This weekend I somehow learn a little bit more about myself through people. People close to me.
Friday
Friday was my old office’s monthly seasonal meet up (arisan). It’s always nice to meet my old colleague after months and months of lost touch. When I talked to my old work partner, where she’s now working as a teacher, she realized that she has been achieving her dreams one by one. She had once dream of being a teacher, and now she’s pursuing it. She knows that it is not a high salary paying job, but she love what she’s doing. As she is a talented designer with a background of graphic design and illustrator, she also had a dream of creating children’s story book using her talent. This year, she had a chance to make her dream come true again when she won a storybook cover design contest online and she was told to continue doing more of the illustrations of the whole book. She was content of all of her achievements this year that she’s now confused of what else she should pursue next. I told her that she should create more goals to achieve. I told her of the many rejections that I faced this year, as if my fate is telling me that I should pursue something else that is personal to me, of something that I really want, not because of others telling me to do. Then she told me that because I have all the time now, I should keep continuing what it is I have in mind and really pursue it until I succeed. From her stories, I realized that I also had goals that I have achieved and that I should have other goals to pursue and really focus on.
Saturday
On Saturday, I went to try out for a news presenter audition with a friend who have dreamed of becoming a news presenter/anchor since she was a little kid. Of course, with a lot of other rejections I received over the course of 2015, I didn’t move on to the next on-cam test. However, my talented and passionate friend did. I was so proud of her and I was so excited that she continued to the next on-camera test and next week she will have a psychotest. I have always been inspired by her passion and wants of being a news anchor or a TV personnel ever since I met her. I told her that I guess when you want something so badly, in the end you will achieve it. Even if it takes time, struggle and few wrong choices along the way.
Then she told me that I also have a passion and personal branding. Of course I had to ask her what she meant by “Personal Branding”. Then she mentioned about her knowing me as a dancer and traveller. That’s my personal branding. I still didn’t get it. Then she said, “when people ask me of you, I would strictly remember and know that you are a dancer and a traveller! Because that’s what you do. That’s what you show to people. That’s how people recognize Fida.” I was speechless. I’ve only known Evin for a good 10 months when we started as a colleague working as a consultant, and yet she’d known me better than what I’ve realized of myself. I wouldn’t even realized that those two characteristics are mine. I mean I knew I love travelling and dancing, but I never knew those could have been or become my own “Personal Branding”. She said I should embrace it :). Since she pointed that out, I realize I should focus on it.
Sunday
This Sunday I spent my day with two of my amazing traditional dancing friends. We went to watch our friends from Gema Cita Nusantara dance community performed on the anniversary event of Taman Mini Indonesia Indah dancing “Ratoh” from Aceh, a dance of a thousand hands, performed by literally 1700 dancers! We were so proud of them and wished we were in the group performing as well. We were wondering of all the dancers who stayed there since early in the morning and only performed in late afternoon of how they must have felt. And how the blazing sun was shining right on top of their heads the whole afternoon before they finally performed. Yusti, trying to be realistic questioned “I wonder if they are going to perform well, since they’ve been grounded below the sun for soo long!” Then, not realizing I was being optimistic I replied, “I’m pretty sure they will perform well. They must be so proud being one of the 1000s, they must want to perform well!” Then Yusti motions to Chika saying, “Oh, Fida you’re so optimistic. Very supportive.” I just laughed not realizing the character Yusti was placing on me. On the way back, among the chaosness of traffic and rain, Chika was complaining about something then Yusti said, “be careful of what you say, if you want to be friends with Fida you have to be a positive person! You have to be optimistic, because she hates negative people.” I laughed and laughed and suddenly it just hit me. Yusti knows exactly of who I am and what my characters are like. I do despise negativity from people, I like to embrace positivity positive people portray. I always feel good surrounded by people who can inspire me through their positivity. It feels like having a fresh splash of water through you on a hot summer day, makes you feel cool and happier. I then rethink about what Yusti had said, and I actually thanked her for exposing my characters.
Again, I remembered about “Personal Branding”, and I am thankful and blessed being surrounded by people who understands me and who knows me more than I know myself. Sometimes the only way to see the beauties in yourself is by a reflection from other people. Kind of like the Dove Beauty Campaign few years ago. *not trying to promote or guerilla-ing* 😆
So, if you maybe are lost of trying to know who and what you are, try to talk to your friends. You may not realize a lot of things they know about you that you don’t. Give it a try! 😉 ❤️
dancer, traveler, optimistic me 😄
Wanderlust 