Meeting an Idol

Have you ever had a conversation with a total stranger who eventually turned out to be your Idol?

I have been in love with Ayn Rand's characters (Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged) ever since college days. I envy their passion and their intelligence as they run around trying to make their world a better place (without masking it as their intention for all but for themselves). I would always try to imitate their brilliance by making sure I was giving my hundred percent best and loving what I do.

But lately, when it comes to the office, I fall flat in the imitating. I simply can't function a hundred percent because I feel like I've been dragged down a unfulfilling job. That's how I felt for the past three months or so.

And then I met a real-life Dagny Taggart.

I will not disclosed her name because I'm not sure if she would want me to. She is in real estate, selling one of the most expensive condominiums to be put up in Makati. She was looking into our company to provide the design services for her upcoming event that would boost the sales of the condominium.

As we were talking about the details of the project, she goes on telling us about the magnificent product she is selling. A condominium is a hard product to sell. I should know--my mom and dad are in the real estate business. If it was that easy to sell, I would've been a very rich little girl now.

What interested me in her story-telling is how passionate she was with her project. You know when you have that amount of passion for what you do, you inspire people. And since she was in Sales, my bosses were inspired to buy a unit (not that they would).

As I listen to her tell stories about her sales and her project, I was simply mesmerized. This is my Dagny Taggart. Who amidst all obstacles (people's resentment to the project, skeptics, rejections from clients) believes, and I mean truly believes, that she has a magnificent project at hand.

She has availed our services. Just last week, they have given the 'Go' signal for our preliminary designs. And this means that I will be dealing with her--my personal Dagny Taggart. And I vow to myself to always give a hundred percent (with our project together as well as other future projects) as an honor to her--she serves as my inspiration.