Hello! I am Ethan Chou, Marketing Executive in Singapore.
For years, I lived on fast-forward. Meetings, deadlines, emails, goals — everything in my life was about the next achievement.
I was proud of being “productive.” I answered messages at midnight, ate lunch at my desk, and called it dedication.
But slowly, that constant movement started to feel like noise. I wasn’t enjoying my work anymore. I was chasing results without even knowing why.
That’s when a close friend mentioned Pop Institute Pte Ltd and their Pop Workshop. She said it helped her “breathe again.” I laughed at first — I thought workshops like that were for people who had time to sit around and talk about feelings.
But a few weeks later, after another long week that ended with me staring blankly at my laptop, I decided to go.
Walking Into the Room
When I arrived, it wasn’t what I expected. No one was giving a speech or pretending to be positive. It was just a group of people sitting together — students, parents, professionals — all sharing small moments from their lives.
I sat quietly at first, just listening. But as others spoke about how they were struggling to balance work, pressure, and expectations, I felt something inside me soften.
For once, I wasn’t surrounded by competition. I was surrounded by honesty.
When it was my turn, I said something simple: “I forgot what peace feels like.” Nobody laughed. Nobody tried to fix me. They just listened — and somehow, that felt like the first real break I’d had in years.
What Changed After Pop Workshop
After that weekend, I didn’t quit my job or make big promises. I just started noticing things again.
The quiet moments in the morning. The way sunlight hit my desk. The sound of my own breathing when I wasn’t rushing.
I also started talking to people differently — slower, more present. I stopped trying to fill every silence with solutions. Sometimes, just listening was enough.
Pop Institute Pte Ltd didn’t teach me to be successful; it reminded me to be human.
My Takeaway
Before, I thought slowing down meant falling behind. Now I know it means catching up with yourself.
Pop Institute Pte Ltd and their Pop Workshop gave me something I didn’t even realize I’d lost: space to feel alive again.
It wasn’t about changing who I am. It was about remembering who I was before everything got so loud.