Author: Dr Eva Wong Yuen Hwa
Company: Finleap Mastery Services
Profession: Financial Educator, Coach | Financial Planner
Position: Founder
《A Harvest Of Grace: A Journey Like A Blooming Lotus》
I worked so hard to succeed… until I realised I was not happy. For a long time, I believed success meant one thing: work harder than everyone else and never relax. That belief pushed me forward, but slowly took away my ability to enjoy life.
When I was young, I was not a hardworking student. I preferred playing over studying until I failed an important exam. That failure showed me I was far behind others, and my father was disappointed. I couldn’t understand my lessons anymore because my foundation was weak. Everything felt difficult, and I was trying to catch up all the time.
I wanted to give up, but I had no choice. So I worked harder—waking up early, repeating lessons and pushing myself while others rested. Slowly, I improved. That was when I learned: if you want something, you must work for it. There is no shortcut.
This belief followed me into my career. I worked nonstop and became a manager in my twenties, earning a five-figure income. On the outside, I looked successful, but inside, I was not happy. My life was only work, career and money. I felt guilty resting and believed I didn’t deserve success if I slowed down.
I was also chasing expectations, especially my father’s. If I did well, I felt accepted. If I didn’t, I felt not enough. Then everything changed: my father passed away. The standard I was chasing disappeared.
I felt empty and questioned everything: If success is not about making him happy, then what am I working for? That was when I realised success is temporary. Every achievement fades quickly, and life becomes a cycle of chasing the next goal. If life is only about goals, then when do we actually live?
I understood then: life is not just about the destination, but the journey. Even now, I still find it hard to stop doing things. But I am aware of it. I no longer fight it. I learn to live with it, to find flow in work and presence in busy moments.
Today, I still work hard, but not out of fear. I allow myself to rest and enjoy life. I still have goals, but I no longer depend on them for happiness. Success now means clarity, peace of mind and living on my own terms.
This is why I do what I do today. As a financial educator, I connect with my students because I was once a struggling student. I know what it feels like to fall behind and rebuild step by step.
Why finance? Because it was my pain point. I once chased money as success, only to feel empty even after achieving it. That is why I teach one simple idea: Money has three levels—survival, growth and thriving.
Survival is getting by. Growth is building. Thriving is learning to enjoy what you have built. Many stay in survival. Some reach growth but forget to live. Few reach thriving.
Money is not everything, but without enough, life becomes a struggle. Financial education is about moving from survival to growth and finally to a life where we can truly live.
Looking back, I am grateful. Life is not only about achieving, but also about experiencing. Time is precious. We think we have more, but it passes quickly. So why do we chase approval and forget to live our own life?
Today, I am still learning—not just to achieve, but to live, feel and be present. Because success is not where we arrive, but how we live along the way.
Money takes you from survival to growth, but only awareness brings you to thriving.
— Dr Eva Wong Yuen Hwa