July TBIN Interview Prompt
How Grey’s Anatomy Has Reminded Me About Breaking Ice And Mental Health?
10 seasons of Grey, Yang, Torres, and the oh-so-sexy Sloan.
Give yourself a pat on your shoulder.
You made it past 6 months of 2021 — a year of extreme summer heat, new virus mutants, and getting somewhat used to the new norm (or not). Not to mention, you and I also rode through the ups and downs of the series of changes here.
In the usual spirit of true community building and relational engagement, I am baring myself a little more with July’s TBIN interview prompt.
[1] If you could go back to the beginning of your writing career, however far back that is, what is one tip you would give yourself?
I have never really thought of myself as a professional writer, let alone having to call writing a career. Maybe I am not ready to do so, or maybe it has begun long before I know it.
That said, the one tip that I would give myself with the writing journey is —
Just write, publish, and most of all, share confidently, “ruthlessly” and authentically to all my networks, professional and personal, on social media, text messages or emails.
Also, start building that list of people who will want to support your journey, read your thoughts, and learn a thing or two from your life experience, because you may never know, something you write today can make a difference to someone out there.
You will be surprised at how many people actually want to support you. Besides, what’s the worst thing that can happen? You just get a “No” from them. It doesn’t cost you a leg or an arm.
So respectfully and humbly, please consider subscribing to my newly minted newsletter — The 3Min Club — for bite-sized inspiration and practices towards positive living. (It’s free for now.)
Or if that’s not your style, an email address will suffice to receive future stories and creative works from me.
[2] In classic group-based ice-breakers format: “Share your name and one random fact about yourself”, how do you choose the fact to share? Do you come up with one on the spot? Does it change depending on who you’re talking to? Do you have one “go-to” answer for all of these ice-breaker situations?
I love ice-breakers, simply because it gives me a glimpse into how the mind of the other person works, how he/she sees the world, and how he/she perceives his/her place in the world. Besides, I am a little sapiosexual, and the mind fascinates me.
So without any pressure or judgment, here goes my ice-breaker.
“Hi, my parents name me Yu Yan, but I like to go by Yan.
It is so much easier to remember and pronounce, especially for the non-Mandarin-speaking folks.
Growing up, 8 out of 10 people just can’t seem to pronounce my name right or my name would be made fun of. It would be misspelled or mispronounced as “Yu Yuan”, which means fishball in Mandarin, or it will sound like “Durian”, which is far from the meaning of my name. “Yan” simply means Swallow, the bird species, which is exceptionally filial, loyal, and resilient.”
One random fact about myself.
In senior high, I was really good at all Science subjects. So much so I was selected for a nationwide Science Research Program for students aged 17–18.
I was placed as a part of a research team in the pediatrics ward in the local hospital to find some link between genetic polymorphism in a gene for a disease commonly found in children. I can’t recall what was the name of the disease, but it might have been Minimal-change nephrotic syndrome (a type of kidney disorder).
It definitely propelled my love for science, research, and healing. My teacher in charge, at that time, encouraged me to apply for medical school because she felt I have the brains to absorb scientific materials, the heart to care for people, and the drive to fight for what is right.
I was also truly in love with all things human anatomy, physiology, and empowering lives. But I gave that all up when I just passed my General Paper (scored 51–55). That decision probably changed the trajectory of my life forever.
So if anything I have learned from that moment on is — There are truly intended and unintended consequences to every choice we make in life.
- So, acquire the skills for effective decision-making.
- Learn to decide what’s best for yourself, at that stage of your life.
- And never ever regret once the decision is made. Look forward, not back. Learn from the mistakes made.
It will save us from lots of unnecessary overthinking and spiraling down the rabbit hole. Life is too short and precious to live in regrets.
I am pretty spontaneous when it comes to ice breaker questions and answers. It all depends on who I am with, the intention of the meeting, and my mood.
Right now, since watching 10 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy and an episode of Private Practice, I am being brought back to my inner desire of empowering, healing lives and contemplating one’s existence, which probably prompted me to think about the above-mentioned random, but not so random, fact.
[3] In what ways do you take care of your mental health?
I don’t think I have actively thought about mental health care until the last 5 years, where the topic is all over social media. You know the moments of how sometimes the more you pay attention and think about something, the more counterintuitive it can be? It’s exactly like that.
