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Ide untuk berefleksi dan merencanakan tahun 2018

25th December 2017 - 6 min read
Ide untuk berefleksi dan merencanakan tahun 2018

Saya suka banget sama yang namanya menulis dan berjurnal. Tidak hanya lewat tulisan di blog tapi lewat tulisan tangan di buku.  Semaju majunya teknologi, akan selalu ada alasan valid mengapa menulis dengan tangan di kertas lebih menstimulasi dan mengkoordinasikan bagian-bagian otak ketimbang lewat sarana lain. Daya ingat juga lebih terlatih dan yang nggak kalah pentingnya adalah manfaat calming dan soothing dari menulis. Sering banget kepala saya memberat akibat banyaknya pikir-pikiran yang nggak terdeteksi dengan baik. Menulis membantu untuk mengklarifikasi apa yang sebenarnya kita mau dan meringankan otak kita. Anyway, grab your book and get through these questions with me <3

Pertanyaan-pertanyaan ini selalu saya tanyakan ke diri saya sendiri di setiap akhir tahun untuk melihat ke belakang dan dengan itu bersiap untuk menyambut tahun baru. Saya percaya banget apa yang kita lakukan di masa lalu adalah manifestasi diri kita yang lebih baik di tahun-tahun selanjutnya. Tapi terkadang kita terlalu fokus ke hal-hal yang belum kita capai sedangkan sebenarnya banyak sekali hal-hal yang dapat membuat kita bersyukur. Jangan pernah berhenti bersyukur, karena bersyukur adalah magnet untuk memikat hal-hal baik lainnya, begitu pun sebaliknya. Dan jangan berhenti bermimpi karena mimpi adalah energi ekstra yang membuat kita termotivasi untuk bergerak dan hidup.

Cari tempat yang enak untuk duduk, pasang musik yang easy dan inspiring, buat teh atau minuman hangat, and let’s answer it out..

1. Apa highlight di tahun 2017?

Sebagai manusia, saya termasuk orang yang pelupa. Pelupa dalam hal apa saja termasuk dalam mengingat apa yang terjadi dalam kehidupan saya. Percaya atau nggak, waktu akan terasa sangat singkat saat kita tidak sadar apa dan bagaimana kita menggunakan waktu kita. Dengan menulis, kita jadi bisa membaca kembali bahwa banyak sekali kebaikan dan pencapaian yang kita alami. Dengan itu, kita pun akan bersyukur.

Highlight ini tidak harus sesuatu yang besar. Gunakan ini untuk fokus ke hal-hal positif yang terjadi dalam kehidupan kita. Satu ataupun dua, pasti ada. Literally any moment of joy and happiness you feel. Setelah melakukan ini, saya jadi ingin mengumpulkan highlight of the month. Dengan menulis, bahkan jurnaling per hari akan mudah untuk mengakumulasi all the precious memories we have. This will go in my 2018 goals 🙂 Ini sesuatu yang akan kita bawa dan ingat sepanjang hidup kita. Membiasakan menulis hal-hal positif dan baik akan meringankan beban otak kita untuk menjadi lebih organised.

2. Apa yang terjadi di 2017 yang paling kamu syukuri?

Just write, write and write things that make you grateful for this year. Literally apapun, as simple as the course of random people smiling at your everyday or be healthy and be able to breath freely every morning. Saya termasuk orang yang keep a gratitude journal dan berusaha untuk mempraktikannya sehari-sehari. Untuk menjawab pertanyaan kedua ini saya akan membuka buka jurnal yang dulu dan mengambil beberapa isinya. Tapi kalau tidak pun kita bisa mencoba mengingat-ingat dengan membuka album foto, instagram, facebook atau apapun yang bisa mengingatkan. Believe me, you will feel like the luckiest person on earth and you will end up with so much things that make you thankful and smile. Any down moment will not matter anymore 🙂

Selain itu semua orang pasti mengalami banyak challenges dan pelajaran. Yang bisa kita liat dari segi positifnya. Tulis apa yang kita bisa dapat dari pengalaman itu dan bagaimana tantangan itu membuat diri kita menjadi lebih baik. Gratitude has such an influence in our happiness.

