A Space to Shine – A Journey to Discovering One’s True Self

By Bella Safitri | STAR in TDC Surabaya, Indonesia

Team Building: Bella Safitri and her colleagues

Hi, my name is Bella Safitri, people usually call me Bella. I am currently 20 years old and work in tax administration at an electrical equipment distribution company. Alhamdulillah, just one week after graduating from LP4Y, I immediately got this job and have now been working there for about a year.

On this occasion, I would like to share my journey in searching for my true self, a journey that truly helped me understand who I really am.

I am a young person who likes new things, but every time an opportunity comes to try something new, my heart races. I enjoy watching my friends bravely speak in public or try new hobbies, but when it comes to me, I am always left behind, hesitating and overthinking:

"Am I capable?”, “What if I make a mistake?”, and often even asking myself, “Is there something wrong with me?”

Until one day, during a collective guidance session at LP4Y, our Coach asked, “Are you afraid of failing, or are you afraid of not knowing who you truly are?” That question pierced my heart. At that moment, I finally found my answer: “I’m not afraid, I just need a space to find direction and the courage to be myself.”

Bella presenting her LPP.

In the first Life Project Plan (LPP) session, I couldn’t even write anything on the paper. I didn’t know what I wanted, what my strengths were, or even what my true dreams might be. I only wrote, “I want to work well.” That was it. The coach looked at it and said, “Bella, working well is the result, but what makes you want to work well? Who will be the foundation of who you are?”That question left me stunned. I had never thought that I could have a foundation or a unique identity of my own. And LP4Y was the place where all those answers slowly began to unfold.

When I first joined LP4Y, I didn’t even dare to greet or introduce myself to others. I always felt too ordinary, as if I had nothing to be proud of. But little by little, through every presentation practice, every group discussion, and every challenge given, I began to feel real change.

Putri (Coach) and Bella during the 2024 Graduation

From someone who had to lower her head and whisper when asking a Coach a question, I became someone brave enough to approach anyone, share ideas, and even start new conversations. From trembling and forgetting my words when speaking in front of others, I learned to stand tall. One of the most memorable moments for me was being appointed to present a new electrical product to an important supplier at my company.

When the sales manager came to my desk and said, “Bella, tomorrow we’ll have a customer visit from Samarinda. You’ll be the one presenting our new innovative product,” my heart immediately started pounding. For a moment, memories of my old self, afraid to speak in front of a class, flashed through my mind. But then I remembered,

“Fear is a sign that you are about to grow.”

That afternoon, I immediately prepared the presentation materials, carefully checking every product specification, price calculation, and benefit. That night, as I practiced alone in my room, I still felt a bit nervous, but it was no longer fear that made me shake. Instead, it was exciting to show what I was capable of.

The next day, standing in front of eight experienced customers, I took a deep breath and began my presentation. At first, my voice trembled slightly, but as I explained how the new product could reduce their operational costs, I started to feel more comfortable. I was even able to answer their questions clearly and confidently.

After the presentation ended, one of the customers said, “She is still young, but the explanation was very detailed and clear, very good!” When the manager praised me after they left, my eyes welled up with tears. This was real proof that the change within me was genuine and meaningful.

Beyond that, I discovered many other things within myself: from the ability to be a good listener to friends, to the courage to propose improvements to work processes at the office. If I were to explain everything one by one, it would become a long life story, not just a journey of self-discovery.

I once sat alone in a park, gazing at the sky, thinking, “Is this really me? How did I become like this?”I felt incredibly proud of my growth, not because I became someone else, but because I finally allowed the part of myself that had long been hidden to emerge.

That was when I realized that 'identity' is not something that already exists from the beginning and must be hunted like a hidden treasure. Rather, it is something that grows and takes shape when we dare to try, learn from mistakes, and accept ourselves as we are. I no longer feel the need to be like others, because I have found that I have my own value and uniqueness that cannot be replaced.

This change was not merely the result of training or practice, but something I truly wanted to achieve and prove: to everyone, and even to myself, that I am capable of more than I ever imagined. Yes, LP4Y has given me something incredibly valuable, not only knowledge and skills, but also an understanding of who I am and what I can do. I found a different version of myself, not a new person, but the person I was always meant to be.

In my opinion, LP4Y is not just a place to train skills and work abilities. More than that, it is a place where I grew, developed, and discovered new dreams and possibilities in life. From a small group of people who initially didn’t know each other and felt awkward together, we eventually became like family: able to share struggles, support one another, and remind each other along the way.

Sometimes, we meet on weekends to share our individual progress. Seeing my friends also discover their own identities makes me even more certain that everyone has extraordinary potential: they just need the right place to unleash it.

LP4Y equips us not only with knowledge for work but also with the understanding needed to endure and make sense of what we do in life.

Now, every time I face a new challenge, I no longer ask, “Am I capable?” Instead, I think,

“I’m ready to discover a new part of myself that I haven’t yet uncovered.”