Show Up. Stay Open. Say Thanks.
I still remember how the idea first took root.
When I was young, my mother would often say that the best place to work was in a bank. She did not explain it in complex terms. She simply pointed to the skyline. Some of the tallest, most impressive buildings in Singapore belonged to banks. To her, that meant something. Stability. Respect. A good life.
I believed her.
But I also believed something else. I believed that people like me did not belong there. You had to be brilliant, or you had to know the right people. I had neither. No outstanding grades. No powerful connections. Just a quiet hope that stayed mostly to myself.
The closest connection I had was unexpected. My aunt worked as a washer lady for the CEO of a bank. It did not seem like much of a link, but it was the only one I had. One day, I gathered the courage to tell her about my wish.
She listened. She did not promise anything.
Then one day, something surprising happened. She mentioned me to her boss.
The response was simple and immediate.
“Tell her to report to work tomorrow.”
That was it. No formal interview. No long process. Just a door that opened without warning.
The next day, I showed up.
I had no official letter. No contract in hand. Just a verbal instruction passed down through my aunt. It felt uncertain, even a little surreal. But I did not question it. I walked into that building, the same kind of building my mother used to point at, and I started working.
I submitted my resume afterward.
The company told me that my official start date would be ten days later.
But I had already begun.
So I made a decision that would shape the rest of my life. I continued showing up, every single day, even though I was not yet on the payroll. For ten days, I worked without pay.
It was not about proving something to them. It was about proving something to myself. That I was willing. That I was serious. That I belonged there, even if the world had not fully confirmed it yet.
Those early days were not easy.
The banking world was not designed with women like me in mind. There were expectations, pressures, and quiet barriers that were hard to name but easy to feel. I had to learn quickly, adapt constantly, and hold my ground in moments when it would have been easier to step back.
But I stayed.
One year became five. Five became ten. Before I knew it, I had spent fifteen years in that career.
Looking back, it is easy to focus on the long journey. The promotions, the challenges, the growth. But the truth is, everything began with that one moment. A quiet conversation. A small act of courage. An unexpected opportunity.
And a decision to show up.
That experience shaped how I see the world.
Titles do not define value. Sometimes, the most meaningful opportunities come from places we do not expect, through people we might overlook. A washer lady. A passing comment. A simple instruction to “report tomorrow.”
What matters is what we do when the door opens.
Do we hesitate, or do we step in?
Do we wait for certainty, or do we begin anyway?
Over the years, I have come to live by three simple principles. They are not complicated, but they have guided me through many seasons of life.
Show up. Stay open. Say thanks.
Show up means more than just being present. It means bringing your full attention, your effort, your willingness to learn, even when you feel unprepared.
Stay open means letting go of assumptions. It means being curious, listening carefully, and allowing unexpected paths to unfold.
Say thanks means recognizing that we never walk alone. Someone always opens a door, offers a word, or extends a hand. Gratitude keeps us grounded and reminds us of the human connections behind every opportunity.
When I think back to that young woman standing outside the bank with no letter in hand, I do not see someone unqualified.
I see someone who chose to begin.
And sometimes, that is all it takes.
Disclaimer:
This story is a narrative reconstruction based on a live sharing by Ai Yat Goh. Some details have been interpreted or expanded for storytelling purposes.
