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The Earnest Life

Ever since I moved back to KK a few years ago, my life has changed in many little ways that I personally felt... have saved me. The ideal life of a fresh communications Bachelors' graduate from Australia is to work with the fanciest, biggest in the industry with quirky perks like meeting celebrities, making big friends from the industry, with money-cant-buy social experiences.

In fact, I had them.

Fast forward 2.5 years later, the reality was, I had a 50% paycut, demoted one level, thrown into an industry I know nothing about, zero friends to hangout with (my high school friends were all over the world too and had now developed their own cliques) and to top it all - I had to stay with my mum. The reality was incomprehensible at that time, but I was busy adapting to the new life that I forgot time had helped me a lot more than I had credit it for.

And at that point in my life, I saw what people meant by - "give it some time".

I worked diligently in that new industry job I got. With the 50% paycut, I dropped the fancy lifestyle, I started working hard in networking all over again, I stopped big travels because of the money I DON'T have, and developed interests in new places. I picked up on all the reading I had left behind when I was in a busier life in KL.

I was doing everything I could to simply, survive.

Time and earnest work granted me the opportunities to meet interesting people like I used to again. Upon meeting all these interesting people in the industry in KK, there were times when I stepped up the game by personally messaging them on the side projects that I was very interested in. I loved writing, and I knew that I could furnish myself with more projects had I been more involved in more writing projects. Sometimes, I get these big breaks, sometimes, no one calls me for a good 6 months -- there were long hiatus, people don't remember to include me in their projects anymore. The most important thing in the entire world for a kid like me is and has always been networking. I hold the idea so close to my heart that when my bosses shifted jobs, I remained the friendship. When people invited me to parties I know NO ONE of, I went ahead. There were awkward times, there were friendships that I made that never lasted, there were people who tried their luck on me.

Today (four years later), I earned more on a monthly basis than I was back in KL when I left it. I have a lot of beautiful friends who have been colouring my life in good and in bad times, I have a lot more side projects on my plate. I have been harnessing my writing hobby so much more. I own an apartment at my own expense. I could welcomed friends from all over the world to this part of the world. I TRAVEL SO MUCH MORE! I have more disposable income than I had EVER before and I could still give my mum some and treat friends from time to time. When I listed down the amazing things that I have gathered living in an average earnest life... I could have never imagined that an average earnest life like this could be so.... rewarding.

And the single most important thing that I have more now is, Time.

And because of that, I felt that greatness is everywhere.  Greatness is in the lines of the books you read, greatness is in the extra hours you have at night catching America's Next Top Model, greatness is in your mother's smile, greatness is in your pet's purr, greatness is in your photo ops, greatness is in your friends' updates, greatness is in the long distance relationships that you hold dear, greatness is your attitude.

The move I made was initially uncertain, but thanks to time and my sincere intention of looking out for the best for myself has made me understood, that life will treat you greatness and earnest if you are to it.

Love,
Jacqueline Rowena @ Jacqkie.

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