Learning to last

Chee Soon Juan knows what it means to lose and come back. He has been jailed, sued, bankrupted, kept out of office. In Manila, speaking to Filipino students, the Singaporean opposition leader did not dress that up as inspiration, and called it resilience: the discipline to take a blow, understanding it and refusing to let it decide the rest of your life.

With this, Dr. Chee reiterated the importance of resilience training, especially during times of uncertainty.

He encouraged the young audience to think in terms of being critical and independent, and to utilize their creativity to respond to pressing issues.

Dr. Chee concurred with the students’ version of resilience as a revolution of how communities can band together. He, however, stressed that this does not only mean connecting with the West, but also fostering collaboration within Asia.

“That’s how change begins,” he emphasized. “If you look at anything that has been enduring change, it has always required people — humanity — coming together and making sure that change becomes meaningful.”

Chee said that, if people believe what they do matters, it will all come into play. However, he also clarified that failure, or non-success, is normal.

“You are not going to be able to build Rome in one day,” he warned. “Small incremental steps matter. Work on the efforts of those who have come before you.”

Success, according to him, can sometimes be one in a million. However, the speaker clarified that it is all worth the effort. The key is to adopt a healthy mindset, to know what one can do, and strategize it.

“Make sure that you put meaning into your actions, difficulties, and trials, and then you will find that it is a lot easier to accept as you go through life,” he added. “You can rest well and know with the fact, the knowledge, that others who come after you will carry on the fight.”

Chee acknowledged how the student leaders and achievers in the audience can be the potential leaders of the nation.

He took the opportunity to remind them of the significance of having a balance between progress, respecting human rights, and promoting social welfare. Accountability is important to extend personal apologies when needed, and to take responsibility without excuses.

Amid issues of inequalities, the expert speaker reiterated the crucial role of healthy communal resilience.

Chee encouraged the youth to continue to pay attention to community building, and to not just fall and get discouraged at the very instance when adversity arrives.

The event was organized by the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats in partnership with the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Diplomacy and Governance.