Hi. My name is Linda, and I am a certified professional makeup artist.
Few years ago, I would introduce my self differently. I graduated with an IT Degree.
Predictably, I was working in the IT field for 6 years.. My first job was as a receptionist at MICROSOFT and I worked my way up to be an enterprise security product manager. The experience working in that environment was priceless, I learnt many things.
How to deal with client, with your supplier, with your boss, foreign principals, with internal issues, boardroom dramas, logistic, costing, marketing and much more.
I had the chance working with the best brands, best engineers, best and worst bosses and colleague. I love them all. The working experience is best described by the film, Limitless. The pace was intense, the days moved faster than you could keep up. You had to constantly on your toes, and in here (point to my head). You will be dreaming about your work, which technically feels like you are working 24 hours a day. Your mind constantly thinking your next move, next year project, sales target….
There’s no pause button, even on leave day.
I didn’t hate it.
But…. Deep inside, I knew that I belong in a different world.
I feel instant happiness when I walk into a cosmetic counter. I was always abreast with the latest makeup trends & technology. Whenever I went to work, I looked like walking cosmetic advertisement. My colleague always came to me for their beauty woes.
I longed so much to be in the beauty and fashion industry. I daydream how it would be nice if I could. I wonder how cool it would be to appear in CLEO magazine.
The thing was, I never really believed that I could be in beauty industry. I just hope, or think how nice if I could, how fun it could be. I just daydreamed about it, just like other people. I daydreamed from age of 5 until I was 29! THAT was how long I waited, to finally take the 1st step of a thousand journey.
Today, my work revolves on making people feel and look gorgeous. I get cool invites to beauty and fashion launching. Try out and do review on latest beauty products before they come into Malaysia. I go behind and in front of live camera of the beauty world, meet Prof and Doctor who make significant chance in society. I get chance to go up close and personal with cool people like Sheila Majid to talk about spa business or with Dato Siti, on makeup tips…
I also meet everyday people who are unique in their own ways. Everybody has an interesting chapter in their life.
And currently, I am living my dream life. It is an incredible feeling.
Owh, I do not need to get stuck in a jam every morning, or evening for 5 days a week.
I really have to thank my husband, syukor alhamdullilah, for…
He is half of my pillar of strength and hope. Other hald has to come from yourself. He is a changed man, began to think ahead and blooming into an extraordinary visionaire. He made me believe I could achieve my dreams if I believe in it and plan for it. He didn't mind if how silly my dream was.... he practically amused my crazy journey of up & downs ......
I usually look up to Tun Mahathir, Tony Fernandez for their amazing strive for making outstanding change.... but now i realize my idol is the one sleeping next to me.
SO, here is the first step. LISTEN & BELIEVE .
You have to hear that little voice in yourself, telling you how much it wants to do something else.
Something that you love doing.
Something that bring happiness and spark in your day.
If your body/mind is at work because of commitment, because you have to, BUT your heart is constantly some place else, you GOT to do something.
You feel it in your heart, you are special, you belong some where else. There seems to feel like unfulfilled sense of purpose in your life, then do your self a favor.
Step back.
And listen, to what your heart has to tell you.
Or what your friends and close one’s sees in you.
Then you got to believe that you can do it.
“ If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it, eventhough I may not have it in the beginning”
By GANDHI
Believe in your self.
In my line of work, I meet photographers. And in many times, they are actually teachers. Doing wedding photography as a hobby or part time income.
FINE.
Some of the work is OK..KAY.
BUT, some of their personal photoragraphy work… is OUTSTANDING!
I am talking about pictures that stick in your head for days or just something you’ll never forget. You know, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHY quality, where the picture is just technically marvelous, but tells you a thousand story. Invokes questions, stirs emotions. & personal memories.
SPECTACULAR. Tapi….
“Owh… I part time jer, sajer…. Suker sker.. Mana buleh cari mkn keje ni”
Such a shame, I think. Talent like these, don’t come by suker2 jer. It is passion.