3. Apa yang ingin kita kembangkan di tahun 2018 dan bagaimana ?

Perubahan apa yang kita pengen lihat di diri kita dan bagaimana kita pengen ngelihat diri kita di penghujung 2018. It seems like further away but before we know it, tahun 2019 sudah di depan mata. Without it being very quick, let’s make goals for our selves. Where do we want to be dan gimana kita pengen ngeliat hidup di kita di segenap tahun 2018.

Biasanya saya tanya ke diri saya sendiri, dimana saya ingin melihat diri saya di penghujung tahun 2018. Dan dari situ saya menghitung mundur untuk menulis hal-hal yang harus saya lakukan atau yang harus saya kembangkan demi mencapai tempat dimana saya ingin berdiri di akhir tahun 2018. Di poin ini saya juga berafirmasi mau menjadi orang yang seperti apa contohnya: bold/berani, percaya diri, kuat, dsb.

4. Area mana yang kita mau fokuskan dan 2018 dan apa goalsnya di setiap area?

Tahun lalu saya menemukan struggle yang ternyata juga dialami oleh banyak orang. Struggle itu adalah ingin melakukan banyak sekali hal dalam satu waktu. Yang jadi masalah adalah keputusan untuk memulai dari mana. Karena melakukan semua dalam satu waktu juga tidak feasible. Seringnya terjadi adalah pada akhirnya tidak memulai darimana-mana karena it all seems too much. Dan itu sayang banget.

Doing things at once is not how life works no matter how hard we work on it. We have to sacrifice in one area in order to grow in another area. We have to do things once at a time. That is how we start. 

Tahun ini saya akan memberi timeline dan menulis area mana yang ingin saya kembangkan. Seperti kesehatan, spiritual atau kreatifitas. I want to be as specific as possible and set a deadline for it. Kemudian break it down to actionable steps. Take the baby step and work on it! Setelah kita achieve satu per satu goal, kita bisa mulai untuk mempraktekannya altogether dengan goal baru kita. Seperti menyirami tanaman yang sudah kita tanam sembari menanam tanaman baru. It will be fruitful at the end.

Let’s take action and be consistent. That’s what makes us different with other people. Idea and goal comes from anyone and everyone, but who actually takes action are only small percentage of it.

Selamat menulis dan bersiap siap untuk tahun baru.

Love,

 

Hidup Minimalis Self growth

Konsep hidup minimalis dan Tips beberes ala Marie Kondo

26th November 2017 - 3 min read

Sekitar 3 tahun yang lalu saya pertama kali denger soal konsep ‘minimalisme’ dari kakak saya. Dia nggak sengaja ketemu TED Talk dua orang Amerika yang menyebut diri mereka ‘The Minimalists’. Ternyata mereka merupakan pioner yang menyebarkan konsep minimalisme di Amerika dan akhirnya di dunia. Lewat blog dan TED Talk-nya,  Mereka sukses mengispirasi banyak banget orang untuk belajar lebih jauh lagi soal minimalisme dan bahkan mengaplikasikan konsep itu ke hidup mereka.

Sejak kecil Bapak saya selalu ngajarin saya dan kakak-kakak saya untuk menjadi manusia sederhana yang tidak berlebih-lebihan, jadi sebenarnya konsep itu bukan hal yang baru bagi saya. Bukan dalam hal berminimalisme-nya tapi dalam hal untuk tidak meletakkan materialisme di atas hal-hal lainnya yang lebih bersubstansi. Saat jaman kuliah dulu saya belum mampu mengaplikasikannya secara drastis, mungkin karena saya masih terlalu naif untuk bisa memprioritaskan mana yang berarti untuk hidup saya. Jadi yang saya lakukan ya secukupnya (yang menurut saya saat itu sudah terhitung drastis), dan saya mulai beberes saat kamar/rumah sudah terlihat berantakan. Biasanya masih ada rasa sayang untuk membuang barang-barang yang ‘berarti’ misalnya baju-baju hadiah, baju yang saya beli mahal (tapi cuma dipakai sekali dua kali), dan lain-lain. Yang bikin saya heran, rapihnya itu bener-bener cuma sesaat dan in no time kamar/rumah saya mulai berantakan lagi.

