About Me

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Ottawa, Canada
Dr. Charles Lam has since 1971 received training in West Germany (telecom) and university education in U.K. (management) and acquired working experiences in Hong Kong and Canada, in a utility company, Hong Kong Government, a multinational organization and a SME. In his career path, he has acquired qualifications from UK institutions including DBA (1990), MBA (1980) and Chartered Engineer (1978). Since 1986, he has left pure engineering to teaching various subjects of business management in Hong Kong for famous universities of Hong Kong, England and United States. He also has served the society as a member of an advisory committee of the Hong Kong Government for eight years, and as the Hon. Chairman of its Consumer Education Group. Later, he set up his own company to offer services as a consultant, writer and speaker. In his 'Second Half Time', he has been working passionately on integrating Christian values with management knowledge, in the marketplace/workplace ministry, serving hospitals, churches and organizations, as a speaker, consultant, life coach, and the leader of a REST Group based on a life story approach. Charles is currently living with his wife in Canada.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Charles writing his life story, RESTly (12)

My 6th big transition --experiencing spiritual renewal, took place in mid 90s.

After facing numerous dilemmas, failures, misunderstanding for so many years, I experienced frustration, helplessness, pain, and sometimes anger from time to time. I often asked God: “why have so much unfairness happened to me, although I have followed closely to what you say?” Christians and even pastors I shared with could not give me satisfactory answers. But God is good. In mid 90s, through several Christian gatherings, I experienced close encounters with God and was internally healed and re-energized. I could truly experience “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11: 28-30)

After undergoing such ‘spiritual renewal’ , my pains and worries declined abruptly. I stopped spending all my efforts for proving that I was capable and knowledgeable, but started thanking God through learning and participating in several Christian ministries e.g. prison, reflexology, Alpha Course, worship, to contribute to many kinds of people in the society. Through these ministries which I enjoyed, I have learnt and practiced a lot about teamwork, humility, accommodating differences, sacrifice, faith, etc. And through experiences, I began to realize the true meaning of ‘bearing one’s cross’, ‘narrow gate/path’, spiritual warfare, etc.

Charles writing his life story, RESTly (11)

In Year 1993, I registered my own company offering management training and consultancy services, hence formalizing my Free Agent (自由人) life. The biggest challenge to a Free Agent is that income fluctuates. I had therefore need to find another source. By 2003, I met the CEO of Rejuveno Worldwide Ltd. and after a few years of networking people and selling, I became quite a successful distributor of health products. Since then, I have been receiving income from time to time (I call it Manna!) through selling products to strengthen people’s (including mine) health.

Although I am comfortable to be a Free Agent, my wife's thoughts on career is more 'traditional', always wanting me to get a full-time job and earn stable income. Managing conflicts of this kind has never been easy.

Also in early 1990s, I got an opportunity to become salt and light in the marketplace. Due to my frequent submission of views and career background, I was invited to an Advisory Committee (called UCAC) of the Telecom Authority (of the Hong Kong Government). Although a voluntary post i.e. receiving no pay, I was highly motivated to practice Action Learning and Christian values to help the lost, disadvantaged and victimized users and consumers in the ICT (information and communications technology) market. For more than 8 years, I had written many papers (published at Government’s web pages) on how they should be properly served. For 5 years during this period, I was also appointed as the chairman of the Education Working Group for producing an education package which was later sent to more than 400 secondary schools. Unfortunately, these 'salt and light' actions had not made impacts on the society that I had wanted (and still want).