I just finished a book "The Valkyries" - Paulo. Althought, he mentioned a lot about magic and god in this story but viewing in another view, i am able to understand certain stuffs he wants to communicate through his story. 

In the story they talk about mentor and disciple, and every instant it reminded me of her. The things she used to taught me, there wasn't a need for us to meet very regularly, but it will always be an enriching lesson after every meeting for me. I gained a lot and she gives a lot. I have to say she is really good, because she understand the meaning of the story deeper than i do and is able to pass down her experience just like what was narrated in the books. She showed me the light, i followed her light and led my own path. 

There are fears that i don't wish to overcome and don't want to touch. I believe my first challenge will be to overcome the fear then i will be at another level again. But certain confession have to think through properly. 

I remembered rach said i was too comfortable in what i am doing therefore i do not wish to change anything. So, i mentioned about Starbucks job, that is not something i am comfortable with, i really wished i do not have to work over the weekends and sleep in and rest and sometimes do things i love. But, i can't because i have to pay for my own school fees. And i did mentioned that, if i don't work on weekends, what can i do? So she aggressively retorted that :"SEE! This is too comfortable with what you are doing" At that point of time, i didn't think much, but having such a tiring this weekend at a hectic store. The words she said flashed back and how could she said i was too comfortable when she knew from the start when i need the job, why i have not been able to leave the job and have always been trying to look for alternative for an easier job. Not that i didn't try. Having think back now, i am both angry and surprised why the aggressiveness from her that day.......

I went Page One on friday browsing the sections where i want to be. I got some books and thought this is the time when i want to start planning for my future. Starting from the creative and arts section, they are the reason why i went Page One instead of normal bookstore. I saw several advertising related books, picked them up and flipped them through. Is this what i want to do? Then i went to the fashion section when i spent time browsing through most of the books and chose the one that will be useful to me. Creative and arts is a very vague term and very hard to judge. Then i passed by the architecture section, i was never interested in how a building is build, never interested in the creativity of a building. But, 3 years ago, i tried to be interested to share the common topic, i tried to be fascinated by how creative a architect can design a building to be, i tried to admire some great works. But all of those were fakes, i have to TRY to like architecture. Although, it wasn't a very tiring chore as architecture is art-related but i hate myself for doing all this. I am disgusted with myself. I was so not myself back then. I have to try everything just to please. And that is when i lost myself....

Finally, i am very happy that Paulo's books were easily spotted in Page One with the littlest effort that i put in, i found his series of book. I spotted one book by Paulo - "Life". Inside were compilation of all his inspirational quotes of life and love from all this books. As, it wasn't sealed with plastic, i picked the book and sat down to read. First time, i am doing this in a bookstore. I basically finished the whole book of his inspirational quotes and saw a lot, a lot of meaningful ones that i really want to share. But, is really too many. I spotted this quote "No man is an island". She told me this before, so i believe she had already read a couple of Paulo Books before she recommended them to me. And there was where i concluded that, she chose me and not that i was lucky. she guided me through because she knows i was too clean with all the good thoughts. She chose me because i wasn't myself. So, she decided to show me the path. Now, she left without giving me any tasks. It also concluded that is either she feels that she has no more thing to give or she feels that it was not working on me. But, i think only now then i start to realise and see the whole picture. 

I didn't know reading in a bookstore is so peaceful. That's why i want a bookstore that opens 24 hours.... I should have a date with myself on fridays, perhaps once a fortnight or once a month.....

I met a regular customer that i didn't see him for like 1 years plus. I can see the shock on his face when he saw me as i have changed quite a bit this few years. So, we chatted as he mentioned that he stopped going Starbucks as our coffee was inconsistent and chose one of our competitors as theirs' was very consistent. I told him i totally agree with him, as different countries Starbucks taste different. Don't even need to mentioned different countries, different locations in Singapore, the Starbucks coffee is already not consistent. That's show 2 things, 1 positive and 1 negative. Positive - How branding can be so powerful to turn a coffee chain into a brand that everyone just want to be seen with. Therefore now, Starbucks is a brand more than a truly genuine coffee place. Negative - How sad that Starbucks changed their operational mission to be so commercialized and business minded that consumer insights means nothing to them anymore. 

From this chat with this customer, i realised that i am very interested in gathering consumer insights and their behavior before deciding a purchase. As, who are the real target audiences for the particular organizations. As, who they thought is might not be. Starbucks is trying to target everyone without having a main target. Eventually, when you follows all, you will end up following none......Maybe this is a part in advertising i can be involved that i will still end up in Advertising industry....