A New Outlook

After emerging from a near-death experience, Yen Yen Goh, the creative director of healthy lifestyle brand The Good Co, shares five principles that she now practises

It was a mundane Friday as I drove towards home as I would any other day. I saw a pile of leaves on the ground forming a mini tornado; I leaned forward from my car seat to have a better look. I heard a thundering crash and then my vision went black. When my eyes opened, I was staring at the dashboard, nose inches away from it, saved by my seat belt. I was pinned down by something behind me. I felt a throb at the back of my head. I reached behind to feel it and that was when I felt a sharp pain, which instantly broke me out of my daze. A broken glass had pierced through my hand. I screamed. Bystanders rushed over, smashed my window and got me out. Then, I realised a massive tree had uprooted and crushed the car flat. The trunk of the tree was on the back of my car seat, which was what pinned me to the dashboard. For me to be alive with only a hand injury, is a miracle. At that moment, so many things ran through my mind—i was thinking how lucky I was to escape death by seconds. If the car had been slower, or if I had not leaned forward, I would have lost my life. This incident three years ago became a turning point in my life. I realised how fragile and fleeting life is, and have since practised five main principles that are shaped by my self-reflections: And I vowed to make them my priority— which has shifted to achieving inner peace and living a fulfilling life. I realised life is not about how much money is in the bank or the materials one possesses. It’s about experiencing meaningful relationships while not postponing things that are important.