05/06/2026
10 months ago in Shanghai, I started this tattoo journey.
To be honest, I never even liked tattoos.
My thinking was very simple: We only visit Earth once. Try something different lah. 😂
I knew I liked Japanese art. I knew I wanted a story. So I chose two koi fishes.
Only later then I discovered koi fish are famous for swimming upstream.
Wah… suddenly become my life story sia.
The artwork went through all 4 seasons. No numbing cream. No shortcut. Just me, the tattoo artist and many moments of asking myself:
“Eh… why am I paying money to suffer?” 🤦♂️
Halfway through there was fear, doubt and constant pain.
But the artist told me something interesting.
He said tattooing is a form of meditation.
The pain doesn’t disappear.
You learn how to negotiate with it.
You breathe through it.
You trust the process.
You keep going.
Funny enough, that sounds exactly like real estate.
Every agent will face rejection, disappointment, self-doubt and days where nothing seems to work.
As trainers and leaders, our job isn’t to remove all pain.
Our job is to help people navigate it.
To remind them that today’s struggle doesn’t mean tomorrow’s failure.
Because honestly, everywhere will tell you “this is your own business.”
I disagree.
Business may be yours.
But environment matters.
Even top producers get tired.
Even strong people need encouragement.
Even warriors need someone to say, “Good job. Keep going.”
Today, this sleeve is finally completed.
Not as a tattoo.
But as a reminder.
The koi didn’t become beautiful because the river was easy.
It became beautiful because it kept swimming.
Now it’s my turn to help others do the same. ❤️
(P.S. the pain from tattoos vs explaining ABSD, market trend, decoupling, URA guidelines and progressive payment to buyers for 3 hours. I rather do the explaining 🤭)
