02/07/2025
With good ol’ Wayne Umehara, my former Photography lecturer.
We were not particularly close when I was his student some 20+ years ago but we ran into each other in the neighborhood I lived in during the pandemic lockdown in Singapore.
We’ve been catching up sporadically whenever I’m in town and this picture was taken after our latest catch up this afternoon.
Wayne has been a wise person since I knew him from polytechnic days. He’s one of those individuals who sees through people, which may explain his photographic eye.
Always ready to share his wisdom whenever asked, I sought quite a bit from him and the one that stood out the most is:
“Indra, do you know what the hardest thing to do in the world is? Forgiving others.
But no matter what, ALWAYS give yourself a pat on the back for trying.”
It’s a simple yet one of the most effective wisdom I’ve had the luck of receiving.
It’s not just wisdom for making peace with others, but also one that applies for every effort I put in life.
There were so many times I was frustrated and disappointed by the results of my efforts, but the very mere fact that I put in those efforts when the old Indra would have hesitated is already an accomplishment in its own right.
I realized that putting in those efforts saved me from having future regrets.
I realized that the biggest regrets do not start with “I wish I had not done that” but rather, they start with “I wish I had done it…”
A lot of my hesitations stemmed from pride, fear and inability to forgive myself. But I soon discovered to my delight that by patting myself on the back for putting in the effort is already me beginning to forgive myself.
Each time I do that, it elevates my self-esteem and boosts my self-confidence to take the next step.
Thank you Wayne 🤙
