“You are a good copywriter. You know how to write for advertising and you write fair well. But you gotta know that you are not an expert in it yet. You need a few more years of experience and then you will be the expert that everyone seeks for. I can already see you being there,” says my ex-boss.

Somehow God always know when I need the assurance to pull me through the confusing tough times. Times when clients revert and I had to change the copy for the 10th time and it suddenly felt like I am the worst copywriter in the world. Times when people just couldn’t understand what I am trying to say through my well-crafted headlines. Times when the client is just a Chinese Beng trying to sell something the exclusive classy way without even knowing the meaning of classy at the first place. Some of these debates are totally useless.

Most of the time, people who doesn’t understand advertising copywriting really screw up my self-esteem. I need to constantly remind myself that I am worthy as a copywriter. That I may not be an expert in copywriting but I am good enough to be hired as one. And sometimes, receiving that assurance from someone who is my senior helps a lot. Suddenly it doesn’t feel like I am trying hard to convince myself that I am good because someone out there thinks I am good – which is enough to pull me through my copywriting career (that’s if I ever plan to have one).

Over the past four years of my working life, I learnt one thing: In Malaysia, a high profile career means nothing. It’s better to lead a life that you are happy with doing what you enjoy doing. Everything else just doesn’t really matter. When you die, you will not be remembered for the high profile career you have; You will be remembered for the person you are when you were alive. Were you kind? Were you a good friend to many? How many people will miss you when you are gone?

Life is short. It’s a statement we cannot deny. For those of you whom have experienced mere-death, you will understand what I mean by LIFE IS SHORT. Certainly, we can’t predict our lifespan. One minute we are sitting at the coffee shop enjoying lunch, the next minute we are dying on the ground gasping for air. Would things have been different should we know the exact moment of our last breath? I doubt so.

This week is going to be an amazing week for me because I vowed to make it amazing. I’m determined to live as if today is the last and tomorrow will be today after I sleep. And I have to believe in who I am and who I will be – no matter what others have to say about me. Because my life is about me, and no one else.

Originally written by Gina Yap Lai Yoong © 2010

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