Saturday, August 16, 2008

Attitude

Responding to this video, and more to the discussions below the video, I have come up to a decision myself.
Attitude.
It's not about how you looks or how you dress, but the attitude shines outward. For instance, in a job, if you really need to get things done, then you'll act that you need this done and you'll approach all the necessary people to get it done. You'll act nicer and dress more tidy. In summary, you'll look like you care about yourself and what you do.
On the contrary, if you feel like you don't care much then it will be reflected in the exterior.

Based on this, if the logic applies, then people will judge you from what's visible. Your exterior. But it's not just looks.

When I was in SF last April, I broke a fridge magnet at Boudin's. A fridge magnet that costs $6. I was scared and I left the store secretly. But then I felt sorry and I came back in, approaching the cashier to pay for what I've broken. The cashier, surprisingly, waive my duty, because I looked very sorry (which I was). In fact, she (the cashier was a lady) said that she really appreciated my honesty.

To take the story further, when I was in the US I feel completely humble because I know I am in a stranger's land and I am only a poor visitor. During the trip I felt so happy and content because everything was made easier for me, although I'm traveling alone. It felt so different when I'm back in Indonesia. My unhappiness apparently shows because sometimes I do meet frustrating obstacles because I already had a negative a priori assumptions. Now that's something to improve.

A Reminiscent

Let me tell you what it's like for someone who was educated and aspired to be an entrepreneur upon entering corporate world. At first, she was so excited of making an impact in the real world, thinking that she can be a part of a bigger movement called corporate actions. But then she started to realize that her job is just one tiny bit of the big action and started to ponder if what she does makes an impact. Being graduated from a competitive academic life, she compared herself with others and see the fact that corporate have different terms for different divisions. One is profit center, or business, and other is cost center, or support. And she happened to be placed in the support side. After a period of despondency and crisis on discovering the gap between her imagination and reality, she woke up. "Hey, why am I being caught up in this 'work hard, party hard' kinda thing?! This is not my goal in life". Obviously, she needs to make an initiative for her own life. "Who said that your life only circle around work and family (which certainly make a single (bachelor or bachelorette) being a little bit left behind by those having kids and family to attend to)?"

"Why not having different lives altogether?"
Obviously, nobody said that your work is your life. But it's not that simple to implement that to a fresh graduate, who is shifting from academic to working life (her school was her life, in belief that good track record can deliver her to good career). In such a period of change, one can be caught up in small disturbing details that she lost track of the bigger picture.
But a conversation with a best friend truly poked her in the head. It's not the essence of the conversation itself, but listening to herself making complaints about boring life brought her to life. "This is not what I want to become!" So she returned to her aspiration of a better world. She had always convinced herself that she is a positive person. So start from that moment, she'll focus on the light at the end of the road and walk slowly but sure while picking up all the good stuffs along the way. And most importantly, filtering out the bad stuffs along the way as well.

She made a promise. "I will continue to think of ways of making a difference. Probably by having a business that will benefit many people in need. And start making a balance in my office life and my other life." Balanced life need to be pursued and not taken for granted.
And be patient. Good cake doesn't bake in a minute. Let the ideas sink in and make notes of the important lessons. Look for opportunities and never give up.
Nobody said it'll be easy. But she is in the process of shaping herself into an unreasonable person. The kind of person who can change the world. Don't yield on the routines of life, my dear.