Ohh My Life #002 A Special Starbucks Coffee Treat

Hello beautiful people! 🤘

(and welcome, my +4 new friends to Ohh My Life!)

Guess what, I found this photo this morning while sorting my photo album.

It reminds me of a meaningful encounter with these kids at Semporna Island, Sabah.

Of course, lots of learnings behind this picture to share with you today.

3 years ago, I was fortunate to volunteer my day with a bunch of students (everyone in the photo). We were teaching younger kids to build greeting cards with simple electronics at a local NGO named Borneo Komrad.

Check them out! They do incredible initiatives for kids from underserved communities!

After the volunteering session, we decided to chit chat and grab some drinks. Knowing that the students have never tried Starbucks coffee before as it’s expensive (yes, it’s expensive IMO too), I decided to surprise them with their first Starbucks experience. 😉

Never did I know that this little treat sparked lots of learning and reflections.

I remember they were so curious about the whole shelf of Starbucks mugs, wondering how they could get one (and I told them, nothing fancy, just buy haha!)

I remember they were so understanding that they wanted to share the drinks. Yes! 4 of them intended to share one drink so to save some money for me. But, I insisted on them getting a full Starbucks experience.

I remember looking at the blissful smiles that warmed my heart, not to mention the umpteenth time of "Terima Kasih, abang", meaning "thank you, brother".

Fast forward to today, I’m still in contact with one of the kids who is the first in his family to graduate from university.

And, he is also treating food and drinks to other people whenever possible. 🙂

Here are my REFLECTIONS I’d love to share with you.

1. Even the smallest action can inspire someone. A mug of latte not only can warm your stomach, but also expand someone's horizon. I believe these students are now making an impact on their community with their efforts.

2. Happiness comes from a simple encounter. I can tell you that the few days in Semporna are some of my happiest days in life. The pure and sincere intentions from the kids simply made my day.

3. We need to take MORE actions. My experience with the kids made me realise how many changes are needed in the local communities to close the opportunity gap for essentials such as education, food, water, etc. Luckily, we all can be a part of this change if we wish to.

4. Collect MEMORIES, not money. I always smile with love when I tell this story (smiling now too 😊) That’s what matters the most, I believe.

I hope you enjoy my sharing today. Even better, if this story sparks your inspiration to do something for the community. God bless you! 😇

💖 MY FAVOURITE THINGS

📽️ Video - How I retired at 36 and spent 20 years sailing (FIRE, Minimalism, and when "Enough" is Enough)

A super inspiring story about this gentleman’s rules and experience in living a fulfilling life. Been there, done it. Definitely have something we can learn from.

📽️ Video - The Intelligent Investor’s Road to $1,000,000

Another great inspiration about living minimally and happily. Might not suit everyone, but we can always be open-minded to new perspectives.

📽️ Video - Singapore’s Bold Plan to Build the Farms of the Future

Quite interesting to see how Singapore, a food importer, trying to change its food system through technology.

💭 QUESTION OF THE WEEK

What’s the ONE ACTION you can do today to create a better community? Just do it.

Share your thoughts with me by replying to this email. I love reading your responses, I promise!

Interesting insights will be reshared in next week’s newsletter.

Enjoy this newsletter? Check out my other posts & updates on IG.

Ideas on how can we improve the Ohh My Life community? Reply to this email, love to hear :)

That’s all for this week. Stay awesome and see you next week!

To A Fulfilling Life,