Why I Think It's Important To Listen To Your Inner Voice

The reason why I am a believer in listening to our inner voice starts from this chapter of my life...

It was 2005. Couple months after I graduated from college, I was still jobless. I majored in Accounting, yet I suck at numbers. Well, probably not suck, but the idea of working in a field relating to numbers has never been my interest. So, why choose accounting, you were wondering? I’m not sure, I was 17 when I graduated from high school, not really know what my interest are, at that time, Accounting seems to be a safe choice. Something that I regretted now, because dear... Always find something you passionate in. 

Anyway, I was jobless for months because I have no idea on what I wanted to do in my life. I looked for job applications on daily basis, I applied to some, went for interview and got several call backs, but I never went to any of them. Simply because I was so sure that it wasn’t the job that I wanted. I was probably applying just to see if it would have been mine if I wanted to, or something like that. 

It wasn't a good year. I was clueless, lonely and lost. 

At that same year, my best friend was studying in Beijing, taking a one year Mandarin course. Not sure on how my future should be, I decided to follow her. It didn’t take long to get my parents’ permission because improving my Mandarin has always been something they wanted me to do.

If you’re staying at North, you’d probably know an institution named “Cerdas Bangsa” in Mega Mall (Now, Pluit Village). They cooperated with one of the school in Beijing for students in Indonesia who wants to study there. It was all a quick and smooth process, I had filled out all the forms needed, I had contacted my best friend to help me take care of the dorms I’d be staying at in Beijing, My parents had even paid a small down payment. 

About a week before we’d have to pay for the full payment, I saw a job application in Jobsdb.com. It was a Singaporean company expanding their office to open in Jakarta, and was looking for a Personal Assistant for their Country Manager. It was a health and skin care company, which I have no strong knowledge of, let alone skill on being a personal assistant. I didn’t even know what a personal assistant’s job desk was, yet somehow I clicked on the send my application button to that company. 

Three days later, someone from the company called me for an interview.  The person who interviewed me was the one who is in charge for Jakarta office. It was a short interview. When I reached home, I got a call for second interview the next day. This time, it was with someone from Singapore, the headquarter.

The next two days after my second interview was the deadline to submit full payment for the school, otherwise I would have to wait for the next semester six months later.

I was in complete dilemma. I had to decide quick since the deadline for the school application was on that day, yet I didn’t know for sure if I would get the job. Honestly, I didn’t even know if I really wanted that job over on choosing to go study. But, my gut keep telling me to stay. It wasn’t a logic decision at all, it was purely following what my heart says, and it told me to stay. Without knowing if I was even going to get hired or not, I forfeited my school application. 

The exact next day, late afternoon, I received a call. I was hired. And that job changes my life. 

I joined the company on February 2006. I started as a personal assistant for Country Manager, a very very wise man who I’ll be forever consider as my mentor. I evolved from someone who didn't have a clue on how to write a good meeting minutes, learned so much, worked my ass off until I was trusted as their Network Development Manager.

Now I no longer work in the company, but leaving them is still one of the hardest decision I’ve ever made. To date, I am still damn thankful to ever worked there. I met hundreds of great people, learned so many priceless things, I am so sure that I won’t be the same person as I am today if I hadn't been working there. My character was built during my six years in the company. 

Frankly, I wouldn’t know if things would turn out to be better for me if at that time I chose to ignore my gut and went for study instead. I mean... it was a 50:50 shot, no one would know. It could probably work out better, but one thing that I know is I didn’t and never regret my decision.

Aside from all the wonderful lessons I got, following my gut, by choosing to stay has brought me to meet one of the most important person in my life.
Just two weeks after I started working there, my school mate contacted me, he happened to work just three buildings away from my office, and he asked me out to lunch, he told me that he wanted to introduce me to his colleague. We went out for lunch, me, my school mate and his colleague... The man I know called my husband.:)

Around a year after we dated, my school mate told me that he had no intention on introducing me to Hubs if I wasn’t happened to be working at the office three buildings away from them. One of my closest colleague in the company is now my sister in law. Two strangers now become my family, just because I was working in that company. 

I believe there are plenty of decisions we have to made in life that should be logically decide, but sometimes when your heart strongly tells you something way different from your logic, it is probably best to take a second and not shush them away, because your inner voice is who you really are. 

Until next thoughts, 

Ivy