When I changed my attitude

The world is a scary place. Two billion people worldwide still use a source of drinking water contaminated with human waste. Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for 71% of all deaths annually. Over 70% of the global adult population have wealth of less than $10,000.

Individually, at some point in our lives, we have all experienced hardships. Life is difficult and complicated. We often cannot control what happens to us, but what we can control, is our attitude.

In my opinion, everyone, and I mean everyone, must have faith.

Over the past two years, I have experienced many of my own hardships. And it was only through faith and a positive attitude that I truly grew as a person. When I first joined Gilligan Sheppard, I was pushed out of my comfort zone into a newly created role. I was an accountant for a travel company for 15 years, but I had never worked for an accounting firm. Adjusting to the differences felt impossible, whether it was methodology, procedure, or approach. When it came to meeting my own expectations, I crumbled. Minutes I spent stressing soon turned into hours and hours into days. Somehow, I just couldn’t figure things out despite all the effort I put in. I was stuck in a dark tunnel, with no light, no hope, and nothing to guide me.

Unfortunately, it took me much longer than it should have to realise that there’s always light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how far.

Dwelling on the negatives won’t get you anywhere, just like how waiting in the tunnel won’t get you anywhere either.

Frankly, there’s no other way out than to find your way through the dark, gather the strength to take one step at a time, and finally chase the world that lies beyond the light.

If discomfort and unfamiliarity are the dark tunnels, then faith is the light – the hope that fixates our purposes.

And it doesn’t matter what your faith is. It could be your family. Perhaps your friends. Or a mentor or counsellor. Faith takes many forms in life. What matters is that you take the opportunity to grasp it every time you can, as many times as you can.

For me, faith was and still is, my spirituality. It was God’s words echoing in my brain, and the firmness of the Holy Bible in my hands, along with the people that willed me on. Those constituents gave me the strength I needed to adhere through my journey at Gilligan Sheppard.

Here I am now, stronger than ever.

Lastly, I wanted to talk about the importance of our business culture at Gilligan Sheppard. Most of you have probably heard our values many times before, but I just wanted to reiterate my own understanding and how they helped change my attitude.

The freedom to be real –

To know yourself, be honest, be genuine. To face and accept your flaws. Only when I was real with myself, did I set myself free from the challenges and unfamiliarity I faced.

The courage to imagine –

To visualise what isn’t yet there, and to produce resolutions and outcomes to life’s abundance of problems. Only when I had the courage to imagine, was I able to put together and share the idea of bookkeeping.

The determination to excel together –

To collaboratively work together towards a common goal and operate openly and trustfully. Only did I have the determination to excel but was I able to fit in seamlessly with the team.

To grow each other –

To root for each other and encourage, hearten, and inspire. Only with everyone at GS to cheer me on, was I able to step up to expectations.

“If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes.” Mark 9:23