End Year Notes

So, new year is a-comin'. People usually make new year resolutions, projections, wishes, or something like that; for example: exercise at least three times a week, eat more healthy foods, do more work, less whining and complaining, etc, etc. Most of it don't last long though, because people tend to break a new planned habit. Look at this interesting infographic below, taken from The University of Scranton: Journal of Clinical Psychology:

Recently I've been studying about replacing an old habit and creating a new one. It's so interesting and I wanna write about it, but I myself still couldn't implement it. Yeah that's the thing, I'm more of a theoretical than a practical guy. So, instead of writing about resolution, habit, and stuff like that (maybe I'll write about those topics later), I wanna write about random things that I know so far, up until the end of 2013. Not so random really, more like a mash up of things that come to my mind. Anyway, here I go:

1. Everyone should learn to write

It's important to learn how to write and to be a good writer. Back in high school, whenever I got a writing assignment I always had a problem about what to write. I knew that it would be a problem later on, but I didn't know what kind of problem would emerge from being unable to write...until recently. Most of the time, writing is about communicating an idea. It is just as important as speaking. If you can't write, you can't share your ideas and that means your ideas will become worthless. Scary isn't it?

2. Control your emotion
It's not cool to lose your cool. You have to control your emotions and never let emotions control you. Being able to control your emotion doesn't mean you have to 'bury' all your emotions, you just have to know what is the motive behind your emotions and when is the right time to express it (or don't express it at all if it's destructive). You also have to be able to alter and control your mood. People tend to lose control and could not think clearly when they let emotions control them. Don't let that happen to you. Know yourself better, take control.

3. Always do your best
Whenever you do something, make sure you do it 100%. If you can't do it with your 100%, don't do it, but if you have to do it anyway you have to give your best. Also, you have to enjoy what you do, even if you hate it. If you do things that way, it's more likely for you to succeed and less likely for you to regret the things you do.

4. Value your time
Yes, value your time. Don't waste your time gossiping, idling on the internet, and doing other stuff like that. Do useful things, learn new things, go travelling somewhere new, see the world through a different perspective, and do what you have to ASAP. Do you know what's my biggest enemy this time around? Procrastination. This bad habit screwed my life over and over in the past five years. I missed my opportunities and chances, and hate myself whenever I procrastinate. I learned this the hard way, so trust me: value your time, don't be late (it's better to be early than late), and don't procrastinate. You've been warned!

5. Focus
Have you seen Fight Club? That's one of my favorite film. There's this quote from the film: "No fear, no distractions, the ability to let that which doesn't matter truly slide." Yes, that's quite simple but a powerful concept. We have to live our life to the fullest: don't be afraid, don't be distracted, pursue your dream. Go!

6. Stay Positive

Cliche? Yep, but it really is a good advice. A fundamental principle to live your life. Positive mental attitude is what you need if you want to succeed. You can read about it in almost every self-help book, and one of the most notable book about positive thinking and positive being is The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. My advice: be careful about what you think, because your thoughts run your life and there's a high probability that your thoughts will come true. Think positive!

7. Keep Your Problem to Yourself

This funny yet true quote is all I need to explain this point: 'Never tell your problems to anyone, 20% don't care and the other 80% are glad you have them.' Well, that may not be 100% true but yes, you should stop your rant, be it offline or online via Twitter, Facebook, and other social media. Keep your problems to yourself, those who really care will know eventually and help you wholeheartedly.

So, that's it. This is an epilogue to 2013. If you think it's too late for you to do something to make your life better, it is not. Even if it is, it's OK, just do it. It's better late than never anyway. It's too soon to give up, so wake up and go catch your dream. Fight! See you next year!

Manfaatkan Lima Perkara Sebelum Datang Lima Perkara

Pada kesempatan kali ini saya akan membahas sabda Rasulullah tentang memanfaatkan lima perkara sebelum datangnya lima perkara. Saya yakin sebagian besar umat Islam sudah pernah mendengar sabda Rasulullah ini, dan saya berpendapat bahwa nasehat Rasulullah yang satu ini harus kita camkan serta kita renungkan baik-baik. Dari Ibnu 'Abbas, Rasulullah shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam bersabda:

اِغْتَنِمْ خَمْسًا قَبْلَ خَمْسٍ : شَبَابَكَ قَبْلَ هَرَمِكَ وَ صِحَّتَكَ قَبْلَ سَقَمِكَ وَ غِنَاكَ قَبْلَ فَقْرِكَ وَ فَرَاغَكَ قَبْلَ شَغْلِكَ وَ حَيَاتَكَ قَبْلَ مَوْتِكَ

Manfaatkanlah lima perkara sebelum lima perkara:
[1] Waktu mudamu sebelum datang waktu tuamu,
[2] Waktu sehatmu sebelum datang waktu sakitmu,
[3] Masa kayamu sebelum datang masa kefakiranmu,
[4] Masa luangmu sebelum datang masa sibukmu,
[5] Hidupmu sebelum datang kematianmu.

