adopting a broader and more constructive perspective that is both enriching for self and inspiring for others.

Beyond the glitz and glamour of the awards that night, I found an important catalyst for self-progress.

7 Comments»

  JieHui wrote @ April 21, 2008 at 10:03 pm

It seems to me an inevitable fact that university education in general fuels ideals that are many tads too noble, at least during the years in university… haha.

So society’s job when we enter it is to smash and shatter such illusions and force us to find a more balanced view of the meanings behind our aspirations and life in general.

Passion for self-progress. I think you’ve provided alot of us food for thought, Joanne 🙂

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  Kel wrote @ April 22, 2008 at 1:02 am

Hi Joanne,
It is aptly interesting that you are sharing these thoughts now, as recently, my wanderlust mind has been weaving in and out of what really makes me tick.

The lack of passion is truly a loss of direction in our life. I think it is so important to be constantly self-aware, in touch with yourself and know what you truly seek, so that when we lose sight along the way, it is passion that will pick us up and refresh us for the journey ahead again.

It is heartening to know that you have found the passion that was lost, or was just simply waiting to be uncovered. And I always believe that it is, like what you said: ‘more about adopting a broader and more constructive perspective that is both enriching for self and inspiring for others’. Because passion is only truly great beyond self.

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  val wrote @ April 26, 2008 at 9:22 pm

Hi Joanne,
Just stumbled upon your blog. Great writing and very interesting entries. Food for thought indeed. : )

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  Qing Hui wrote @ April 26, 2008 at 11:41 pm

I just saw that you wish to have a subscription to National Geographic. You like National Geographic? ;D

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  ceneple wrote @ May 13, 2008 at 12:33 am

you have just evoked “some journalism” in me.
no, i am not a journalist, but i write for fun.
I wish I knew what I was passionate about then.

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  Am wrote @ May 30, 2008 at 4:04 am

Quote: “So I derive that anyone who is overworked and underpaid must have a reason for accepting this sort of fate.” <– Sometimes that reason is because they don’t think they have any other option, or can’t see themselves doing anything else either out of habit or training.

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  ling* wrote @ June 27, 2008 at 1:56 am

hi joanne.
just wanted to let u know that ur post really encouraged me.

i just accepted ntu mass comm course and gave up a place in smu business.(which essentially means a loss of big money opportunites in the future)

Was mulling over it for a while, but what u said abt passion fueling the work that we do really put me back into perspective. (: i just know i’ll be enjoying my next 4 years in SCI ahead.

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