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Thank You, Zach Sobiech, You’re an Angel.

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It’s been awhile since I last cried and last night, I did. I was so touched by Zach Sobiech, an 18-years old boy who just passed away yesterday (May 20th) after being deemed terminal just a year ago.

My mom lost her best friend (who’s also my favourite family friend) to cancer a few years ago and she was a beautiful person. I was (and still am) mad at cancer for taking her away from my mom and from her amazing family. Similarly to my mom’s best friend, Zach was one inspiring person. His family and friends describe him as a happy person, not something you would associate someone terminal with. But after watching the documentary about him, I know for certain that he was indeed… happy.

He turned to music to let his feelings out and he decided to live life to the fullest by bringing joy to others around him. This is what’s so inspiring about him. It’s usually takes the entire family, if not more, to cheer one sick person, but it’s the total opposite for Zach. He was the source of joy.

Though he’s like any regular 18-year olds who like cars and just started dating, he is definitely way more mature than most. His ability to overcome his own fear and worries is so inspiring. He made me (and million others, I’m sure) reflect back upon our own lives. Most of my “bad days” are incomparable to the pain he had to go through. I have nothing to complain about and he moved me to start looking at the world in a positive way once again.

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I don’t want to remember Zach as a teen that died of cancer, but I want him to be remembered as someone that moved the heart of millions by how he lived his life. If there’s anything I can learn from his life, it’d be that I want to see the beauty in everything and embrace every moment.

Thank you Zach for your heartfelt story. I am sure you are in a better place right now. May you rest in peace knowing you’ve impacted the lives of many and that your legacy will be carried on.

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Mind Vacation

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Mind Vacation

I had a lot of time to think while I am here in Bali, basking under the golden sun of Jimbaran, sipping virgin Berry Mojito, and smiling at familiar strangers. A lot of things crossed my mine, but most of them are in the theme of gratuity.

I am so incredibly blessed to be born to the family that I am right now and living the life I am in. I have traveled so much and experienced thousand more things than my parents had back then. I have a job that I am proud of and a strong education background I can always refer to.

But now is not the time to sit back and relax, it’s my time to work even harder to make my 5 years goals a reality and to make my parents as proud and happy as they’ll ever be.

This is a short trip (only 7 days), but it is one that I needed to take a step back and realign myself. Now I am ready to take over the world once more!

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Digital Notebook

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She said, “How analog of you..” as  she pointed to my notebook. I have always considered myself as a (relatively) techie person, but I still take notes mostly with my notebook. There’s nothing wrong with it, but after seeing what she used to take notes, I was sold.

The next few days, I went hunting for Wacom Bamboo stylus that I can use with my iPad 1 that has been doing nothing but collecting dust for the last four years. I finally got it yesterday and been playing around with it. Honestly, the experience has been surprisingly pleasant. I love the ability of creating notes, choosing colours and stroke width, and storing all of them in one single device. It’s brilliant.

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While playing with the different iPad apps (Paper 53, Skitch, InkFlow, and Bamboo Paper), I thought of something clever. I can use my iPad as a drawing tablet! So I downloaded TeamViewer which lets me to control my laptop using my iPad, then I opened Illustrator and started drawing on the iPad. It worked great, though it’s not as sensitive as I wanted it to be. But this means I no longer have to draw on paper, then scan and trace it on Illustrator. I like different parts of the four apps I have mentioned, but Bamboo Paper seems to be the closest to what I needed it for: create PDF, sync with Evernote, multiple stroke width, colours, and books. Though I really liked InkFlow’s ability to select and move objects around. Hopefully Bamboo will incorporate this soon enough.

I know the possibility with gadgets like the iPad is endless, but I finally found a great reason to bring it around and use it. How about you? What do you use to take notes and doodle?

 

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The Ice Has Melted

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The Ice Has Melted

A few months ago, I told Ed that we should let the thin ice between us thicken before we see what is next for us.

While I was driving home today, I thought about that ice for the first time in many weeks. We both have let it out for far too long that it has melted. I was a fool for saying that we should let the ice thicken again. But really, is that possible? It’s only possible if we put that ice cube back to the fridge but instead, we let it sit.

It is now melting and all I can think about is how beautiful it was. I don’t regret any of it and I hope he doesn’t too.

