Those of you in Singapore might have seen an article about me in Today newspaper a couple of days ago. And as is stated in the article, I do feel like I’m in a “transitional” phase.

The reason for this is two-fold. Firstly, National Service has definitely affected me, as anyone who knows me personally will know. I’m not one who does well when forced into something. I quit school because I didn’t see a point, for example. And NS is something I can’t quit. I’m slowly coming to terms with it (or trying to), but it’s tough. Being stuck in a forced job, in an extremely regimental environment, is a far cry from anything I’d want, and the adjustment is hard. And NS has left me rather jaded, to say the least. (And to those who think I’m grumbling too much, please spare me the “you can choose to be happy despite your circumstance” spiel, I’ve heard that enough).

But I’m far from giving up, and that’s actually the second reason why I haven’t been too involved in the social media scene lately. Yes, I’ve said that “the web has really opened so many doors for me”, and it’s true. But now that the doors have been open, it’s time for me to take some action and go through them, instead of just opening more doors. I love the scene, I love having the chance to be a part of the community, I love having the opportunity to meet and interact with brilliant minds such as yours. But it’s time for me to get out and do something.

I don’t want to be just another blogger, another voice in the crowd. I need to know that I have some insight or unique value I can provide. I need to prove, if not to anyone else, then to myself at least, that I am made of more than just intelligent talk. I need to prove that I am capable of producing quality action.

And I am working on that, or trying to. Trying to get a virtual internship for a marketing/branding project, trying to start up a Facebook app, etc. I’ve got a number of things I’m trying to line up, so hopefully something will work out.

In the meantime, I’ll still be on Twitter, so if you want to chat, you can look me up there. If I have your contact details, I’ll try my best to keep in touch with you. If I don’t, I’d still love to hear from you – you can add me on Facebook, or drop me an email.

This is (hopefully) not the last you’ve heard from me on here. When I’ve decided I’m capable (and proven to myself that I’m capable) of providing value, I’ll be back.

As Shakespeare put it, “If we do meet again, why, we shall smile; If not, why then this parting was well made”.

Keep creating,
Derrick

For the record, I have nothing against the individual bloggers who have started the Association. I respect them and applaud the effort.

But when it comes down to it, I think this is a horribly misguided attempt. I like the idea of trying to bring together the community of bloggers. But I don’t agree with this at all.

I think it’s pointless and unnecessary, bordering on egotistical. DK, one of the commitee members, blogged that “I feel that as more and more companies and government bodies start to engage the new media, there is a need for an official association to accredit bloggers”. I could not disagree more with him this time. There is absolutely no need for this. The whole fundamental point of blogging, in my opinion, is the openness, the fact that it’s the voice of the individual, the amateur. A blog does not need an “official association to accredit” it.

And to think that they can represent all the local bloggers? I’m sorry, I have to say that’s just plain egotistical. And there’s nothing much for me to add about the whole “legal entity” aspect of it.

It’s a nice attempt, and I know their hearts are in the right place. But this time, I have to say that plain and simple, I think this is ridiculous and unnecessary.

What we need is to build the community. Not establish an association.

But yes, as the title of this post says, I’ll be going on a blogging hiatus for a while. How long, I’m not sure, but you can subscribe via RSS or via email to stay posted, and get informed when I come back. And if you want to talk to me, I can still be reached by email, and occasionally by IM (IM details in the sidebar)

I just feel that in my current condition, I don’t think I can provide proper value to all of you reading this blog. And rather than take up your time and attention, I’ll take a step back for now. I’ll be back though, when I get my own life and issues sorted out, and hopefully I’ll come back stronger than before. I hope you don’t forget me, and hope to see you around when I do come back.

But for now, that’s all folks. It’s been a great journey, and I hope you’ll join me again when I’m ready to continue it.

Why? A number of reasons, but mainly because I feel I can relate to it. The story of the 4 kids, graduating from high school and going to college – and having to deal with all that comes with that transition, saying goodbye to friends, the uncertainty of the future, etc. That’s something I can relate to. Sure, it’s probably a lot more dramatized than anything I’ll ever live through in my personal life, but in general, it’s something that’s personally relevant to me.

Yes, objectively, it might not be the best show, nor the best season. It may not have the best visuals, or the best acting (as my friend puts it, the characters seem flat, etc). But it holds relevance to me, it’s something I feel I can relate to, and as such I like it a lot.

And the importance of that cannot be overemphasized, in my opinion. Personal relevance. No matter what your product is, personal relevance trumps general quality, in my opinion. That’s not to say that you create a crappy product. But once you’re past a certain treshold, once your product is “pretty good”, any increase in quality can be trumped by an increase in relevance.

The challenge is figuring out who you want to reach, and tailoring the story you’re telling – and no matter what you’re doing, you are always telling a story – to that audience. Not always easy to do, but there are great rewards in doing that.

How are you crafting your story so that your target audience can relate to it more?

Mitch Joel wrote about how “Results speak louder than words“. Valeria Maltoni says that “Actions speak louder than words“, and encourages us to “Teach. Lead. Learn. Love.”. Chris Brogan shared his goals for 2009, “to equip and build armies”, and “moving needles”.

Seeing a trend? I certainly am. I think this is the year where these things -social media, etc – are really going to start maturing. We (myself included, for sure) need to really start executing, and not just talking about all of these ideas. And not just executing, but executing with concrete, measurable results.

We need to start leading, and making things happen.

