This, in a nutshell, is why Jenna’s blog is permanently linked over there in the sidebar. I recognize this place she’s talking about, and I’ve been on a twenty-year quest to get back to it. Have a read, and leave a kind word or three in the comments–the girl needs ‘em right now.

“WORK like you don’t need the money, LOVE like your ♥ has never been broken, and DANCE like no one is watching” (Aurora Greenway/Shirley MacLaine).

I’ve always been fascinated by entrepreneurs. But I’m even more impressed and intrigued by those who can effectively apply the ideals of entrepreneurship to a corporate setting. If I ever get described to as a corporate entrepreneur or rather an intrapreneur, I would probably throw my organization a massive party and whoever described me in that way would be the guest of honor. So do I have what it takes?

The authors of Grow From Within, Robert Wolcott and Michael Lippitz, have written a great little post on Fast Company outlining Five Ways to Know if You’re Cut Out to be a Corporate Entrepreneur:

1. Head in the future, feet on the ground
2. Think skin, open mind
3. Political Savvy
4. Value Obsession
5. Flexible conviction

Based on my self assessment, I am indeed cut out to be a corporate entrepreneur. I’ve been planning out my action steps to achieve that glorious title. Here’s what I’ve got so far:

Step 1: Get hired by a corporation.

Step 2: Be myself.

Zing!

The things we fear most in organizations — fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances — are the primary sources of creativity. -Margaret J. Wheatley

What happened to the proverbial college lifestyle? Those financially strapped, flannel wearing, coffee drinking, Nietzsche reading 20-somethings hanging out on the lawn playing frisbee and talking about how to change the world??

THAT was the environment that fostered innovators. Not what’s going on these days. I feel like business schools have become nothing but microcosms for everything that is wrong with corporate organizations. It’s becoming all about mass production. For example, my graduate program, the Professional Program of Accounting, prides itself on their 97% placement of graduates with Big Four firms. What about that other 1 percent? Well, that’s where I come in.

For the past year, I have been racking my brain trying to figure out where I went wrong. I used to have the whole world eating out of the palm of my hand, praising and replicating my every move. Through the course of my college years (until VERY recently), I seemed to have lost my magnetism. I always assumed it was because of the people around me. In my mind, I was surrounded by highly intelligent, very talented people. Possibly even more intelligent and talented than myself. Of course they were going to shine. That unfounded blow to my ego was a really hard thing to deal with.

Today, after receiving some incredibly helpful insights, it dawned on me. It was my fault. I had let the system get to me. No one was actually better than me. I just sunk down to their level. I used to transcend above the masses every minute of every day of my life. But thanks to my obsession with becoming a corporate power player, I stopped playing by my own rules, and started playing by theirs.

I should probably qualify my statement before I go any further. I have received a top-notch education. I have learned invaluable skills from some of the greatest professors. They have taught me so much, and I am forever grateful to all of them. I really am.

However, I’ve had people telling me to calm down since the minute I got into my graduate program. Thanks to them, I thought that I had to cut my hair to be taken seriously. And I’ve got great hair. I went from constantly searching for new influences and ideas to constantly trying to fit the mold. By January of 2009, my closet was packed with Brooks Brothers and pencil skirts and blazers and I was sporting an above-the-shoulder hairstyle. Granted, I looked fantastic. I was the posterchild for a young professional. But who the hell had I become???

Alright, brace yourself. It’s about to get ugly.

Wise words from my mentors and advisors:

“You should really stop dwelling on formulating on your own ideas, but rather focus on implementing those already established for you.”

“Your aggressive attitude toward career advancement is going to get you in trouble. No one likes a loose cannon.”

“Firms really don’t like to see people looking to change the way the organizations operate. You have to know your place.”

“I would watch what you say about your personal goals and ideas. They make you seem unstable.”
“Working for Apple during college is okay…but working for a local CPA firm would probably be more beneficial.”

“You seem a bit overzealous about becoming a manager. You need to know your place. Just keep your head down and do your work. Your number one priority at this point should be tick marks and work papers, not leading organizations.”

“The best way to get the execs to love you is to do what is asked of you. Respect the hierarchy.”

“I wouldn’t mention your interests in management and entrepreneurship. They’re not only irrelevant… they make you into an undesirable candidate.”