(HR. Al Haki, dalam Al Mustadroknya, dikatakan oleh Adz Dzahabiy dalam At Talkhish berdasarkan syarat Bukhari-Muslim. Dishohihkan oleh Syaikh Al Albani dalam Al Jami' Ash Shogir)

Berikut pembahasan lima poin yang telah disebutkan di atas: 

Poin pertama adalah memanfaatkan waktu muda sebelum waktu tua. Jelas kita tahu bahwa ketika muda manusia mempunyai daya dan tenaga yang lebih, terutama secara fisik. Seseorang yang masih muda lebih mudah mempelajari sesuatu dari awal mula tidak bisa hingga menjadi bisa. Jika dilihat dari kondisi fisik, seorang pemuda secara umum lebih kuat dari pada orang yang sudah tua. Berdasarkan fakta inilah Rasulullah berpesan agar kita melakukan kegiatan yang bermanfaat selagi masih muda dan kuat untuk melakukannya, sehingga ketika nanti masa tua datang kita tidak menyesali akan apa yang tidak kita lakukan.

Poin kedua mirip dengan poin pertama, namun menyangkut kondisi kesehatan. Kita harus terus bersyukur atas kondisi fisik yang kita punyai, salah satu caranya adalah dengan menggunakan fisik kita seoptimal mungkin. Lakukanlah apa yang bisa dilakukan. Amalan apapun asal bermanfaat maka lakukanlah. Jangan sampai sakit menghampiri dan kita menyesali apa yang tidak kita lakukan ketika sehat. Selain menggunakan fisik seoptimal mungkin tidak lupa juga kita berkewajiban menjaga kondisi fisik agar tetap sehat, sebagai contohnya adalah berolah raga, mengkonsumsi makanan yang sehat, dan menghindari makanan dan minuman yang merusak tubuh (alkohol, rokok, dll). Hargailah kesehatan, hargailah kondisi fisik dengan melakukan amalan-amalan bermanfaat terutama yang dapat dilakukan ketika dalam kondisi sehat.

Poin ketiga adalah memanfaatkan kekayaan yang kita punyai sebelum kita kehilangan kekayaan tersebut. Ini bukan bermaksud kita harus kaya raya dulu baru dapat menggunakan kekayaan untuk tujuan bermanfaat, namun apapun yang ada atau kita miliki maka manfaatkanlah untuk jalan kebaikan. Batasan kaya menurut saya bukanlah didapat dengan membandingkan kekayaan seseorang dengan kondisi masyarakat sekitar, namun apabila kebutuhan dasar seseorang telah dapat terpenuhi dan masih didapatkan kelebihan maka itulah yang disebut kaya. Terlepas dari kaya atau tidak, sudah banyak contoh orang yang sukses karena menggunakan harta kekayaannya di jalan kebaikan, bahkan tidak sedikit orang yang masih dianggap miskin mau menyedekahkan hartanya demi orang lain dengan ikhlas. Masak kita yang lebih beruntung ini kalah?

Poin keempat berkaitan erat dengan waktu. Inti dari poin keempat ini sederhana saja yaitu manfaatkanlah waktu yang ada sebelum waktu itu hilang. Jangan biarkan ada waktu kosong. Jangan biarkan diri kita menganggur atau menyia-nyiakan waktu dengan melakukan hal yang tidak berguna. Jangan bermalas-malasan. Waktu untuk berstirahat, bersantai, bermain, dan aktifitas sejenis tetap dibutuhkan, namun porsinya tidak boleh berlebih. Jangan sampai waktu berlalu dengan sia-sia, karena waktu yang telah berlalu dan hilang tidak dapat kita peroleh kembali; tidak dapat diulang kembali.

Poin kelima sudah sangat jelas sekali, manfaatkanlah hidupmu sebelum datang ajalmu. Karena kita tidak mengetahui kapan ajal kita datang, maka jangan sekali-sekali menyia-nyiakan hidup. Do what you have to do, do what you need to do. Jangan sekali-kali (membiasakan) menunda sebuah kewajiban, apapun itu. Ingatlah bahwa akan ada "kehidupan" setelah kematian, dan kita semua akan dimintai pertanggungjawaban atas apa yang kita lakukan di dunia ini. Manfaatkan hidupmu untuk tujuan yang baik, dunia dan akhirat. Do what needs to be done.

Dari lima poin diatas semuanya mengandung satu pesan yang sama, yaitu jangan menyia-nyiakan apa yang ada. Jangan sampai kita menyesali apa yang telah hilang. Saya sering mengaitkan isi hadits di atas dengan ungkapan dari barat yang cukup terkenal, yaitu seize the day (carpe diem). Intinya hampir sama, yaitu memanfaatkan apa yang ada atau dipunyai sebelum apa yang ada tersebut tidak kita miliki lagi. Ungkapan seize the day konteksnya pada hitungan hari, yaitu hari yang sama tidak akan berulang. Hari Senin mungkin terjadi lima kali dalam sebulan, namun lima Senin tersebut adalah lima Senin yang berbeda. Senin yang pertama berbeda dengan Senin yang kedua, Senin kedua beda dengan Senin yang ketiga, dan seterusnya. Begitu juga dengan hari-hari yang lainnya. 

