My Experience with Flow

Flow? What is the meaning of it? Most people might think that it is river which it moves smoothly and easily down a mountain, through a forest, to the ocean. This time in my journal I am going to write about flow which has almost the same meaning with the river.
The flow that I mean is the happiness which comes just in a few minutes or just in a moment. Sometimes we realize it but sometimes we don’t. People who love their work or anything they do experience the flow more often.

I experience the flow often when I worked as a part time promoter in Isetan, KLCC. I was so bored which after SPM exam, I just stayed at home and doing nothing. Besides, all of my friends were already looked for a part time work to earn extra income. After a week I had already finished my SPM exam, my aunt called me, she offered me a job at the 1st floor in Isetan.

Without any approval from my parents, I just went to see my aunt in the next day. The boss didn’t trust any Malay girls or boys. But, luckily that I was my aunt nephew so he was agree to give me the job. I was wondering why the boss didn’t trust anybody to do the work especially teenagers?? I wonder... I wonder...

The next day, I came there at 10 o’clock in the morning. (My mom already knew about this and she said “just do whatever you like~” haha! That’s my mom!) The boss said “this is your 1st day in working and I dare you to sell at least 1 shoe. Here is your blazer.” Plus he also said that I have to study about the entire shoe. (Here we only sold men shoes). So I think it’s not that difficult just study and sell only 1 shoe. It’s easy!

My aunt took me to the store and gave me a very thick book. I wonder what the book is about. I opened the book and it was about the entire shoe that we sold. It was made in Italy and the brands were A.Testoni, Bruno Magli, Fratteli Rossetti and Stema. I never heard all the brands before! My boss said that the shoes that we sell, not all people can wear it. Only people like YB, PM or any upper class people willing to wear the shoes. I looked at all the shoes’ prices. I was very shocked that the lowest price is RM999 and the highest is RM6000.Who’s going to buy these shoes?? Aarrgghhh!!

It was already 1:30 o’clock in the evening. I was starving but I can’t go anywhere, not before I finished studied. Suddenly a boy came into the store, he just watched me studied the big book. Then he went to my aunt and asked her permission to treat me at this lunch time. I was so surprise. We went for lunch together. The boy’s name was Farris. He’s cute. He said that he was sorry to see me studied in the small room in the store so he took me for lunch. He teaches me a lot in serving the customer.

After we finished lunch, my boss asked me to stop reading because it was my aunt turn to go for lunch. Here it begins. My boss asked me to relax and served the customer with a smile. I failed for the 1st time. My boss asked me to try harder he said good luck to me because he wanted to go home. It was already 7 o’clock pm. Oh my god! I didn’t sell anything yet! My aunt’s was ready to go home. It is my turn to handle the work until 10 o’clock. I was too bored. Farris came to me he gave me confident to continue my work.

Suddenly, a Japanese man came to look at the shoes. As usual, I served him with a smile asked him if there was anything that I can help. He looked at me seriously, and then he said “are you new here? Do you know anything about these shoes?” I was nervous then I told him as much information I knew about the shoes. Now I know why I had to study the book. The man was interested to heard me and he asked me to find either I had the size 7 ½ or not. I quickly looked in my catalog and there were finished! “OMG! I think I’m going to lose him.” I told him that we didn’t have that size for that shoe but we have for other design. I showed him the latest design we had. Luckily he was interested. I took him he 7 ½ size and it was fit with him. I was so happy!. He decided to buy it. I helped him paid the shoe at the counter. After he finished paying his shoe, I asked for his name card. If we had any promotion we would sms them.

Before he left, he told me to stay worked here and he was going to be my personal customer. Wow! This means he only buy shoes with me. That is the happiest day in my life. The next day, I went to worked as usual, my boss decided to keep me as a part time permanent which means my salary was higher than the part time worker. I am so glad to work with him. Then, day after day, I worked as usual sometimes I felt bored especially when there were no customer and sales at all and sometimes I felt happy when I sell for just only a shoe for a day.

Actually, what I mean is the happy feeling that I feel when I sold those shoes is flow. It comes only in few minutes after you will feel bored again. I often experience the flow because I love my job so much! Now, I continue study marketing in USIM. I share all my experience with all my friends and I miss that time so much.