What Works For You

Back when I was in primary school,

I was about.... 9 to 11 years old.

I remember I was asked many times by the people around me,

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

I said, a teacher.

That was because my mum was a teacher.

Also because at the time, the people I looked up to were teachers.

Coming from a Chinese school,

we were taught to respect our teachers at all times.

We were made to bow to them in respect.

If you didn't bow, you'd get a whacking.

At least, that was how it was in my school.

Then I went to secondary school.

My perception changed.

We got the shittiest teachers on earth.

Teachers that pissed me off.

So that killed my interest then and there.

I decided to become a zoologist.

Because I love animals.

Then I discovered I had no interest in science (the biological science).

So I thought of becoming a psychologist.

Then my relatives discouraged me in a fear that I would go mad within a year.

It was years before I discovered how stupid I was to believe them.

Then I thought, why not be a professional violinist?

I mean, my entire family was filled with musicians,

Starting from my great grandpa (he was an opera singer as well as a lion dancer).

Besides, I loved playing my violin.

But then dad discouraged me.

Because he'd seen how long the professionals practiced, and I wasn't even up to par.

7 freaking hours. I could only manage 5.

I wasn't even that good.

I knew where my limits were.

If I wanted to be good, I had to go to Vienna.

So I thought, why not go into design?

I could draw well.

I had... Ideas.

Being naive back then, I had no idea how hard it was to come up with a good design.

So mum suggested I take an advertising course.

At least I had a hand in everything.

So I could decide on which aspect to go into, as I pleased.

I've never regretted that decision. Not even once.

Because as I learned I discovered so much more.

It takes more than drawing and ideas to make a good design.

It's much more challenging.

Advertising, though it may seem glamorous to some,

Isn't as glamorous as it seems.

You do get the glamor.

But you get a whole lot of hard work to go along with it.

And dammit, you work hard.

unless you want to be stuck as a junior for the rest of your career.

I can't say I've had very much experience in the advertising world,

But I can say I've seen enough to know how it is.

So I have found my passion.

I will work to get that scholarship to Australia, or England (I still can't decide).

I will work to get myself an advertising job in New York.

And that's where I'll be.

So for those of you who still haven't decided on what you want to do,

Find your passion.

Everyone has one.

You just need to know more,

to research.

Find out what works for you.