WHAT????? Seriously, no joke. This is real advice. These are the “keys to success in business”. This is what they tell us in one of the most respected professional accounting programs in the country.

And what did I do after receiving all of this wisdom? Laugh in their faces? Tell them that at the ripe age of 22, I could discount everything they were telling me? Not quite. I took detailed notes and committed myself to becoming all of those things. But no more than that. Because that would make me undesirable. I no longer strived to be a mover nor a shaker. I wanted to be more stable and, thus, more attractive to recruiters. I am almost embarrassed to admit how blindly I followed them. I rejected everything that set me apart in order to “get noticed” by accounting firms. I basically sold my soul for the chance at a $50,000 salary.

No wonder I was no longer idolized by my peers. I had become part of the majority. I had become one of them. I had nothing to give or teach them. Without my unorthodox attitude, I was only set apart from my peers by my dashing good looks. And that’s just not enough for me.

I was really scared that after I went global with my opposition to public accounting, I would be ostracized by my peers. Fortunately, I was reminded of the fact that I’m the cream of the crop and no one has the right to tell me otherwise. And since when did I let average-looking people with boring lives and dishwater hair intimidate me anyway? I’m Diana freaking Mayland.

So I started talking about my choices and opinions with those who inquired. And what happened? Well, the douche bags of the group still think I’m crazy and inferior and that I only make the decisions I do because too dumb to be an auditor. However, the rest of the sheep praise me. “Wow, I wish I had the courage to do that. I hate audit. I have no idea why I’m doing this. I’m so jealous.” Damn straight.

I’m happy to report that I’m getting back to the fundamental ideals that made me into a champion in the first place. I’m making my triumphant return to maverick-dom. I’ve started to grow out my hair and adjust the work to play ratio in my closet. But more importantly, I’ve regained my confidence. And even some of my arrogance (it’s endearing, I promise).

I’m even known around the business school as “the renegade PPA student”. No joke. That’s real. And I’m damn proud of that title. I earned it.

…in the back of the van!

That’s right! Love your self, girlfriend!

Even though you’re just an old beat up van, show the world how proud you are speeding on the street. Don’t you care about those who diss you, they just jealous! *snap snap snap!*

hahahaha, angle fotonya agak gak genah. Maklum motretnya sambil nyetir. Untung nggak ada polisi deket situ. But boy and girls, don’t try this at home. this behavior is a poor example of safe driving!

-cewek cakep-

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” -Albert Einstein

Upon reading the first sentence of the quote, I imagined the rest of it to be beautiful and inspiring. I should have known better. Geniuses like Einstein and me are all too aware that sometimes, wisdom isn’t beautiful or inspiring. It’s just right. And also highly applicable to my life. Chalk one up for society.

Teruntuk: Aku, temanku Wiwiek, Santi, Nanik, dan semuanya…
———————————————————————————————————————————

Please try to leave behind all the problems, the sad things, the bad things, the un-happy things, the un-accomplished ideals, the unfulfilled goals, the unfinished story, the worrying stuff, all the past sins and guilt, all the pain and suffering,…all everything bad!

Slow your mind down.
Bring yourself into a state of total relaxation.
Lift away the dust from your soul.
Allow positive, life cleansing energy the right to enter into your body.
Give it free passage to your Heart.
Breathe slowly and softly in and out relaxing your mind and your body.

Like wise man said: “U know dear, if things get worst, then something better wait for us at the next door. And if something really getting worst and worst, then we just have to wait for a while”.

And now I’m still right here waiting for Your Hands to come save me.

Interesting One Liners And Love Quotation

And now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity.
Charity should begin at home, but should not stay there
Great Quote

Give no bounties: make equal laws: secure life and prosperity and you need not give alms
Cool Phrases

He had that nameless charm, with a strong magnetism, which can only be called It.''
A really plain woman is one who, however beautiful, neglects to charm
Wise Quotes

Health is the condition of wisdom, and the sign is cheerfulness,–an open and noble temper

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it

My mother loved children–she would have given anything if I had been one

Behold, I was shapened in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. [Psalms 51:5]

I don't know why I did it, I don't know why I enjoyed it, and I don't know why I'll do it again

The key to your universe is that you can choose

What was invented two thousand years ago was the spirit of Christianity

A virtuous and a Christianlike conclusion– To pray for them that have done scathe to us

