Press-up Positivity — Dinner with Tsang Yam Pui, Former Commissioner of Police & CEO of NWS Holdings

Sometimes the most meaningful and inspiring conversations happen over casual meals. The Time Auction Blog is a snippet of our meetings with people who have found passion in their life and career, where we get a glimpse into their mentality behind their ventures.

Mr. Tsang earned a Gold Bauhinia Star, the highest rank in Hong Kong’s Order of the Bauhinia Star, in 2003 — following a whopping 37 years of distinguished service, the final two as Commissioner of the Hong Kong Police Force.

What is a former Police Commissioner up to these days? After retiring from the Force, Mr. Tsang continues his contributions to the public sector through NWS Holdings Limited, the infrastructure and service flagship of New World Development, which is involved with facilities management, contracting, finance and transportation.

Over dinner, we talked about Mr. Tsang’s transition from public to private sector and personal tips on work-life balance, discipline, and de-stressing.

What is your life motto?

I think it’s most important that you have to learn all the time. You have to move with time.

Lifelong learning is my motto. I work full-time and I’ve never stopped learning.

What is that one habit that has significantly improved your life?

I think you need to be fit to live your life meaningfully. Everyone should take care of their own body, their health. I think you need to get into the habit of training. Take up some sports to make yourself fit — physically fit and mentally fit.

I used to do 60 press-ups every morning, about 30 now.

If you had to give a lesson unrelated to your career, what would it be?

I would give a talk on how to de-stress. My way of de-stressing is to take up cooking. In cooking, you have to go through different steps. You go to the market to buy your ingredients, clean them, prepare them, cook them. Make sure that other people lay the table properly, serve, and clean up. Cooking needs skills and needs a lot of patience. There are other ways of de-stressing, but cooking is my hobby.

What is one act or action that you want everyone to take away from meeting you?

If you look at me as an example, you have to work as long as me to get a meaningful life.

You also have to be positive with life, with work, and with adversities.

Otherwise, you won’t have the stamina to work on.

Thank you Mr. Tsang for donating dinner and raising 120 volunteer hours!

Special thanks to our venue sponsor Tokai Tokyo Securities (Asia) Limited, photography sponsor Sheng Productions and volunteer Ivy Fung!

For more amazing opportunities, visit Time Auction to volunteer and meet inspiring mentors!