Sampai akhirnya saya baca buku (rekomendasi dari mas Nicko, kakak saya) yang ditulis oleh Marie Kondo berjudul ‘The Life-changing Magic of Tidying up’.  Ada beberapa point yang saya serap dan sampai sekarang masih ada di kepala saya. Yeslong story short, her method works in my life!

  • Sekali declutter, kita nggak akan perlu untuk declutter lagi
  • Konsep untuk hanya menyimpan barang yang Spark joy. Ini relatif berbeda-beda pastinya setiap orang, tapi pada saat kita menerapkan metode KonMari, kita jadi membiasakan diri untuk menggunakan intuisi dan mendengar mana hal-hal yang penting untuk kehidupan kita. Remember untuk ‘put quality over quantity’
  • Buat 3 kategori saat beberes: untuk disimpan, untuk dipikirkan dan untuk dibuang/didonasikan. Beri 3 bulan untuk kategori ‘untuk dipikirkan’, setelah 3 bulan dan barang itu masih nggak dipakai dan nggak direncanakan untuk dipakai, barang itu harus dibuang/didonasikan.
  • Think “why should I keep this?” instead of “what should I get rid of?”

Berikut ini manfaat-manfaat dari hidup minimalisme/sederhana/secukupnya

  • Clear mind
  • Eliminate our discontent
  • Reclaim our time
  • Live in the moment
  • Pursue our passions
  • Discover our missions
  • Experience real freedom
  • Create more, consume less
  • Focus on our health
  • Grow as individuals
  • Contribute beyond ourselves
  • Rid ourselves of excess stuff
  • Discover purpose in our lives

 

PDF clean up KonMari Method checklist (downloadable)

Blog: https://www.theminimalists.com/

TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgBpyNsS-jU

KonMari Book Article: https://lifehacker.com/the-life-changing-magic-of-tidying-up-mind-hacking-adv-1749135755

Life Quotes Self growth Thoughts

A message to my younger self

22nd June 2017 - 6 min read

I just looked at my college graduation pictures 4 years ago (thanks to Facebook). And suddenly my times flew back to my younger self. Today, if I was asked what would be a message for my younger, I would definitely give a bunch of advise. I often shook my head looking at some young women around. Then I realized I’d be no different than all of them if only the social media was as crazy as today. Probably people will roll their eyes at me seeing how dramatic I could had been.

Okay so here we go:

You are special and beautiful as you are

I had my moments, a lot of them, back from elementary school-high school, when I felt discomfort with my own skin. There were always issues with my physical appearance. My hair that was wavy and messy, my skin that was fairly dark, my height that was insufficient compared to the kids around my age. In my country, there was this standard of beauty. Ones have to have white skin, straight black long hair, and tall. I always wished that I was different and tried to change myself to be somebody else.

Growing up, I realized that being confident in my own skin will make me look beautiful anyway. And working in the inside is actually something that I can control while physical is something we were born with. There is nothing more attractive than a confident and kind-warm-hearted person. The moment I surrender and actually feel no longer different but unique/special than other people, it is when I attract other people more. When you accept yourself, you will find peace in life.

Be grateful and always look at the positive

Each day I feel the benefit more and more by praising gratitude. When I was young, I easily got upset and questioned my self-worth just by simple things. Instead of focusing in the negativity and asking what was wrong with me, I’d tell my younger self to not to be self-centered. See the surrounding, open the eyes and be grateful of what you have. Not so many people have the privileges like you. Even being able to breath is a privilege. Every negative mind is a waste of living time. Gratitude makes you happier and it only attracts more and more things to be grateful for. I wish I had started writing down my gratitude journal since I was at school.