He who has learned to pray has learned the greatest secret of a holy and happy life

If a man cannot be a Christian in the place where he is, he cannot be a Christian anywhere

Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another

Who builds a church to God, and not to Fame, Will never mark the marble with his Name

Odd instances of strange coincidence

It is not the situation that makes the man, but the man who makes the situation

Other lands have their vitality in a few, a class, but we have it in the bulk of our people

In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart

The cheapest gift I have to give is kindness, and it is the best

We are, each of us, angels with only one wing, and we can only fly embracing each other

Good leaders are like baseball umpires; they go practically unnoticed when doing their jobs right
Nice One Liner

short oneliners

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‘shit or get off the pot’

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There was time for Mourning and It’s Time To Laugh, To Everything There is time, God Make The beauty of the time ….

Ada Waktu Untuk Berduka dan Ada Waktu Untuk Tertawa, Untuk Segala Sesuatu Ada Waktunya, Tuhan Jadikan Indahnya Pada Waktunya….

We are born with 2 eyes, 2 ears but we are only given 1 fruit mouth. Because the mouth is a very sharp weapon, the mouth can hurt, can kill, can be tempting, and many other things that are not pleasant. So remember to speak as little as possible but look and listen as much as possible ….

Kita lahir dengan 2 mata, 2 telinga tapi kita Cuma diberi 1 buah mulut. Karena mulut adalah senjata yang sangat tajam, mulut bisa menyakiti, bisa membunuh, bisa menggoda, dan banyak hal lainnya yang tidak menyenangkan. Sehingga ingatlah bicara sesedikit mungkin tapi lihat dan dengarlah sebanyak-banyaknya….

Long Quotations And Popular Quotation

Rich earn; smart learn
Short Quotation

Show me a man with both feet on the ground, and I'll show you a man who can't put on his pants
People OneLiner

Some things that cost to buy several years ago now costs just to repair
Amazing OneLiner

The Lottery is a tax on people who are bad at math

The only limitations to God are in our mind

To love for the sake of being loved is human; to love for the sake of loving is angelic

Two rules to success in life: 1. Don't tell people everything you know

When you forgive it takes you from the place of the victim to that of a victor

A good example is the best sermon

Alimony is having an ex-husband you can bank on

Am I indecisive? Can I get back to you on that?
A moment on the lips,an eternity on the hips

A truth spoken before its time is dangerous

Autopsy is a dying practice

Don't ever slam a door- you may want to go back

God creates a worm for every bird – but He does not throw it in the nest

He is not afraid of work, you can tell by the way he fights it

I am the world's greatest authority on my own opinion

If all else fails, read the directions

Immature love: I love you because I need you.Mature love; I need you because I love you
People Quote

romantic oneliners

Daily Quotations And Inspirational One Liner

Remember, your relatives had no choice in the matter either
Memorable Quotation

Some minds are like concrete… all mixed up and permanently set
Favorite Saying

Some people take too much of vitamin I
Interesting Sayings

The fellow who is fired with enthusiasm for his work is seldom fired by his boss

The meaning of life is not a question to be answered, but an event to be experienced

To love is to risk getting hurt. Not to risk loving is the greatest risk of all

Treat people like angels; you will meet some and help make some

When you can't trace God's hand, trust His heart

A kid's idea of a balanced diet is a hamburger in each hand

A man convinced against his will is still of the same opinion

Art is work, to sell it is art

A tree never hits an automobile except in self-defense

A young person knows the rules but the old person knows the exceptions

Diplomacy — the art of letting someone have your own way

God answers knee-mail

Hell has no fire escapes

He was so narrow minded he could see through a keyhole with both eyes…

I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow

Immature love: I love you because I need you.Mature love; I need you because I love you
Memorable Quote

great famous sayings

Some things that have been going around my head of late;

Not everything which makes us feel better is good for us. Not everything which hurts may be bad. ~ Part of the conclusion of the last book I read, The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton.

An all too familiar dilemma in this blog post, perhaps I need to come out of the graphic design closet ~ Wisdom and honesty from Mr Dave Trott; as always.

I’ve rediscovered the book-wormish ways of my youth and so if I only get this for Christmas I’ll be happy.

More short and skittish blog posts to follow I’m sure….