About Dr. Darren Chua

18 years ago, I suffered a fatal stroke that took away the right side of my body, and my ability to speak and write. I was about to start my dream job as a neurosurgeon the very next day. Instead, I was lying on a hospital bed, unable to move or communicate with the outside world. Three years of rehabilitation later, I re-entered society completely out of touch with the professional world. I had no relevant experience, my knowledge was no longer cutting-edge, and I couldn’t practise my technical training as a surgeon.

I wanted to be a capable and respected professional, and (eventually) a good husband and father. But I was unemployed and left without options. I didn’t want people to see me as the weaker link, as someone that needed help to catch up, as someone who was a long way from fulfilling his dreams. In fact I desired the opposite. I wanted to lead, to help others in need, and help others make their dreams come true. 

So I started my own businesses. I started volunteering in the community. I even started training as a paralympic athlete (I used to hate sports!). I will be honest, it was a very very tough journey. Not just to become a capable individual, but to learn to change others’ perceptions of me. To see me not as a laggard, but as a leader in my own right. Other than sports, I also had to start on a new thing I had previously neglected – Emotional Intelligence. I learnt how to demonstrate certain leadership traits, through many different hacks learnt over a lifetime. These hacks empowered others to see me as who I really am (and want to be), rather than how they wanted to see me. 

So I spent over 18 years mastering Emotional Intelligence, and how to wield it effectively. I learnt to change not just others’ perceptions of me, but also how I see and manage my circumstances. I mastered the subject and practised it consistently. Through it, I learnt to demonstrate effectively leadership and used it to help others reach the same goals. And as I kept sharing I learnt to condense what I’ve learnt through countless trials and errors over 18 years, so that others can learn it in a day. 

18 years later today, I run two successful businesses. I have been awarded the Outstanding Singaporean Award, and the Young Entrepreneur Award. I also am a gold medalist in Table Tennis representing Team Singapore. And I completed the Spartan race recently (and it wasn’t easy!). But I know my story does not end here. 

And I know the same is true for you. That no matter your circumstances, your story doesn’t end here either. What has happened in your past, to create your present circumstances, cannot dictate your future. You still have a choice. You can choose to become a capable and respected individual, a good spouse, and a good parent. You can choose to rise up above your circumstances. You can become a leader.