BBS 3.0
Week 1 (13-14 August 2016)
Just concluded the first weekend of the BBS Sailing Program and I thought it would be good to pen down some of my thoughts. I signed up for the BBS Sailing Program without really knowing what it is about, but after 2 days of the course, I’m sold.
This program was initiated by Uncle Jevan, who aims to give young people a chance to be better versions of themselves. I’m really inspired by all that he has done, because I feel that it’s really really admirable for someone to be so willing to give so much, without expecting anything in return. This program combines mentoring/networking with sailing and it’s a great way to really put into practice what you’ve learnt. We usually start the day off with a mentoring session, following which we would go for the sailing session. It’s really amazing how the program effectively combines this two very different elements.
First session was about stepping out of your comfort zone. This is very apt to be the first topic, as we had to step out of our comfort zones to go into the water, capsize and stay under the boat, and come out of it. There may be discomfort but we get through it. Similarly, in life, we often have to step out of our comfort zone to improve ourselves, learn new skills, acquire new knowledge, and many more.
Second session we had Uncle Barry (no idea if I can address him like that) to speak to us about the qualities he feels are important for success. It was a really good opportunity to have a peak into the life of someone very successful in the corporate world. Before the session started, I had a short chat with him and I shared with him about the Mercy Relief Ground Zero Run that I went for in the morning. He, in turn, shared with me about his time in Ukraine, where he gave a portable water bag to a family who had to carry water 14 stories up to their apartment everyday as there was no water tap. The family was so grateful that they shed tears of joy. Often times, our little acts of kindness can mean a lot to someone else.
Uncle Jevan also added on that we often think that it’s the big things that matters, but a lot of times, it’s the small things that matters the most. I think this is really applicable for me in the workplace. Sometimes, I’m eager to take on responsibilities as I’m someone who is very goal-oriented. What he said really made me take a step back and realise that, you only get more responsibilities when you do the small things well. This means making sure that any small task assigned to me is done well and without errors, before people would be willing to trust me with more work. Great advice to always keep in mind.
On the sailing side of things, over the 2 days, we learnt how to:
Rig up the boat and name the parts of the boats and their function
Launch and recover the boat
Right a capsized boat
Tacking
We did lots of practice on tacking and I felt so seasick that I puked! Haha, but it’s all about stepping out of comfort zone, feeling uncomfortable, and learning something new :)