What can you make happen in 2009?

Photo by ladislav

I honestly don’t know what to make of it.  I don’t know whether I’m ready for the new year. A new year, to me, is a time for looking forward. It’s a new time, a blank slate, a time to step forward and make something happen. But looking forward, I’m just really unsure about a lot of things.

As of a couple of weeks or so ago, I’m now 18. And to be honest, I feel quite unaccomplished. I look at some of kids my age, the likes of Kabren Levinson and Jessica Mah (among others), and I feel just quite unaccomplished. There’s no other word for it. I’ve got huge respect for these people, these young people who are doing amazing things. This is not meant as a gripe against them, not by any means. I have huge respect for them and they’ve been great friends, really encouraging and helpful and really nice to be around and talk to. The world needs more people like them, definitely.

I just wonder whether I have the capability to be one of those people. Yes, I have this blog, and all of you have been brilliant, the conversations have been great. And I wouldn’t trade that for anything. But it feels like I haven’t actually done anything. And I guess that, in my mind, at least, now that I’m 18, it’s time for me to step up. It’s time for me to step up and show who I am and what I can do.

The army isn’t really helping either. It’s killing me inside, emotionally and mentally. It’s not that it’s tough training or anything, far from it. I just feel like 2 years of my life are being completely wasted. And I need something to do – I need a project to work on, someone to work with, something – I just need to know that I’m making some sort of meaning with my life. I need something to live for, because honestly, my life at the moment feels very meaningless, like I’m just going through the motions. And I hate that.

This is definitely a transitional phase, and so much has been happening. I’ve been looking at colleges over the past month or so and it’s really made me have to come to grips with the reality that life as I know it is going to change. My friends are going to be leaving, to different colleges and schools all around the world. I myself will be leaving in a couple of years. And yes, I’m looking forward to leaving, but there’s an uncertainty that comes with that.

But that’s part of life, I guess. Fear and uncertainty are always going to be there. It’s something all of us have to deal with, and I don’t think anyone actually fully gets rid of the fear. My biggest fear? That my life won’t work out. There are times I wonder – what if I’m just not good enough to make it. I know I’m taking a lot of risks. And there are times I wonder whether I lack the ability to really pull it off. I fear that my story would be like the story Peter Cincotti tells in his song “Another Falling Star” (full lyrics here). That’s my biggest fear.

I don’t regret the risks I’ve taken, the path that I’ve chosen. If I had to choose again, I would make the same choices, and walk the same path. I believe in the path that I’ve chosen, I still do. There’s just fear about what lies ahead. But that’s what defines us, isn’t it? The fear is never going to be gone. It’s just a question of whether we can pull ourselves above it, and rise above it to fulfil our potential. It’s not about getting rid of the fear, it’s about acting in spite of it.

And for me, that’s what 2009 is going to be about. There’s so much uncertainty, and it’s definitely very much a defining period for me, I think. How I deal with the army stuff (because honestly, I feel like I’m on the verge of a mental/emotional breakdown from it), whether I can find/create the opportunities to do something meaningful (in the evenings/weekends when I’m not in the army camp, so that I won’t feel like my 2 years are being completely wasted), deciding on the path for my future (issues of college, etc). The year ahead is really going to be one of the most defining years for me as an individual.

This is the time of my life where I have to step up, like never before. It’s time for me to prove that I can do something significant, that I can be someone. It’s time for me to show what I’m really about.

I just hope I have the strength and courage to do it.

*I’m sorry for the rambling post, just needed the platform to get it off my chest, I guess. If you’ve actually read through the whole thing, thank you, I really appreciate it.

I know I haven’t been around for a while. And I’m sorry for that, really. I’m really sorry I’ve been very on-and-off for months. And yeah, I just thought I should take some time off to just really sort out everything that’s on my mind and all.

But yeah, just wanted to wish you guys a Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays. =).

I was already sort of planning on doing this (and I have already been quiet here for a while), but since Richard Millington blogged about “shutting your community down“, I figured I might as well come by and announce it.

So don’t worry, I’m still alive. And you can still contact me if you want to – I’ll still be glad to hear from and talk to you guys. I’ll be back, probably on January 1, 2009 – and hopefully better than ever.

Here’s what I think is missing from Arsenal’s current team: match winners. A player (or players) who can make something out of nothing. A player who can produce one moment of magic and win a game for his team when things are tough. A player who steps up and makes things happen.

Manchester United have many players who are capable of that – Ronaldo, Rooney, even Giggs and Scholes. Liverpool have the likes of Torres and Gerrard. Chelsea have Lampard, Drogba, perhaps Deco.

That’s what Arsenal lack. A player with that quality. The technical ability in the team is there, there just isn’t that one magic player who you can count on to make things happen when things get tough.

That’s the essence of leadership, in my opinion. And it’s important in any organization, company or team. No matter what you’re doing, you need leaders. Not managers, but leaders – who take initiative to drive the team forward.

Those leaders, the people who make things happen, can bring the group to a whole new level.

Are you leading?

And doing what you love is not just important for you, as an individual, it’s also important for the company you work for.

Yes, you can do decent work doing something you don’t love. But you will never get dedication like this.

A short, simple and yet really powerful video, that I just had to share.

To all the other Gen-Ys and youths out there: Don’t listen to the likes of Mark Bauerlein. Our generation can make as much of a difference as we want to. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.

We are definitely not a lost generation. Far from it. You can change the world, if you want to.