Today, Rene Soehardono is having his birthday.

So why does this guy deserve a blogpost?

Well, my typed words are the least that I can give as a gift to this amazing man after all that he has given me.

We all know that he coined the phrase ‘Your Job Is Not Your Career’, and literally put the word ‘passion’ back in the vocabulary of business and corporate Indonesia.

But I am here not to tell the story of that Rene that is in the books and the columns.

I am here to tell the story of the Rene that I am lucky enough to know in private conversations and personal talks.

And that Rene. Just. Don’t. Care.

He doesn’t care about what the rules are. About what the world says about how things should’ve done. About what people say or think about him. About how they will take offense of his words and ideas. And about his ego and pride.

He just doesn’t care.

In fact, because he really does care at the really important things, he doesn’t give any thought about the less important ones.

I learn five words from this guy.

The first two is, “Why not?”, and the last three is, “It doesn’t matter.”

Those are his usual answers from me asking “Can I do that?” and “What would people think?”

After hearing enough of these five words answers he’s given me from time to time, my mind started to change too.

I learned not to care.

It’s hard at first for a people-pleasure guy like myself. I used to think about what people think of me all the time.

But now: I. Just. Don’t. Care.

And boy, not caring is good. It has taken me places I’ve never dreamed of.

Because now I can direct my time and energy on making an impact and going where no one has gone before and doing the more important things without caring what people say and think about me.

You wouldn’t believe how much energy and courage we will have when we don’t care about what others think of us. As for me, I am a new man.

And I have you to thank for, Rene.

Happy birthday, and I pray like the Good Book says: “May goodness and luck follow you wherever you go, for all your lifetime.”