Lesson I Reflected on my 30th Birthday-Part 1

So I celebrate my 30th birthday last month (15 June). I meant to write this post earlier but hope it’s still not too late.

Thank you to those who took time to join my unicorn-themed birthday party, for all your birthday wishes and your lovely gifts. I may not have said it enough, but you guys really make my day with your presence and love!

Some of you may be wondering, “Why unicorn party? The unicorn is a mystical creature that’s non-existent.” To me, a unicorn is a personification of ‘faith in the unbelievable’. I believe in daring to dream and making changes in life.
My birthday is not just a time to party and celebrate another age milestone. Wise men have said that new wisdom comes on one’s birthday, especially when you take the time to look back on how far you have come. There are many things that I had reflected on and learnt, but let’s start with one lesson today about life in general:

On Life:
As much as I would like my life to be a fairy-tale filled with immortal unicorns, I cannot run from this truth: Life is not fair, it is never fair. You can only choose so much in life and wished things turned out differently. Deal with the cards at hand (be it a good card or a bad card) and learn the tricks to play it well to be the winner.

You see, I did not come from a well-to-do family. Due to mismanagement of funds, my family often fell into debts, which caused me much despair during my childhood days. I remembered how devastated when I was just 9 years old. That time, I was studying in a private school, which I loved because I had friends and teachers whom I looked up to. But my dad had to transfer me to a government school because he could no longer afford my private school fees. As I grew up and was about to enroll into university (cue: sky-high tuition fees), I had to take up a partial scholarship, partial PTPN loan and work part time – all at the same time. I remembered I always was the first to leave a party or friends’ gathering, just because I had to rush to work.

Despite these circumstances that forced me to work hard, I never let hardships bring me down. Instead, I was determined to pull it through. This same determination applies to my journey as an entrepreneur. When I was thinking of starting BloomThis with my husband, we didn’t start off with strong financial support. Nobody knows who I was either then. But after calculating and considering the risks needed to start the business, I just stopped all the “Sure, ah? Can do this, meh?” thoughts and jumped on a bandwagon. I never turn back after that decision, and I don’t regret it. My past is what made me strong today - to believe in myself, and my dream of building a business empire.

Stay tuned to this blog to read more of Penny's birthday reflection.