Summary
Highlights
Maria Rahajeng, a visual learner, shares her childhood experiences of being quiet, shy, loving to draw, and making plans for the future. She introduces the concept of a 'dream board' or 'vision board' as a powerful tool for visual learners to manifest their desires, serving as a source of inspiration and motivation aligned with the law of attraction. She recounts creating her first dream board at 16, envisioning a career in fashion, having her own house, traveling, and becoming a TV presenter, despite believing these dreams were impossible at the time.
Maria details her struggle with her father's traditional career expectations (doctor or lawyer) and her determination to pursue her passion. This led her to compromise by studying broadcasting journalism, hoping to enter fashion media and become a TV host. During university, she stepped out of her comfort zone, participated in a campus pageant (Miss Campus, which she won), and later Miss Indonesia. These experiences built her confidence, gave her a voice, and led to unexpected opportunities, including her first TV hosting job after initial failures.
Maria recounts her dream of working for E! News, a network she grew up watching. Through persistence, a pitch from her sister for twin hosts, and successful auditions, she and her sister became the first E! News Asia hosts from Indonesia, interviewing iconic figures like Diane von Furstenberg. She reveals that on her 16-year-old dream board, she had drawn the E! News logo, a dream that came true seven years later. This success led to content creation and co-authoring a book, 'Becoming Unstoppable', further solidifying her belief in the power of visualization.
Maria emphasizes that visualization has been a constant throughout her life. She shares her 2018 dream board, which included images of a hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia, attending a Liverpool FC game at Anfield, and buying a home. She explains how each of these dreams materialized, from traveling to Cappadocia and watching Liverpool play, to buying her first home after dedicated saving and hard work. She asserts that the size of the dream is irrelevant as long as there is belief and effort.
Maria encourages the audience to visualize their dreams, from graduating college to starting a business or helping a loved one, advising them to imagine it as vividly and regularly as possible until it becomes reality. She warns against the trap of negative thinking that can lead to giving up before even trying. Instead, she urges focusing on the 'how' — the hard work, sacrifices, and risks needed to achieve the dream. She concludes by stating that positive focus will always outweigh negative space, reinforcing that 'change begins with us' and that by changing our perspective, mindset, and vision, 'everything changes'.
Maria concludes her talk with a quote from her book, 'Becoming Unstoppable': 'Visualize what it is that you want, and then go after it with everything that you have because if you can imagine it, then you can envision it, and if you can envision it, then you can create it, and that will lead to you becoming it.' She leaves the audience with a powerful message about the transformative power of visualization and determined action.