Options

We had our class at the Ogilvy HQ today. What's surprising was I felt that being in an ad agency seemed new to me again, like I have to consciously bring myself back into that world again. I have to say, 6 years ago, Advertising is my passion, and my idea of "success" was working in Madison Ave. I even remember saying to my adviser on my very first day at J. Walter Thompson that "JWT is my ideal and dream company!" I did say that with much gusto and it was from the heart - but I was young, naive and it was my first bite at the real world. Today is not 6 years ago.

For some reason, today made me especially contemplative about my career plans. When I was younger and didn't know better, I told myself that I will be in advertising, please my Clients, work late hours, sacrifice my social life and talk advertisingspeak everyday for the rest of my life.

Fast forward to today when I have been given more options, it is hard to just limit oneself to one cookie-cutter future. I feel sorry for the millions of people in the world who are destined to be only one person, to see only one place and to do only one thing. I feel like it is my mission to help others discover new things about themselves, new places, new experiences - and share mine and what I have learned so far - one person at a time. (Yuck, am I an inspirational speaker in the making? Hahaha!)

At this point, I have gotten two very good offers for a full-time internship this summer. And I am crazy to still be actively looking for more options. (Many of my classmates don't even have any to choose from) It is not greed nor arrogance. It is as simple as just checking out options.

When you live in New York City, you never run out of options. Feeling like Chinese tonight? There are thousands of Chinese restaurants, take your pick! Tired of your boyfriend? Single men in all shapes, color, mentalities and sizes are at your beck and call. Where do you want to purchase your vacuum cleaner? Amazon, Home Depot, Ebay, Chinatown, in the streets, Salvation Army, Macy's, etc.? It's so overwhelming.

Despite all this, we learned (in school) and it has been proven, that providing people more options depresses their desire to choose. Present 100 pretty purses to a fashionista and ask her to pick one, she'll get too excited and confused and most likely will hold off deciding what she likes best. Show her just 2, and most likely she will choose something she deems cuter.

Where does this purse purchasing example tie in with my career contemplating? Well, I used to think I only have a couple of options career-wise, and I was only entitled to choose one. Moreover, in my mind, I thought Manila was the only place where I can live - and die. I also thought I was doomed - I mean destined - to be married to an i__e_c__e mama's boy (Am I mean? Hehe). I obviously thought wrong.

I've always wanted to have options, and even if I denied it in the past, I knew in my heart I did. If I don't, I'd get frustrated thinking what I might have missed. That is why I dated [just enough] men in the past, and never packed light when traveling ;-) I am very blessed to have been raised by parents who provided options on my plate, and taught me well enough to know what I truly deserve. They also told me in the past that I can be anybody I want to be, and it's up to me to choose.

Career-wise, I am currently like that girl being asked to pick only 1 among 100 beautiful purses. I seriously do not know what I should pick, so I am holding off my decision until it feels right, until I feel right. I obviously don't have a hundred options, but it feels like it especially if I consider and reconsider me and David's countless options and aspirations, separated or combined. You know... the what, when, where, why and how's of life? But let's leave that for another story. :)