Everyday is a good day and validating yourself is also very essentials in order to have a positive mind. I always believe, what we want we will become. By affirming my very self, the brain will work along to achieve it.

Do not get attached to someone/something

I was a kind of girl who would jump from one relationship to another. If I could turn back the time, I would not change it differently. But I wish I had known better that those relationships were wasting my precious time. I guess it’s because I like the feeling to be ‘settled’ and that is really dangerous. That did not make me grow, period. I only wanted to spend times with my exes than doing something worthwhile for my own development. With each of my exes, I thought they would be the one that I invested so many things in them. In fact, I do think it’s much more important to keep up with yourself, to live life and collect as many networks as possible.

The attachment feeling urged me to put other people’s priority on top of me because I was afraid of losing them. Well, now I know that’s better than losing myself.

For the note of the something, we all live in materialistic way nowadays. Yet, the dependency to other things do not bring any goods to us. It gives you worry and the sense of not enough.

Be conscious of who you spend the time with

You are the average 5 people that you spend most of your time with. Make sure you are surrounded by people who lift you up, not bring you down. It certainly was difficult when I was teenager because I did not have any self secure. I kept on trying to have self-actualization from the external and that includes hang out with people I did not enjoy hanging out with. I did not know who I was and what kind of person I wanted to be like, but one thing for sure, you would feel it when you hang out with the right person.

You should not keep friends forever, it’s okay to eliminate them because you also grow as a person. That might sound selfish, but you have to be selfish for yourself. You only live half a second after all.

Never settle down

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” – Martin Luther King Jr

And that is enough said.

Be independent and love yourself

All the above points have one simple result – A happier life. All those are manifestation of loving your self..

xxx

 

Life Quotes Resolutions Self growth Thoughts

2016 Year Review

22nd January 2017 - 6 min read

It has nearly the end of the first month after the whole madness and fireworks celebration of the turning year, in fact we only have 11 more months to go this year. It is no secret that time passes quite rapidly. People say it does when we enjoy what we do. For me, it is both yes and no. Yes because at the moment we have difficulties, the day feels long and short when the other way around. No, because time feels super light speed when it has already passed no matter what you feel on each specific day in the past (exactly what I felt in the New Year’s eve ;)). What I am saying is, time flies anyway, the question is whether we want to look back and make it count or just pass it unconsciously. I think I want to look back and see what I have achieved last year. And as a matter of fact, to be able to achieve what you achieve, you don’t have to particularly enjoy it. Going out from the comfort zone is no enjoyable, but fruitful and we all will be glad eventually that we take risks.

When I thought about it in the New Year’s eve, I felt like I did not do or achieve a lot. But my gratitude journal, my blog, my travel trip has shown differently. I have to say, this is actually one of last year’s important life lesson We are the worse judge of ourselves. I sometimes think that the world or people are against me, that people do things towards me, but in fact they do things for themselves. Of course their actions sometimes make us feel like they’re intentionally targeting us but the reality is they aren’t thinking about you that much, you’re not that special that they would target every action directly toward you. Once I realized that it was easy to move on and focus on my own personal growth and not take everything so personally.

The end of last year, I decided to take the job back from where I was before I moved to TOMS. I had such a big conflict of interest, I was worried people would judge me, would look down on me and all possible thoughts that could possibly happen. It consumed me for quite a while and made me tired, until I realize the above lesson learn. People do not care much about me, they might talk about me, but it’s their concerns, not mine. After all, I felt amazing to be back. Nothing happened as I was worried about. At the end of the day, it’s all about ourselves and what is important for us as long as it is accompanied by relevant values and vision we believe in. And the result is a risk we decide to take.

