A paradigm shift is by definition a fundamental change in one’s belief system. The Paradigm Shift Series (PSS) is, in the words of its organisers, “a series of curated sessions that aim to redefine mindsets and challenge people to live out purpose-driven lives.”
The whole idea came about when a group of senior BBA students noticed that many of their peers, and in particular Bizaders, were stressed about getting ahead in life and their future careers. The group set out to pilot a series of talks to share fresh and liberating perspectives on issues pertinent to undergraduates: networking, success and career. Hence the idea for this series of inspirational talks was born, with a starting line-up of five speakers:
Organised by a group of students for students – the PSS team of nine was helmed by Pang Jun Xiang, BBA Accountancy Y3 and Koshae Tan, double degree BBA and BA Y3, with the support of two NUS alumni Lu Jianhao and Joshua Teo.
Believing that life-changing paradigm shifts are internalized and actualized, the sessions follow a three-step framework: Revelation (R) – Transformation (T) and Activation (A).
It does not stop there. Organisers have set up a Facebook page fb.com/paradigmshiftseries where participants can continue to encourage each other along on their R-T-A journey. Come July/August, there are plans for a PSS Conference to take the impact of PSS up another notch by aiming to reach 200 to 300 incoming freshmen. The end goal is not only to inspire them but also to inspire them to pay it forward by initiating community projects to benefit others, that is, transforming them into “Paradigm Shifters”.
Several weeks on, we check in with some participants on how and if R, T and A has taken root:
Joshua Lim (Y2, History) – Redefining Passion: The lesson I took home after listening to Mr Lui was that passion goes beyond what it says on the tin. For passion, it’s more than just being intensely interested in something. It also means going all out for something, and as he reminds us, it often includes a good deal of suffering too. It’s pretty cool how the PSS sessions I attended really pushed me to think about these simple yet deep and meaningful words.
After an inspiring session with Mr Lui Tuck Yew.
Carmen Foong (Y4, Business Administration) – Redefining Purpose: The guest speaker, So-Young, provided a personal yet insightful account on how she left a high-flying career to find her purpose, and true success in life. For me, it provided an alternative perspective to other career talks – it focused on how one can find their own definition of success using their individual strengths, passions and values… PSS definitely has potential to grow into something more for NUS undergraduates.
Yeo Zhen Wei (Y3, Project and Facilities Management) – Redefining Work: PSS is one of the more refreshing and intriguing series of talks I have attended so far in my time in NUS. While there have been many talks on topics of resume writing and networking skills, not many touched on topics closer to students’ hearts. One can be assured of leaving each PSS session with quality insights, and that was precisely what kept me returning for every session of the series this semester. To highlight just one of the sessions, on Redefining Work, Lydia impressed upon me the importance of knowing myself, and accepting who I was.
Gladwin Ho (Y1, Chemical Engineering) – Redefining Career: PSS gives me very practical and applicable steps I can take to improve myself, which I rarely see in other talks I have been to. It was really wonderful to hear Eric share from his experiences on how to get back up from failures and how he manages success.
Min Kwon (Y3, on exchange, Software Programming) – Redefining Talents: We were so overwhelmed with the epiphanies that most of us didn’t want to leave the room for almost a good one hour after the session ended, eagerly sharing our thoughts on the session. Truth be told, it is not difficult to find really inspirational speeches online. I myself have watched dozens of them that really moved me for minutes, but I found that my life hardly changed. What enabled the lasting impact of PSS was, to me, the community – it made me feel like I was not alone in this fight!
Kudos, PSS Team!
