Shannon Saputra Hartono: What I Would Tell My 20-Year-Old Self
If you could travel back in time and give your younger self some advice, what would you say?
We all learn some valuable life lessons while growing up. Some of these lessons you learn by going through difficult experiences, which develop your character and make you stronger. One time, I look at the list of Indonesia’s most inspiring women. I couldn’t help but wonder: what advices would they tell to their younger self?
We recently had the privilege of doing a short interview with Shannon M. Saputra, or better known as Shannon Hartono. She is the Vice President of Time International — a company with more than 60 leading luxury brands, and also a mother of two. We were so thankful that in the middle of her busy schedule, Shannon took time to share some advice that she would tell her 20-year-old self.
Shannon Hartono:
“Thank you so much for thinking of me! That’s a simple, but deep question. I have a lot to say to my 20-year old self! I feel like I could write a whole book of things to say to that kid. Of course, I won’t give you a book-length answer though.
Narrowed down, I would tell me:
1. How others see you matters less than how YOU see yourself.
Don’t waste time worrying about what others think of you, how they may or may not judge you, or what they’ll say about you if you do this or do that – or if you don’t do certain things.
In other words, love yourself, appreciate yourself, be grateful for who you are, and be proud of the decisions you make because that leads to self worth and self esteem, which is a foundation block for future success.
2. Trust the process!
When you’re young, passionate and eager, sometimes things feel like they progress slowly and not at the pace you want it too. But everything has a process and some things just don’t happen instantly.
You need time to learn, time to make mistakes, time to understand thoroughly and weigh things before you can get to where you want to so you need to trust that going through a longer process than what you initially thought it would is not a bad thing. Yes, for some people, things sometimes happen practically overnight – but that’s not for everyone. Everyone has a different path, your path will be different from others. It’s especially designed for you, by God, because God knows what the best path for you is.”