Growing up, I am told I am full of positive energy, mentally and physically. I attributed that to reading positive mindset articles, mental development books, and staying grounded in diverse communities.
I also made it a point to take care of my physical health as much as possible, being mindfully aware of the words I think or say, and also being mindful of the people I hang out with.
Yet as the years go by, with social media apps, and technology becoming increasingly intertwined as part of our lives, honestly I find it really challenging to practice mental health care intuitively.
Example: How practical is it for me to turn off the Wi-fi router at home when I don’t live by myself? And even if I do, how does it help when I know my neighbors aren’t doing that, and the houses are pretty close by.
Another example: How practical is it for me to delete all my social media accounts because it seems to be a “must-have” for folks to stay in touch with each other and a great-to-have tool to grow your creative works? And should I disable or delete them, I actually feel like I have no friends which is pretty much what is happening somewhat now.
[4] How has your culture or context shaped your beliefs about what work ethic or productivity looks like?
The Asian culture and Confucianism philosophy adopted here have definitely influenced and shaped my work ethic. I tend to believe in working hard, giving my best, and going above and beyond to not just meet but also exceed expectations.
The culture here also pretty much believes that a great employee works beyond the usual 9–5 hours. To me, now it seems kinda silly if there’s no real productivity achieved in working beyond the required hours, and also very unrealistic if the project does not require it at the given time.
That said, there has been much talk around this, and more companies are pushing for more work-life balance, including amongst gender and all races, which is a welcoming sight to see.
Another thing that stood out, is we tend to think about long-term goals rather than fulfilling short-term goals. This shaped how our systems and policies are set.
This type of mindset does not seem to be something the modern Western culture may embrace or fully adopt, but if one were to live long enough in Singapore or study how the 55-year old city-state has grown from a fishing village to a modern country with the freest economic freedom in 2016, according to WEF, since its Independence Day, one can see easily how this mindset has served her well, thanks to the foresight of the late founding father, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, and his team.
[5] What’s one food you like to make if you don’t want to think or plan or buy new ingredients at all?
Eggs and sushi, sashimi, or anything soup-based.
It’s easy to make and nutritious. All we need is broths, throw in some miso paste, kombu or any seaweed, leafy vegetables, tofu, and you are done. Meat and seafood are optional.
Fave or Nah?
- Favorite moisturizer? I should do this more. But I prefer water-based aloe vera moisturizer for the face and Cetaphil for the body.
- Least favorite car? Honestly, I have no clue.
- Favorite chore? Throwing unwanted items, packing, and organizing anything. I started Marie-Kondo even before it became a thing.
- Least favorite tv show? I can’t think of any.
- Favorite body part? It fluctuates depending on my body confidence. From my gluteus maximus to my Michelle-Obama’s arms to just my eyes. 👀
Articles to share (the moment we’ve been waiting for)
- A piece that you published in your first moments of being on Medium
“It seems like there will always be a 3rd party in our relationships these days. Our digital devices (smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, mp3 players, etc.).
Have we really forget the simple golden rules of social engagement and succumb to just the game of analytics engagement? Have we become less creative by thinking that all solutions have to always involve an app?
Be not the slaves to our tools, but masters of our mind. Now more than ever, it’s time to change the systems, before we become just mere cogs in the wheels of the system.”
- A piece that challenges assumptions
“You can bet your ass that someone with diarrhea and a headache would call in sick for a day, but when that’s part of your menstruation experience, you just have to show up and pretend like nothing is wrong.” — Yael Wolfe
- A piece related to food
“My late Grandma is a strong advocate when it comes to food. She survived the Japanese Occupation and constantly reminded us how precious and scarce food was during that era.” — Ching Ching
- A piece from a fellow writer you love
“Of all the fairy tales, who would think Snow White was real? It sounds too bizarre…… But you know what they say. Truth is stranger than fiction.
She wasn’t just a made-up fairy tale. She was as real as you and me.” — Linda Caroll
- A piece you think deserves more love
“Following trends is like being a storm trooper. They all look the same and nobody will remember which storm trooper you are.” — Kristi Keller
- Recent poetry that is fun to read (Bonus)
“Ridiculous word = gravicheesedeath” — Jennifer McDougall
Curtain Call
As always, a million thanks to Lucy Dan and TBIN’s publication.
Hello there, Thanks for reading. I am honored and grateful for your time. I don’t claim to know everything, but I will always strive to share every single bit of truth with thought and humility.
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