Another life lesson is, travel and experiences are the best way to spend money . It is memorable and impactful. I did not travel that much last year, but when I saw some images back, I actually kind of did. That is exactly the reason why I always wanted to freeze the memory by keeping a digital album, video, blog and journal. Because I tend to forget things, not that it did not matter, but I just don’t keep up with the little details happened. While these little details are actually a source of gratitude. However, this year, I aim to travel more for the list of destination that has been long awaited. I am so enthusiastic about what life brings and to realize my dreams! I am ready to create a lot of momentum and memorize it.

Last year, I failed doing something that matter to me. A business that has been dear in my heart. I put a lot of things into it, but it just did not work. I think it was not as ready as I wanted it to be, and it is okay. I was upset at first as that was one of my biggest goal last year. However, I shortly realized that I had guts to start it, to do something that I have in my mind. And take chances are one of the most important things happened to me. I learnt from my  mistakes and by doing it I know what I have to anticipate along the way when I start doing it again. I learnt from experiences. I spent not a little money, but I am glad I did, because with it I found out what would not work and what might work.

Lastly, I need to celebrate that I married the man of my dream. Marriage life has not been nothing but pleasant. Yes we have not had our own house, yes we are still figuring out a lot in life, yet I am glad that I go through all this together with a man like Damar. We have hopefully a long time to enjoy the beauty of life together and study in the university of life.

TOAST for a year that has passed and welcome the new year with a long list of goals, vision, and dreams!!! I am so excited as I can be.

There are 2 type of time definition from Newton and Einstein. Newton said time is absolute, Einstein said time is relative. I chose to believe Einstein’s theory. I choose to create my time and its meaning… – MSI 

Life Self growth Thoughts

Alasan mengapa saya travelling?

4th September 2016 - 5 min read

Post saya ini terinspirasi dari halaman Backpacker Dunia di facebook. Seneng dan bangga rasanya ada kumpulan orang-orang yang memotivasi dan termotivasi untuk melihat dunia luar. Memotivasi untuk orang-orang yang sudah punya cukup uang dan waktu untuk disisihkan dan termotivasi bagi yang belum dan sedang menabung  untuk selalu semangat mencapai tempat yang ingin dituju. Bapak saya bilang bahwa cara berpikirnya banyak sekali dirubah dengan kenyataan bahwa dia pernah mendapat beasiswa untuk kuliah di luar negeri selama  beberapa tahun. Jadilah, menjadi salah satu mimpinya untuk menyekolahkan anaknya diluar negeri. Yang alhamdulillah diberi jalan. Saya ini termasuk yang beruntung bisa membangun karakter saya diluar negeri sehingga saya tumbuh menjadi orang yang berpikiran terbuka dan menghargai perbedaan. Walaupun begitu, jika saya hanya berhenti disini dan tidak kemana-kemana, tidak akan cukup banyak saya belajar.

Semakin kesini, memang benar orang-orang indonesia semakin aware dengan travelling. Tapi sayangnya travelling masih sekedar dipandang sebagai perjalanan menuju tempat tujuan wisata dan sarana untuk bilang ‘oh saya sudah pernah kesana’. Foto selfie di depan lenmarc, jalan-jalan ke tempat yang mainstream, tinggal di hotel, pakai agen, pindah sana sini, jepret lagi, lalu pulang, selesai. Padahal sebenarnya pertanyaan untuk traveller adalah siapa yang kamu temui, dan bagaimana pengalaman itu merubah kamu sebagai individual.

Saya pernah ke negara yang bikin saya iri karena kelebihannya, kemakmurannya, sistem pendidikannya, sistem publik transportasi dan kesehatannya. Soal kekayaan, Indonesia nggak kurang-kurang dengan sumber daya alam yang dimiliki, tapi kenapa susah sekali menjadi makmur? kenapa sistem pendidikan nggak bener? banyak korupsi, dan sebagainya. Hal-hal seperti itu membuat  saya berkaca dan semakin semangat memperbaiki diri (karena memperbaiki negara dalam satu kedipan mata hampir nggak mungkin). Bayangkan jika semakin banyak orang travelling yang mengedepankan pembelajaran dan pengalaman, mungkin Indonesia akan menjadi berkembang dengan mengadopsi cara berpikir yang lebih maju.

