Terence | Takapuna
“My name’s Terence and I call home Takapuna. I think it’s really important to always be brave and courageous and put yourself out of your comfort zone, and it’s important to try new things and to try new experiences.
Whether that’s trying hot curry at a restaurant, or whether that is helping someone on a bus, or stopping an argument, or doing a dance class that you’re not too familiar with. Whatever it is, it’s good to get out of your comfort zone.
I think getting out into the public realm and saying what is important to you. In Takapuna, there’s some great development that is going on. And the future of Takapuna was being decided last year, and I felt passionately that Takapuna needed to have some development. That it needed to get upgraded, and one thing that I did was to go quite public with it, and share my story and share what my thoughts were on social media. People can be really horrible on social media, and I got attacked quite personally on social media, but I thought it was really important that people know what’s happening, and the advantages that Takapuna can see with this development. To not let the naysayers and the negativity get to people, but getting out and about, and talking to people, and going on social you know it definitely put myself out there. People said some negative things, but I had so many positive things about it, and I’m really happy to see the outcome for Takapuna. We’ve got some really great developments that are happening that’s all people-focussed. The whole place is being upgraded. It’s going to be absolutely fantastic. So, I was really proud that we got that over the line in the end, and that people got to see that.
I think it’s really important to always act with integrity, and I think it’s extremely important to always treat people the way you want to be treated. That’s the way I grew up. Don’t get sucked into the negativity of some people. Some people are very negative and quite horrible and attacking. Always take the higher ground and keep your integrity and keep what’s important to you through the whole process even when it does get challenging.
So I grew up on the North Shore and I call Takapuna home. Important to me is getting out and about, and keeping busy; sports, and going to the theatre, and going to the beach, and going shopping and going and getting a nice meal. I think it’s important to continue to hold onto good friends and to be open to making new ones and always treat people the way you want to be treated. So, I think that’s sort of my mantra in life, keep your integrity with you at all times.”
