Citigold's True Worth beacons of inspiration: Belinda Lee, Claire Jedrek and Jessica Lee

How does one define or measure “true worth”? Citigold’s latest campaign seeks to inspire individuals to discover their sense of true worth, beyond their financial worth

What does “true worth” mean to you? It’s a hard question to answer, considering the myriad of ways the phrase alone can be defined, let alone measured. To some, true worth could refer to the value of what they bring to the table in the form of skill sets, accomplishments and impact; while others interpret this in the form of personality traits, moral values and life purpose that make one unique. Potential, as well, can contribute to a person’s true worth, and how their abilities can be leveraged to make a positive impact on the world.

Encapsulating all these definitions—and more—is Citigold’s True Worth initiative. This campaign, which kicked off with a multi-media exhibition, Portraits of True Worth, is underpinned by Citigold’s belief that individuals derive meaning in their life through what they achieve for the people, passions and causes that matter to them.

To exemplify this, Citigold has collaborated with three stellar individuals: television presenter and actress Belinda Lee, athlete and entrepreneur Claire Jedrek, and conservation biologist Dr Jessica Lee—all of whom present diverse interpretations of worth, value and impact in their lives, and how they’re paying it forward.

Having touched on their life’s passions and purpose previously, here, we get to know a little more about each of the three ladies, and the admirable work they do:

BELINDA LEE
Singaporean television presenter, actress and author of her first English book titled Larger Than Life: Celebrating The Human Spirit

How did your career evolve towards TV shows that focused on driving social impact?
I came from a family that did not have much, and because we were financially unstable, I had to be, for lack of a better description, “given” away to different relatives or people for different periods of my childhood. So I moved from home to home, and at a young age I developed this “orphan’s heart”—because I did not have a strong sense of belonging or a sense of who I was growing up. It took me a long time to find my true identity and true worth, but these experiences helped me develop a strong sense of empathy, and a special sensitivity to people in need. As I grew up and pursued a career in television, I became an actress and TV presenter for all sorts of shows, but how I grew into the field of shows with social impact was totally by chance. I had already been doing humanitarian work on the side, but we don’t necessarily get to choose which shows we work on, but somehow I was presented the opportunity to host a show that helped the underprivileged community, and from there, my life’s experience and purpose was both recognised and spotlighted. And things just evolved from there—so now when people think about programmes with a social impact, I’m glad to say they think of Belinda.

What do you gain from such community-focused experiences?
Both personally and professionally, I’ve had the chance to meet and support a lot of amazing people in various ways. By spending time with different communities, telling their stories of hardship, and finding little ways to improve their day or their lives—through ways like home improvement—I realised that journeying with them actually helped me as well. As a child who constantly felt unwanted, I felt that doing humanitarian work allowed me to be held—and healed—by them. People reciprocate vulnerability, and they become comfortable with you, and that openness and realness shows even on TV. There’s a lot of honour in being able to help the underprivileged, to be a voice for them, which translates to energy and respect both for myself, and for the beneficiaries who then want to also do more for their community.

DR JESSICA LEE
Conservation biologist

How do you see your work impacting future generations?
We all know that we’re in the sixth mass extinction, and it’s caused by one species alone and that’s humans. We’re responsible. The previous five mass extinctions were caused by a comet hitting Earth, or the Ice Age, things that we couldn’t control. And for the first time, an extinction is because of one single species. So while we realise that humans are, unfortunately, the root of these problems, humans are also the only solution—and we need to raise awareness on ways to save the earth. As a conservation biologist specialising in birdlife, I strive to recover, stabilise and preserve precious species we have in Asia that are essential to the fragile ecosystems that we as humans are so dependent on. Every little act can impact a species, and every little species has its key role to play on a much bigger scale. Take the Oriental Pied Hornbill, for example, which disappeared in the 1800s in Singapore. But over a century later, a pair was spotted and local conservation groups took action and that small flock have since grown into a thriving population here. What’s extra special about this is that hornbills are known as the “farmers of the forest” because they help disperse seeds of forest trees, thereby naturally extending our green spaces. I’m heartened to know that I’m not alone in this conservation journey, as the work will be carried on by a new generation of biologists and conservationists. They are the generation that is most aware of the challenges we face, and are also most able to help solve them.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve received, and want to pass on?
One of the best pieces of advice I received almost 20 years ago was to “be part of the solution, not the problem”. I think quite often when decisions are made about how things should happen, especially on a public scale, people either disagree, complain or argue. But that’s just noise, right? We should always find ways to contribute constructively, through suggestions, alternative solutions, something more helpful in recognising and addressing the problem. And this mindset should be applied to all aspects of life. Having lived and worked in far flung, rural areas around the world, like when I took myself out to a forest in Costa Rica for two months, we realise that we have so much. And having so much comes with having a lot of expectations. But what if those same environments we’re used to suddenly became scarce? Scarce of the conveniences and resources that we see and use everyday? So the questions to ask ourselves is how can we fix this, how can we find ways to positively contribute to society, and how can we learn to make better choices.

CLAIRE JEDREK
Athlete, race car driver, presenter, entrepreneur and TEDx speaker

Can you share how you got into sports, and how that has evolved into a career and purpose in your life?
Sports has always been a backbone in my life, ever since I was a kid. Growing up I was very athletic, looking for new sports to learn, and new competitions to join, and this taught me a lot about discipline, passion and dedication—all traits that I’ve applied to other aspects of life, be it in business or family. I’ve also managed to use these tools strategically, to fuel my passion for business and reaching out to the community. I never thought doing what I loved would lead me to speak to youth who are interested in my story of embracing constant change, about conquering the fear of change or transformation, and that success doesn’t have to be defined by just going deep in a field, but going wide as well—and that a multitude of many different things can lead to a different but very fulfilling definition of success. As a race car driver, people used to always talk about me breaking boundaries because of my gender or age, but the conversations have since evolved to reflect or relate to things they are going through in life, and that acceleration and shifting gears can lead you to new, interesting opportunities. As an athlete and businesswoman, I break barriers in various ways constantly—both internally and externally. Finding new things, and that has allowed me to meet and communicate and impact various groups to pass on my knowledge, that change is beautiful, transformation is a wonderful thing.

What does “true worth” mean to you?
Doing this campaign, I had to think about this a lot. I had to look over my complete lifetime of who I’ve been, from the moment I moved to Singapore at 12. And it really has been about a breadth of topics and subjects in my life, versus others who might’ve pursued careers or life experiences, depth wise. I’ve always been a person who kept changing, and not because I was less passionate than the next person, but because I’m passionate about transformation, and transformative journeys—but mostly around sports. I thought it was amazing how Citigold saw value in who I am, and how I’m able to tell a certain type of story—because being a “jack of all trades” has always carried a bit of a negative connotation. But my story, and my message is that you don’t have to be great at one thing, nor will you only be considered great at one thing just because you’ve done 10,000 hours on it. My strengths lie in my ability to adapt, to wield a level of dedication and discipline when I need it, and to have an alternative sense of compassion and empathy because I’ve walked in the shoes of different people, through different times and places. I love that people have such separate lives and journeys, and that we should appreciate and celebrate all forms of success—no matter how big or small your wins are.

Citigold believes that a person’s value in life is not fully captured by their financial worth. Their passions, relationships with the people close to their hearts and the legacy they aspire to leave behind—these are all priceless things that give meaning to life and ultimately define one’s true worth. As a wealth management partner, Citigold helps individuals on their wealth journey as they work towards realising their true worth in life.

Learn more about Citigold here.

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