Life lessons from an 8-year-old artist

LIFE LESSONS FROM AN 8-YEAR-OLD ARTIST

By PAUL HENG
Board Chair, Make-A-Wish Foundation Singapore

Time is usually the reason, or should I say, excuse. All of us have the same 24 hours in a day. We do not have the power to change this number. But what we do have is the means to decide how we wish to use our time.

SOME TIME last month, a familiar tune automatically came into my head, especially when I saw lighted up Orchard Road. It began like this:

"So this is Christmas

And what have you done

Another year's gone by

Another one's just begun…"

You probably know this one by the late John Lennon. It never fails to bring goose pimples to my arms. To me, it is like a signal to start appraising myself on what I've done with my year.

So, my dear friends - it was Christmas. And what did you do over the year?

If I ask this of my little friend, Gelyn, she is likely to reply loud and clear : "A lot!"

Earlier in December, eight-year-old Gelyn Ong held her second solo art exhibition and the money raised was donated in totality to the Make-A-Wish Foundation Singapore. Last year, Gelyn did the exact same thing. I have not checked, but this awesome young girl could well be holding the record for the highest, individual fund-raiser for us since our inception in Singapore a decade ago.

I meet many people - adults and children, in my life. But I have never met anyone quite like Gelyn.

You see, Gelyn has a gift. A gift that can potentially make her a rich young woman. She paints really well. I am no art expert, but even an art novice like myself could tell that the standard of Gelyn's paintings is close to that of professional and experienced adult artists.

But instead of keeping that gift within the confines of her family and loved ones, she has chosen to share her unique gift with others. She paints, and donates her pieces to charity.

In our case, finding supporters and donors who admire and appreciate her art pieces has helped the Make-A-Wish Foundation raise enough funds for us to continue to grant a substantial number of wishes to our Wish children - aged between three and 18 years, and who are suffering from a life-threatening illness - for the next 12 months or so.

Gelyn is someone who personifies a belief that I have held for a long time - one is never too young to share, and to give back to society.

Many a time, I have posed this question to the people I meet - "…So, what are you doing to give back to society…?". Fortunately, there are many who are already giving and sharing.

There is however some who will give me this response: "Oh, I don't have the time, I will do some community work when I retire…". My standard retort to these individuals would then be: "That's great, but what happens if you are not able to do so at that time, for whatever reasons?". (The lack of) Time is usually the reason, or should I say, excuse. All of us have the same 24 hours in a day. We do not have the power to change this number. But what we do have is the means to decide how we wish to use our time. And if we feel that touching others in need, and making a small difference to their lives is important, then you ought to allocate time to do it - makes sense?

It's like this - as my Filipino friends would like to say - brushing your teeth is something that you do when you get up in the morning, at least, for most of us. Why do you do this? Simply because it is important to maintain your oral hygiene as part of taking care of your overall well-being. We have been brushing our teeth since young, and somewhere along the way, it has become a part of our lives. So we brush our teeth without even having to plan for it to happen, nor having to consciously set aside time to do it. It has become a habit.

As we celebrate the season of peace and giving, it is my humble wish that there will be many more of us who will give a part, or a bigger slice of us back to society.

And that along the way, volunteerism and philanthropy will become a much bigger piece of Singaporeans' lives. And just like the basic activity of brushing your teeth, giving back will become a habit, and a part of our lives.

I wish all of you a Happy 2013!

Paul Heng is founder and executive coach of NeXT Corporate Coaching Services