By  John Tan   Leaving your teenage years behind and entering your twenties is no doubt difficult because this is the time where you ...

Embracing the Unknown




By John Tan 

Leaving your teenage years behind and entering your twenties is no doubt difficult because this is the time where you have to decide what you want to do with your life. For some, it’s a piece of cake, they know their passion in the back of their mind. They know what they want to do and they are already on their way pursuing it but for people like you and me, we are still in the midst of searching. The process can be frustrating when we don’t get any answers.

We are lost and confused. We don’t know who we are, let alone what we are passionate about. And it doesn’t help when we are bombarded with questions like “What do you want to pursue?” and  “Where do you see yourself in few year time?”. We may even rub people the wrong way when we are answering all these questions because they may assume that we are mad at them for asking. But in reality, we are actually mad at ourselves for being clueless about what we want. As a result, we can get envious of those who have already have things figured out.

Like for me, I am almost done with my Diploma course but I am still in the midst of figuring things out. I am still not sure what I should major in for my degree and where I should further my studies. Besides that, I am also still clueless about what I want to pursue in the future. But after months and months of reflection, I finally realized that I don’t have to always know what is down the road for me.

We don’t have to always have things figured out. We can take one step at a time by choosing one passion at a time to pursue. As an example, since we have a tendency of longing that intense passion, we can let it guide us somewhere. If that intense passion urges you to take up photography, go ahead and see where it takes you. However, if you are too focused on the results, then be prepared to fail because there is a high possibility that your journey will fail due to the fact that your creative inspiration will slam the door on you.

If your attempt doesn’t go according to plan, at least you tried. At least you gave yourself a chance to find out your capability. You then, can go ahead with satisfaction and pursue other new passion. You are not limited to only one passion, In fact, you are allowed to pursue as many passions you want. Personally, I think the beautiful thing about being in our twenties is that we can afford to take all the time we need to figure things out, to pursue the things we want even if it includes failures, rejections, heartbreaks, and the list goes on. Why? Well, it is simply because we can still afford to experience all this.

So, it is okay if you are experiencing some difficulties in finding your passion. Take all the time you need. Please don’t think your twenties are supposed to be an indication for you to have your life figured out. In fact, I firmly believe that nothing will ruin anyone’s twenties more than thinking they should have their life figured out. 

So, go out there and explore your options.

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    By  John Tan    After reading The Brand Called You by Tom Peters, I realized that brands play a very crucial role in this modern e...

The Brand Called You


   By John Tan 

 After reading The Brand Called You by Tom Peters, I realized that brands play a very crucial role in this modern era because of brands equal to impressions. In this era, even our outfits are able to determine people’s impressions of us. For instance, it’s mentioned by Tom Peters in the article “That cross-trainer you're wearing — one look at the distinctive swoosh on the side tells everyone who's got you branded. That coffee travel mug you're carrying — ah, you're a Starbucks woman! Your T-shirt with the distinctive Champion "C" on the sleeve, the blue jeans with the prominent Levi's rivets, the watch with the hey-this-certifies-I-made-it icon on the face, your fountain pen with the maker's symbol crafted into the end ... You're branded, branded, branded, branded”. We are our own brand and we are as valuable as Nike, Converse or Adidas. Back then, I thought the concept ‘branding’ only applies to prominent people but after reading this article, I have a different view on branding because I intend to be a writer in the future and so are thousands of other people. I have to determine what makes me stand out from the rest? What makes people interested in reading my writing? What makes people want to bookmark my blog? So, in order to achieve this, I have to earn the trust of my audience by building my brand through ensuring my writing is worth reading.

   Besides that, Tom Peters encourages us (the readers) to stop thinking like ourselves and start thinking like our favorite brand manager. Start right now: as of this moment you're going to think of yourself differently! You're not an "employee" of General Motors, you're not a "staffer" at General Mills, you're not a "worker" at General Electric or a "human resource" at General Dynamics (oops, it's gone!). Forget the Generals! You don't "belong to" any company for life, and your chief affiliation isn't to any particular "function." You're not defined by your job title and you're not confined by your job description. Starting today, you are a brand. You're every bit as much a brand as Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop. To start thinking like your own favorite brand manager, ask yourself the same question the brand managers at Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop ask themselves: What is it that my product or service does that makes it different? Give yourself the traditional 15-words-or-less contest challenge. Take the time to write down your answer. And then take the time to read it. Several times”. I think this mindset will really help one to go far in life because it teaches one to step out from their comfort zones and only by stepping out from the comfort zones we are able to achieve extraordinary things. This mindset works and it is proven by several successful people out there like Golden Globe winner actress Amy Poehler who said “Great people do things before they’re ready. They do things before they know they can do it. Doing what you’re afraid of, getting out of your comfort zone, taking risks like that. That is what life is. You might be really good. You might find something about yourself that is really special and if you’re not good enough, who cares? You tried something, now you know something about yourself. Obviously, it is easier said than done but if we don’t try we will never know our full potential.

  In addition to that, Tom Peters states that there are no limits to enhancing one’s resume which I believe it’s true because every new job will bring us a new experience which will make us more adequate. This is helpful especially in this competitive world we live in so the more work experiences we have, the higher our chance is to obtain our dream job. Through working, we are also able to build our connections with people like mentioned in the article If you can carve out the time, take on a freelance project that gets you in touch with a totally novel group of people. If you can get them singing your praises, they'll help spread the word about what a remarkable contributor you are.” Since I intend to write for a future I can start by providing more articles for my college writing club Inksight because by doing it I will be able to snatch more chance in the future because I have a track record.


   Moreover, Tom Peters encourages us to receive criticism on our performance, growth, and value. I personally believe it is the right thing to do even though at times it may be difficult it is the only way we can improve our performance on things and as long as the criticism is constructive then it’s healthy.

  Finally, it is stated in the book that having goals is important especially if you intend to be successful.  I agree because it is solely for motivational purpose because goals inspire us to be better. Goals inspire us to achieve new things.  Without goals, we would not be interested to pursue anything. In order to accomplish our goals, we are required to be disciplined. “No matter what you're doing today, there are four things you've got to measure yourself against. First, you've got to be a great teammate and a supportive colleague. Second, you've got to be an exceptional expert at something that has real value. Third, you've got to be a broad-gauged visionary — a leader, a teacher, a farsighted "imagineer." Fourth, you've got to be a businessperson — you've got to be obsessed with pragmatic outcomes. It's this simple: You are a brand. You are in charge of your brand. There is no single path to success. And there is no one right way to create the brand called You. Except this: Start today. Or else.”





Reference
     1.   Peters, Tom. "The Brand Called You". Fast Company. N.p., 1997. Web. 24 Jan. 2016.

1. image was taken from

1.       

http://image.slidesharecdn.com/atozguidetopersonalbrandingwithbarryfeldman-141222165552-conversion-gate02/95/the-complete-atoz-guide-to-personal-branding-with-barry-feldman-4-638.jpg?cb=1419270115                                                                                                                                               
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