29 Nov The Seed of Inspiration
#WhatInspiresMe #PassionforEducation #TheSeedofInspiration
“The smallest of inspirations, if well-placed, will power soaring aspirations.”
Dr Sim Quan Seng
The Mighty Oak
At its full height, an oak tree stands over 40 metres tall and can traverse a lifespan of over 1,000 years. But the giant oak did not start mighty. It began with a single seed contained within an acorn. In its lifetime, the oak would produce over 10 million acorns, bearing in it the nourishment for many generations over.
My life journey takes a leaf out of the old oak’s. It is an intimate reflection that the smallest of inspirations, if well-placed, will power soaring aspirations.
Planting
My friend Ee Ching Wah wrote in the foreword for my book Drinking Coffee, Telling Stories and Making Money, “Those who know Quan Seng will agree that his mind is a spinning wheel – always brimming with ideas of a new enterprise, a new venture or a new way of making money.”
I can relate to Ee’s description now but when I was younger, I didn’t care very much about school or my future. My mother’s passing when I was 14 was a turning point in my life. Her sudden demise triggered a burning desire in me to take my education seriously.
This paved the way for me to become a mechanical engineer and build a career with IJM Corporation, a success made possible with the guidance of my bosses. They were my mentors and would always remind me to keep on learning throughout my life.
Nurturing
After serving IJM Corporation for over 20 years, I left in 1998 to pursue my entrepreneurial aspirations. At this time, my partners and I had founded R.E.A.L Education (later rebranded to R.E.A.L Kids). R.E.A.L created a niche in Malaysia’s early childhood education scene and became an industry game changer.
Up until we divested our interests in 2020, more than 100,000 students had passed through the portals of R.E.A.L and they embody the revolutionary concepts that made the establishment Malaysia’s most successful chain of owner-operated kindergartens.
Over the last three decades, I have pursued various endeavours in real estate, property, health and wellness, big data, platform businesses and founded the CNS Group of Companies in 1997. This enabled me to build a 60,000-connections business that spanned Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, China and the United States.
Yet, education prevails as my foremost passion.
Growing
Education is something so instrumental to me because I see great education as the only hope for a better world. This inspires me to innovate educational experiences that will develop young minds who will go on to create and fight for a better world.
I am a firm believer in lifelong learning, and I am deeply committed to creating educational opportunities even if it means disrupting the industry. This is crucial for our nation’s education which is transitioning amidst the many challenges of today.
An understanding of our life cycle will show that there are infinite opportunities for education that begin even before conception and into the sunset years. We must seize this if we are to have a fighting chance of raising respected global citizens who will champion great things for our planet.
The educational institutions that I am a part of must embody the principles of GRIT, an acronym that represents Gratefulness, Respect, Integrity and Teachable. These elements are fundamental to building a steadfast and compassionate global community that defends peace and seeks joy.
Developing entrepreneurial talents is also something that is very close to my heart. An entrepreneurship mindset does not merely mean an interest in business. Being able to think like an entrepreneur nurtures creativity and problem-solving skills that are pertinent to every aspect of life. I hope to create a corporate culture where everybody matters.
I am inspired to create and nurture leaders through the CNS Group of Companies and through the partnerships that I establish with industry captains. I hope to share the entrepreneurial skills that I have acquired and honed along my own journey as an entrepreneur through coaching sessions and via my social media networks.
Dika College, which I acquired in 2016, gives me the opportunity to make a difference in the training and education of early childhood education (ECE) and special needs educators for the ECE sector.
Through Dika’s partnership with organisations such as the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Kuala Lumpur, we are reaching out to young men and women in the interiors to give them an opportunity to realise their educational dreams that will give them a better and brighter future.
One such inspiring story that warms my heart is that of #NelviannaMasandul who is bringing ECE to over 100 kindergartens in the rural areas of Sabah. She has inspired me to see that everyone is and can be an agent of change.
The Harvest
There have been so many events and people who have inspired me throughout my life. Every day there are new inspirations that come from family, friends, partners, colleagues and people around me. There is no limit to our imagination if we would just open our hearts and minds to be inspired.
I have been given much and much is expected of me. I know that it may take more than my lifetime to achieve the vision that I have for education.
I am hopeful that the seeds of inspiration that I plant today will inspire future generations to continue a legacy of empowering lives for the next 1,000 years.
Share your “Mighty Oak” stories. I’d love to read them.
Have a great week ahead.
Dr Sim Quan Seng
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