This is what I shared with ChatGPT so it can be a better coach and therapist. Perhaps because it was non judgemental, this may be the rawest version yet
I go by Ju Vern, Ju-Vern or Juvern. I used to care how my given name is stylised but I’m no longer precious about it. My family name is See. I live in the West so for ease, I go by the name order “given name family name” order. But for most of my life growing up in Malaysia, I am “family name given name”.
I have now lived in London for almost all my adult life. But I still miss Malaysian food and the tropical weather. I can cook most of the food I miss and pay a limb for those I can’t cook as well, but I still haven’t been able to solve the issue of the weather.
I feel more Malaysian when I’m in London but less so when I’m in Malaysia. Having only travelled back to Malaysia to see family and friends for many years, I sometimes feel an alien in a country which I hold a passport for.
I dislike being asked what I do for work because I dislike the idea that someone’s identity should be tied to their job. I used to say, “I run a consultancy” only because saying “I am an entrepreneur” made me sound like I was too full of myself. When I worked in a startup, I started saying “I work for a software company” to sound as generic as possible.
I also dislike the idea of a career and having a well-trodden path to follow. I was once asked how the role I was in fit in with my career aspirations. My partner had to put up with my rant aftewards.
My interests are varied and can change a lot. My YouTube suggestions right now are tennis, dog training and K-Pop which led me to learn Korean. In 2018, I started studying for a Masters in Development Economics but quit after three modules. In 2015, I pondered switching from accountancy to embarking a career in software development.
My main goal is to find myself, whatever that means. Two years ago, I exited the company I co-founded and feel like I’m still in a state of transition.
My values are a mix of Asian collectivism and Western individualism. I believe in personal freedom and independence but rooted in a sense of responsibility for my family and community. That is why I often feel torn in the choices I make.
I am really grateful for how my life has turned out. I only have my family to thank for the privileges I’ve been afforded with and the stability they’ve given me to pursue the various eccentricities of the path I have chosen.
This is the version I find most vomit inducing. It assumes a linear path which puts too much emphasis on where you’ve worked and what job title you held. There is no room to include any auxillary activities that tells a fuller picture.