Freelance Feature Writer
Mandy Lim Beitler,
Mandy Lim Beitler with her husband, Kevin Beitler
WHO I am
Mandy Lim Beitler, Freelance Feature Writer
I was born with a congenital bone disease that may have stunted my growth and curtailed my physical activities, but from a tender age, I was determined that it would never define who I was and what I could achieve. For this I thank my parents for their support and belief in me, my teachers and friends at Methodist Girls’ School where I spent my formative years and God for sending me guardian angels and kindred spirits over the years who have in various ways influenced my life and allowed me to touch theirs in return.
Mandy Lim Beitler, Freelance Feature Writer
I was born with a congenital bone disease that may have stunted my growth and curtailed my physical activities, but from a tender age, I was determined that it would never define who I was and what I could achieve. For this I thank my parents for their support and belief in me, my teachers and friends at Methodist Girls’ School where I spent my formative years and God for sending me guardian angels and kindred spirits over the years who have in various ways influenced my life and allowed me to touch theirs in return.
WHAT I do
In my not-overly professional career (I say that because I typically work from my bedroom and often in my PJs!), I write articles for magazines both print and online. I also provide a range of editorial and administrative services to my clients, such as sub-editing, proofreading, copywriting and the management of their websites, databases, email and social media accounts. Check out my portfolio at Creative Endeavours <http://mandylimcreates.wordpress.com/>.
In my everyday life, I am a devoted wife to my American “but-can’t-wait-to-be-Singaporean” hubby, Kevin. He is the light of my life and also helps to expand my writing portfolio; he is constantly hounding me for stories to add to my column on his personal website that documents his transition from Detroit to Singapore. We spend our free time exploring the far reaches of our island on a bicycle and partaking in shared hobbies like photography and string crafts. Read about all our shenanigans and more on Akaawol.com <http://akaawol.com/>.
WHY I do
Writing is a passion, something that comes easily to me. Yet choosing it as a career was never within my sights. I was always afraid that by converting a ‘hobby’ into ‘work’, the fun would be taken out of it; I wanted only to write what I felt like writing, rather than what I was told to. After leaving school, I tutored children in English and Mathematics for many years and enjoyed sculpting young minds. But then life tosses us opportunities that we can choose to either grab or let pass us by. When a friend offered me a job in a publishing company she was editor at, I guess I chose to try something new and discovered that changing my mindset sometimes leads to unexpected and wonderful experiences too.
Besides, I learned early on in life that whenever we are faced with difficult situations, we just have to put our minds to it in order to overcome whatever obstacles are in our way. Blaming our misfortunes on God, other people, bad luck or ‘life’ doesn’t help. Due to a major spinal surgery when I was 13, I was unable to attend school for about seven months and was forced to retake my Secondary Two year. When I returned to school the following year, I fell and broke my hip, which led to another surgery. My parents, principal and teachers came to the conclusion that I should finish out the rest of my secondary education doing home study. This was devastating both on the learning front as well as the isolation from my social and school life which I loved passionately. By looking within, I found strength and tenacity to achieve the breakthroughs I needed both emotionally and with my GCE ‘O’ Levels. I also discovered that the ability to accept situations when things just won’t go the way I wish is necessary too!
Getting to know my hubby opened my eyes to another valuable lesson, that good things come to those who are content with what they have and who they are. Given my physical attributes, I never expected to find love and in my early thirties, finally found myself truly at peace with that thought. A week after I said that out loud to a girlfriend, he came along and changed my life forever.
He also reminds me to always show gratitude for the little things, no matter who you put your faith in, be it a god, the universe or destiny. We believe that the world was created by a master artist and like every artist, would like to hear compliments on their work. If we say how beautiful the blue sky is on a hot day, we often get a breeze to relieve the heat in return!
LESSONS LEARNED
Be Open-minded:
Don’t be afraid to change your mind. We should strive for what we want, but sometimes we are too near-sighted to see the full picture. Allow the world to show us what we need and sometimes we’ll find happiness there instead.
Be You:
Don’t try too hard to be someone that you think will be attractive to some great guy/gal out there. He/She will be there for the wrong reasons and things probably won’t work out. Be you, so that he/she can love you for the right reasons.
Show Gratitude:
By giving thanks for and being aware of the beauty around us (don’t miss the lovely sunset as you’re busy complaining about being stuck in a traffic jam!), we open our eyes and mind to even greater things to come.
WORDS of WISDOM
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.”
– The Serenity Prayer attributed to American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr
MUSIC
What Stays In My Heart
Lyrics & Music by Ben Kranen & Eileen Chai
Verse 1
White flashing lights, typing words, filling with verbs
Online and prints, big stories amulet of glories
Flying dragon in the sky, make its flight, with armour knight
I will soar through the clouds, I’m not afraid
Verse 2
I wanna know what is out there, I take my stories along
The weight pulls me down, but it just makes me strong
I don't know what I will find, but I know it will be right
I will embrace what will come, I'm not afraid
Chorus
If there's a roadblock on my way then I will sweep it
And if it's just too big for me, then I will keep it
And I hope I will be able, to tell the two apart
What will go away, and what stays in my heart
Verse 3
Night dawns upon, shadows-of-self, come to play
Impress with charms and wits, deceive with masquerading angels
Brightness arising, facade breaks into dust
I will be true to myself, I’m not afraid
Chorus
If there's a roadblock on my way then I will sweep it
And if it's just too big for me, then I will keep it
And I hope I will be able, to tell the two apart
What will go away, and what stays in my heart
Bridge
In the real world dash to work and I 'm running out of time
And I notice the sunrise, a red and golden shine
A revelation maybe, a reminder to me
To be, and to see
Chorus
If there's a roadblock on my way then I will sweep it
And if it's just too big for me, then I will keep it
And I hope I will be able, to tell the two apart
What will go away, and what stays in my heart