MC
Issue 27
179 I (P) /01/
March 2015
201 5
d n e i r F Tinkle Hello Boys and Girls! It’s great to be back, talking to you after a long break! How are you? And how is your year coming along? A new year always offers the chance for new beginnings. It gives us the chance to learn from the mistakes we made last year and grow stronger and wiser. So, if you have made some mistakes last year, fret not! You now have a chance to start off on a brand new page and make things right again. If there has been something that you have always wanted to try, now is a good time to start! Incidentally, you may have started on something new and are now finding it hard to continue. You may have started out with lots of excitement and enthusiasm but as time went by, you started to feel less motivated to continue. If you feel this way, you are not alone. Lots of people start with the best of intentions, but feel like giving up when things get challenging. So, how do you keep yourself going when the going gets tough? How do you stay focused on your goal, when you are bored and frustrated? Turn the page to find out more! In the last issue of BUZZ, we invited you to design a card for Tinkle Friend’s birthday! Thank you to each and every one of you who sent in your entries! We had a really tough time selecting them because they are all awesome! We have selected three entries and included them in the back page. So flip over to see the entries selected! Last but not least, remember that you are always welcome to call me at 1800 2744 788 or chat with me online at www.tinklefriend.com. Take lots of care! Cheers,
Tinkle Friend Do you need help? Call Tinkle Friend 1800 – 2744 – 788 or chat online at www.tinklefriend.com.
It’s FREE!
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Tinkle Friend is a project by Singapore Children’s Society. Editor: Goh Li Shan and Rachel Tan Contributor: Goh Li Shan Design: Nest Communications Pte Ltd How to reach us: Singapore Children’s Society, Student Service Hub (Bukit Merah) Blk 91 Henderson Road #01-112 S(150091) Tel: 6276 5077 Fax: 6276 5075 BUZZ TINKLE FRIEND is a quarterly publication by Singapore Children’s Society. The articles, opinions or comments in BUZZ Tinkle Friend are those of the contributors and are not necessarily those of Singapore Children’s Society or its management. Copyright is held by Singapore Children’s Society. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
WHEN THE GOING GETS TOU Have you ever started on a new project, only to give up when things got challenging? Have you ever tried something new and gave up halfway? Sometimes, we hear people say things like, “I feel so tired, and there’s still so much to do!” or “I used to be so excited, but after a while, I felt bored.” Maybe you have felt this way too! All of us have goals and dreams. Some of us reach our goals, while others do not. So, what is the difference between people who are successful and people who are not?
WHAT DO SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO? Often, we look at others who are successful and we wonder, what do they have that we do not? We may have thoughts like, “He is naturally talented”, or “She is lucky”, or “He has a better brain” or “He has better skills at playing basketball”. While this may be true at times, what determines how successful someone is, is how much they persevere at doing something. Let’s look at Salman, Jie Mei and Jeremy. All of them have a passion for a hobby, but it is not always smooth sailing.
Salman is a 10 year old boy who enjoys playing basket ball. He is on the school team. Salman goes for basketball practice after school two times a week. On some days, he plays better, on other days, not so well. Sometimes he feels tired, especially after he has stayed up late the previous night doing his homework. Yesterday’s practice went badly for him. He got yelled at by his coach for not concentrating. Salman felt upset when it happened but he knows his coach wants the best for him. So he continues to practise and try his best.
Jie Mei loves to dance. She is 11 years old and joined modern dance as a CCA. She is always pushing herself to become better. Every time she has dance practice, she dutifully works on her splits, spins and pirouettes. Jie Mei has good days and bad days. Sometimes the splits don’t come easy, sometimes she is not able to spin without losing her balance. Many times she fell down but she picked herself up again. Three days ago, she argued with her best friend and she felt horrible. It affected her practice. At times like this, Jie Mei learns to be kind to herself. After all, everyone has bad days.
Jeremy loves to play the Ukulele. He joined this CCA two years ago. He is 12 years old this year. He loves music and enjoys composing songs. He can spend hours on his Ukulele. But sometimes Jeremy gets stuck when he plays chords, especially the more difficult ones. Sometimes his strumming is not smooth. Sometimes he gets frustrated and feels like bashing his Ukulele over his head. But deep down inside he knows he loves music and would never do that.
What Salman, Jie Mei and Jeremy have in common is their perseverance. Very often, we think that successful people feel excited and motivated all the time. This is not true. The truth is that they feel bored at times. They get bored with doing the same routines over and over again. Like Salman, Jie Mei and Jeremy, sometimes they are not in the mood to practice. Sometimes, they feel frustrated. Sometimes, they feel down. Just like all of us. However, they do not let their feelings affect their practice. They practise, even when they are not in the best of moods.
UGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING! ACHIEVING SUCCESS IS A PROCESS Many people think about success as an event. For example, when you are in school, you see success as getting good results on your test. Salman sees success as winning the basketball tournament. Jie Mei sees success as being able to perform all her moves correctly in the dance performance. Jeremy sees success as being able to strum his Ukulele chords perfectly. While achieving these goals are wonderful, we often forget that the process of getting there is equally important. Getting good grades is wonderful. But to get there, you need to fall in love with the process of learning and practising. Winning the basketball tournament is awesome, but to achieve that, you need to fall in love with the process of shooting hoops, passing and dribbling. Perfecting a dance routine is great, but to get there, you need to fall in love with the process of practising your splits, spins and other dance techniques. If you want to become much better at anything, you need to fall in love with the process of doing it, rather than just dreaming of the results that you want. And even if you do not win the competitions or get very high marks in your examinations, the process of learning and practising will make you much better at what you do. So, at the end of the day, fall in love with the practice. Fall in love with repeating the routines that will make you better. And let the results speak for themselves.
5 TIPS TO MOTIVATE YOU WHEN YOU FEEL DOWN: 1. If you fall down, pick yourself up again. 2. If you get yelled at, understand that your coach wants you to improve. 3. If you make mistakes, learnt where you went wrong and try again. 4. If it’s not good this time, try again. 5. Remember, achieving success is a process.
WINNING BIRTHDAY CARD DESIGNS Hello Boys and Girls, Remember the birthday card contest we had in the last issue? Thanks to each and every one of you for sending in your entries! We have looked at all of your cards and we appreciate all your efforts! It was difficult to pick out three winning entries, but we have chosen them. Congratulations to Janicia Toh, Kiven Lim and Faith Lee Hsien Hwee! Check out their creations below:
Kiven Lim
Janicia Toh
Faith Lee
Call Tinkle Friend @ 1800 – 2744 – 788 or Chat Online at www.tinklefriend.com if you • Feel unhappy and sad • Feel stressed about your homework and/or exams • Feel lonely • Feel happy and have something nice to share • Want to know more whether it’s right or wrong to do something