Talk by TV host

TV host Gan Jiang Han was invited by the Department of Student Affairs’ (DSA) Counselling and Guidance Unit to present a life sharing talk titled “The Fear of Making Decisions (选择的恐惧)” at Dewan Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, Kampar Campus on 11 July 2016.

The talk aimed to inspire the audience to find positive energy and overcome their fear of making decisions, and successfully attracted a crowd of more than 1,800 participants.

 

Gan imploring the participants to not fear making decisions

During the introduction session, Gan shared his life experiences and the reason he choose this topic.  “Everyone faces decision making scenarios daily, but some people will face a dilemma and struggle with making the right choice for themselves,” he said. From his past experiences, he felt that he was lucky when faced with those difficult moments as “opportunities always come first when I need to make an important decision.” He shared on the experiences that had led him down the path to becoming a news broadcaster after graduating university, a career that has spanned 10 years till today.

As he puts it, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.”

Later on, he listed five ways to help the audience reach a decision in a short period of time and overcome the fear of making decisions. He emphasised, “You can’t have the whole world. Most of the time, people can’t make decisions because of their desire to have the whole world. Do you know that you will never achieve anything if you try to have everything?” 

He added, “Choosing something means giving something else up. Making decisions also involve forsaking the lesser choices, though they look desirable from afar. Remember that you can only gain something by truly desiring it and working hard for it.” His advice provoked the audience’s memories of choosing their degrees when enrolling.

He advised, “Don’t waste your time saying ‘I don’t know’ or giving other excuses when decisions must be made because the final answer must still come from you.” Using the examples of Tun Mahathir and Taiwanese singer Luo Ta-yu who both are licensed doctors but gained their success in different professions, Gan showed the audience that we can still succeed even if we take a different path in life. He encouraged, “There will always be opportunities to turn back and change course, and for second chances as life is not a straight road surrounded by dead ends.”

Finally, he brought up the importance of “making many kind friends and not offending people (广结善缘，不得罪人).” On this matter, he expressed his gratitude to his colleagues who kindly adjusted their working schedules to accommodate his absences while working in China.  

During the Q&A session, the audience asked questions related to relationships, daily life, studies, freedom of the media, and political issues. His humorous answers sent the audience into roars of laughter. He revealed, “I like to interact with young people because with increasing age, our passion and vitality gradually fades. That’s why I like to visit school campuses to revitalise myself once in a while.”   

In his conclusion, he hoped that the points he shared can be used as a reference when making decisions and more importantly to reduce the fear of making decisions. 

“The Fear of Making Decisions” was part of a talk series organised during the 2016 Counselling and Wellness Week (CWW) by DSA Counselling and Guidance Unit.

 

Gan’s humorous style lightened the mood during the Q&A session

 

Ho Sheau Huey, a counsellor from the Counselling and Guidance Unit presenting a token of appreciate to Gan

 

Gan with all the participants