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Notes to My Children is a keepsake of candid life lessons that Shaun Hay has shared with his daughters from time to time. These are the sort of lessons that the author wished his parents had shared with him and his siblings when they were growing up, for if he had been privy to them, some of the choices that he had made along the way might have been significantly different from what they were.
To make it easily relatable, the contents are presented in four key categories: self-awareness, relationships with others, career and life. Together, they cover topics as wide as knowing and understanding yourself and your beliefs, values, attitudes, habits and character; finding love, building and developing a loving relationship with your spouse; choosing a career that energises and motivates you, knowing how to work hard and smart to build traction in your career; as well as defining success in a more holistic and encompassing way which facilitates and supports your quest for happiness.
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"I reckon that when we heal, strengthen or redefine our most intimate relationships—with our parents, children, and grandchildren—we heal the entirety of our being and impact all other relationships in our lives. What we give time to shapes who we are. So, give this book your time. Your future self will thank you."
—Dr Barney Wee, PhD, Coach Master Trainer and O.D. Consultant
"I believe that we can all be better parents and better versions of ourselves. Perhaps this book can ignite fresh perspectives and inspirations within us and set us on a journey to new possibilities and new growth."
—Yvonne Kong-Ho, PhD Student, Career Futurist, Workforce Developer and People Enabler
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There was a time when you would often see Shaun Hay having lunch all by himself because people found him difficult to get along with. He would spend most of his time working. Even when he was on vacation with his family, he would often think and worry about his work, and ended up getting impatient with his wife and daughters. His life seemed to centre around himself—always busy doing stuff, being productive, achieving goals and getting promotions. Career-wise, it could be said that he was “successful”. However, it was anything but beyond that. It is not surprising that he went through several episodes of burnouts and depressions.
But that was a long time ago.
These days, Shaun is affectionately known as “Uncle Shaun” to most of his colleagues, even his immediate supervisor at work. He is the go-to person whenever anyone seeks a listening ear or needs advice on work, relationship or just about anything. It is quite a common sight to see him surrounded by various colleagues over coffee. Uncle Shaun is more than happy to give everyone the time and space to throw everything out on the table and help them think and navigate around their issues. His life now centres around making a difference to others. If you happen to ask him what has caused the change in him, his answer may surprise you.