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Always

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Always

There are always two sides to your every story. It is up to you which side you want to believe in. Don’t get offended too easily. Think of it as a compliment instead. Control your feelings. Stay out of any drama. Know that with every comment you make about someone, someone else is making a comment about you. Stay humble, stay happy.

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Something New

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Something New

I have been in love before, maybe even several times. The last few months have taught me that love is a grand feeling. It is the grandest feeling one could ever feel and share. My family has demonstrated this over and over again to me and to one another. Quite honestly, I have been taking their unconditional love for granted because I didn’t know any better.

However, I’ve come to realize and feel this feeling for the first time in my life. Imperfections are subjective. It’s so transformative when I started to embrace every inch and every action; I feel more grateful and achieve a state of happiness and satisfaction I have never felt before.

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#InspireItForward: Muniba Ahmed

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The following post is written by Muniba Ahmed. I first met her at YWiB’s International Women’s Day Conference when I was manning the HootSuite booth. She approached the booth with a lovely smile and enthusiasm to just listen to my story. After the conference was over, she said she was disappointed that she did not win the raffle to win “one hour with Stephanie Wiriahardja”. I said just contact me and we’ll make it happen. I’m so glad she followed up! I think I had more fun and was inspired more by her, than she was with me. I love her glowing enthusiasm and I have no doubt that this gal would go so far in life. Please note that this post was not altered in any way. 

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I met Stephanie at YWiB’s International Women’s Day conference in March, and as soon as I met her I felt inspired. I could tell she loved her job, and to me that was kind of an amazing thing because many of the new grads I’ve met weren’t happy with what they were doing and simply thought of it as a rough patch after graduation.

Stephanie told me about her time at HootSuite, and how she had started off as an unpaid intern and worked her way to being the Community Manager that she is now. As a co-op student who is looking for a position, I was extremely interested to hear more about her experiences with the unpaid internship and how that opened up more opportunities for her than people commonly think of. I think another part of the reason that I felt a connection with Stephanie is that she had been with HootSuite, almost since its beginnings and had seen it grow to the fast growing technology company that it is now.

Stephanie was kind enough to give me the opportunity to visit the HootSuite offices, and see the office culture. And as soon as I stepped in the door I realized that this company was a place where people came to work because they loved what they do, it was an office where you looked forward to coming to do work and did not dread leaving at the end of your 9-5 day.

Talking to Stephanie really helped me realize that sometimes if you are given an opportunity to do something that you love, even if it isn’t exactly what other people told you to look for, you should always say yes. Unpaid internships made me hesitant, but working for one of the fastest growing tech companies in the industry is an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime, and meeting with Stephanie helped me see that.

Overall, saying ‘hello’ to Stephanie at the International Women’s Day Conference was probably one of the best introductions I’ve done recently. She helped me see a lot more than just beyond the academics and social parts of university life. I definitely felt energized and empowered after meeting her, and look forward to keeping our connection.

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#InspireItForward: Trish Sissons

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The following post is written by Trish Sissons, someone who contacted me via email after finding me on LinkedIn. I must admit I was a little intimidated to talk to her because she had quite a bit of experience behind her, but we ended up having a good chat like two old friends. I wish her the best in her endeavour of finding herself and creating her own path. Please note that this post was not altered in any way. 

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I made a rookie mistake upon my graduation in 2012.  When I graduated, I blindly took the first job that was offered to me.  I ignored my gut and walked across the stage thinking I had done pretty well to get my degree and be one of the few people there with a job in my field lined up.  It had occurred to me to be concerned about waiting for a company that would be a good fit in terms of corporate culture and offer real growth and mentorship opportunities, but amidst the excited voices of my family and friends, I swept those concerns under my mental rug and let myself be carried away with their excitement for me.

Eventually, I came to terms with the fact that it wasn’t a great fit for me for many reasons, and the mess I had become decided that in January, I would start taking steps to develop a career I loved.  One of these steps was seeking out people who were in positions that seemed exciting to me, people who appeared to love their jobs, and taking them out for coffee to discuss their career paths and get some insight from them to help develop myself.  I used these informational interviews to find new ways to develop my own skill set and pursue careers that fulfilled me.

I met Stephanie in this way, and she kindly took me out for lunch and we spoke about all manner of things pertaining to her career at HootSuite and my personal and career development.  It is with great appreciation for people like Stephanie, who take the time out of their day to share their stories, that I am progressing in building my own story – a story where success is derived from development and fulfillment.