Imagine, if this guy would have gone for photo journalism all the way, he may be the one who can harumkan nama Negara with winning best Nobel award.
But now, his work remains on a blog, unpublished… not deserving the credit or recognization that it deserves.
OR, a beautiful articulate lady, who looks better than some international model, or beauty icon. Conversational skill boleh celen Oprah Winfrey….
Dreams to go on modeling .. Tapi…malu sebab pendek.
So works in the icy cold server room.
Sayang. She could have represented Malaysia as an international super model. Kate Moss height is well below the required minimum model height, did that stop her. Sophie Dahl is like almost 20kg over the maximum model weight. Did that stop her?
Don’t let yourself, or other people limit your dreams.
We look at them.
We know some of them. And you know they can go further and beyond what they are doing. Tak kisah in what field, sports or business or movie/music industry… We have so much potential people around us, who can go very, very far if they want to. TAPI… byk sangat dgn TAPI nyerr.
We see most successful people at their best now. BUT have got to think about, what if these people did not pursue further of their dreams and ideas… They wont be where there are now AND WE wont be able to share the success of their inventions or ideas.
You can worry about the HOW later. BECAUSE the HOW, can sometimes make you overanalyze the possibilities. You end up not trying at all. The logic and the worry of ‘how’ to get there, boleh ker? Boleh ker aku? The worry cycle here, will take out your courage, and you may not even get to the first step, which actually where most people fail.
BELIEVE in your self.
This is the leap of FAITH. You just do it. You worry too much, you will never go anywhere. And you’ll always wonder, what if , but… you are still there, forever wondering, at square one.
I hope if there’s anybody here, still thinking, thinking.. and still at thinking (giving excuses, justifying why I can’t do this, I can’t do that…)
STOP.
JUST DO IT.
OK
Once you’ve the done leap of faith, the swim towards the other side is going to be hard. I am NOT kidding, when I say, I feel like giving up, quitting many, many times… trying to turn back into my comfort, safe zone.
TAKUT GAGAL. Because by now you have realized things may not be easy. You will be tempted to give up.
DON’T.
Keep going. IF you feel like giving up, take baby steps, think of the small achievements. Appreciate your little moments.
Reflect on your VICTORY of making that first step, when you’re thinking you that you may lose.
If everything seems to falter, you feel you cant do it, then it is best to surround yourself with people who believe you can. Positive thinking people. They will push you up, when you’re feeling down and have your back when the going gets tough. Have someone there for you, when you’re down or feel the temptation of giving up. Morale support is very important. Especially for me, because I don’t like reading self motivation books, they put me to sleep.
In fact, I cannot stand reading any motivational books, be it jutawan fakir la, or jutawan senyap la or even big reknown stuff from Anthony Robbins or Robert Kiyosaki. And I LOVE BOOKS. There is nothing wrong with these books, it is just me. Maybe I should….
So, I get my positive vibes from my hubby who loves to read this genre of books. And my close friends too.
By nature, I am very competitive, a worrier, a planner, and for me failure is NOT an option. And the problem with fear of failing, I end up NEVER trying at all, in the first place.
So… we end up doing NOTHING at all.
Avoid the fear of failure. Because once you limit yourself to what is acceptable, or reasonable chances (playing safe la)
YOU… your self have already oppressed your own dreams and what you really want or could achieve.
Not fate, not work, not your boss, mak ayah…
NOT other people. But YOU have already limit yourself.
So, take charge of your life. Be an author of your own life story.
Is your life a book that only you would read?
Or is it a book that other people would want to read too?
OK. I hope I didn’t put you guys to sleep. But I do hope if there is anybody here who is unsure, in doubt of what they want to do, still scared to make the first step will be able to move forward, and reach for your dreams, take it where only the sky is the limit. Good luck and remember God, Allah will always help for those who ask for His help.
In syaa Allah.