Secara manusia itu mengarungi waktu secara linear, maka ketika suatu hari telah lewat kita tidak dapat mengulanginya lagi. Kesempatan menjalani satu hari (24 jam) hanya sekali; maka manfaatkanlah sebaik mungkin. Hidup kita ini hanya sekali, maka manfaatkanlah sebaik mungkin.

The Heart and The Brain

The heart wants what the heart wants and sometimes when the heart doesn’t get what the heart wants the brain blue-screens.

Sunset Limited: A Limited Review

What would happen if two men, one is an atheist-nihilist kind of guy and the other is a true believer, sit in a room and have a deep conversation about life and belief? That’s what this film called Sunset Limited all about.

From the beginning until the end of the film, these two men never call each other by real name. In the end credit though, one is referred as Black and the other is referred as White. Tommy Lee Jones played White, a professor who doesn’t believe in religion, peace, and such thing. The other man, Black, played by Samuel L. Jackson.

This may contain (a little bit) spoiler:

At first we don’t know why or how these people met each other, but as the conversation progress we get to know their characters and stories. While White’s trying to commit suicide by jumping in front of a train (the Sunset Limited), Black was there and stopped White from killing himself. The two of them then went to Black’s apartment, sit there, and then the conversation begins.

The acting is without a doubt magnificent. The plot and the ending is somehow “incomplete”, and the dialogue is heartwarming. Yes, it will warm your heart until it burns. This film is definitely not for everyone, but if you enjoy films like12 Angry Men or The Man From Earth, you should give this film a shot.

Oh, one more fun fact: the director of this film is Tommy Lee Jones himself.

Rate: 3.5 / 5

To Kill A Mocking Bird

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee, set in Alabama circa 1930s. The novel tells a story about a six-year-old girl named Jean Louise "Scout" Finch who lives with her older brother Jeremy "Jem" Finch and their widowed father Atticus Finch who is a lawyer. In this novel Scout observes things that happen in her neighborhood and explore her relationship with her family, neighbors, and school friends. One of the main idea of the novel is observing the world, or maybe should I say observing the grown-ups matters, through the eye of six-year-old girl.

The story starts with the historical description of Finch family ancestor, and then focuses on Scout and Jem who befriend Dill, a kid of their age who visits Maycomb (a fictional town in Alabama) to stay with her aunt every summer. They have this strange interest in their neighbor, "Boo" Radley, who rarely shows up and just stays inside his house the whole time.

The story then focuses on Atticus who's been appointed by the court to defend Tom Robbinson, a black man accused of raping a white girl named Maya Ewell. The citizens of Maycomb look down on Atticus as he is really trying to defend Tom and not just pretending to defend him as a formality. They even call Atticus "nigger-lover". Atticus also has to deal with a group of people intent on lynching Tom.

Scout's relationship with her black housekeeper, Calpurnia, helps her understand Atticus' point of view; that everyone is equal before the law and there's nothing wrong in defending black people. She defends his father honor and supports him in doing the right thing. The trial of Tom Robbinson vs Bob Ewell (Maya's Father) brings a realistic conclusion, and the story doesn't just end there.

The story flows smoothly from one event to another. From start to end you can feel the great depression that happened during that time, you can understand how racism and racial injustice affecting people's life, how each character's view on the problem presented, and how enjoyable the descriptive narration that makes the story so alive and real. This book is so rich, dealings with sensitive matter but still there's a humor in it.

Lots of people say that this book is a classic; a book that will change people's perspective. Well, I couldn't agree more. The well written story line, the substance, and the characters, they're all really good that you won't forget it even weeks, months, or maybe years after you read the book. I recommend everyone to read this book at least once in a life time and write a review (just like what I did) or even better, write an essay about it.

Rate: 5/5

Brand New Day

...بِسْــــــــــــــــــمِ اﷲِالرَّحْمَنِ اارَّحِيم

First post! Terinspirasi dari pemikiran sendiri tentang susahnya (atau karena belum terbiasa jadinya susah?) menuangkan suatu ide kedalam bentuk tulisan, maka saya mulai membuat blog baru. Dulu pernah sih punya blog, tapi akhirnya tidak sukses dalam artian bosan untuk mengurusnya. Blog terbaru ini saya harap dapat menampung segala ide yang terlintas dalam benak saya, entah itu berbentuk cerita peristiwa, pemikiran, ilmu, atau apapun. Semoga isi dari blog ini bermanfaat buat saya sendiri khususnya dan semua pengunjung blog pada umumnya. Yeah, here we go again: Let's do this!

NB: Sepertinya pemakaian bahasa bakalan campur aduk, kalo ada salah-salah grammar boleh deh dikoreksi. No hard feelings kok. :D