Di sisi lain, saya juga merasakan gimana orang-orang Eropa sangat individualistik dan cenderung tidak peduli dengan sekitar. Juga gimana nggak gampangnya cari makanan karena jam-jam buka tertentu dan tidak adanya warung-warung kecil sembarangan di jalan. Gimana sepinya jalanan setelah jam 6 karena semua toko tutup. Disitu saya bersyukur banget jadi orang Indonesia.

Saat saya ke Andalusia, saya menemukan banyak sekali kekayaan di era islam beratus-ratus tahun lalu yang sengaja disembunyikan. Saya melihat agama saya kembali dari perspektif yang lain, bahwa islam bukan hanya melambangkan kekerasan dan ketradisionalan, tapi juga intelektualitas. Saya melihat secara langsung bagaimana buku-buku bertuliskan bahasa arab disimpan di dalam dinding karena agama islam harus dimusnahkan. Saya jadi punya cerita untuk teman-teman bule saya yang tidak tahu menahu akan hal ini. Saya bisa bilang bahwa saya menyaksikannya sendiri.

Travelling bener-bener ngajarin banyak hal-hal yang dulu tidak diajarkan di sekolah. Saat traveling saya belajar kemampuan kendali emosi, belajar mengapresiasi dan toleransi. The world is the true university, and when we’re travelling, we are learning. Saya jadi tahu bahwa humanity itu lebih ada dari yang kita pikir. Banyak sekali orang-orang baik di luar sana yang tulus ikhlas membantu tanpa berharap apa-apa. Saat saya di Lisbon, publik transportasi yang kami biasa pakai sedang strike tanpa kami tahu. Saya bingung setengah mati, tapi ada 1 orang yang baik hatinya yang mau menunjukkan bahkan mengantarkan ke tempat dimana kami bisa menemukan transportasi pengganti. Di Turki juga begitu, walaupun orang-orangnya tidak terlalu fasih berbahasa inggris, namun mereka berusaha keras untuk membantu bahkan nggak segan-segan mengantar ke tempat yang kami ingin tuju.

Travelling membuat saya lebih menghargai arti kata ‘rumah’ yang sebeneranya.

Travelling mengajarkan kita untuk menerima diri kita apa adanya dan untuk menemukan jati diri.

Travelling adalah pembuka mata, setiap perjalanan yang dilakukan ialah sebuah proses dan kesempatan unik untuk membuka mata selebar-lebarnya terhadap dunia serta kehidupan disekeliling saya. Saya belajar hal-hal kecil dari bagaimana sebuah kultur sehari-hari dari negara atau tempat yang berbeda. Hal ini mengajarkan saya dalam membangun opini pribadi, memberikan perspektif baru dan menjadikan saya tidak mudah percaya terhadap berita-berita yang media tampilkan.

Maka jika ada kesempatan, travelling-lah dan kembali dengan pelajaran-pelajaran berharga yang membuat kamu selalu ingin memperbaiki diri. Jika tidak ada kesempatan, bersabarlah dan terus mencari 🙂

 

Resolutions Self growth

Look back to 2015

16th January 2016 - 4 min read

I know  people should not look back and just continue to move forward. Tapi buat aku sendiri, melihat pencapaian dan retrospeksi diri sendiri selama setahun belakang punya andil besar dalam setiap langkah yang aku akan ambil di masa depan. Baik ataupun kurang, akan menjadi motivasi diri untuk lebih baik lagi.

Aku nggak pernah buat list yang terlalu panjang dalam catatan resolusiku, karena setinggi-tingginya aku mengharapkn sesuatu, aku tidak ingin fokus ke kuantitas tapi kualitas dan menikmati perjalanan di setiap prosesnya. Di pergantian tahun 2014 ke 2015 aku menuliskan ini:

  1. Reksadana – Belum tercapai. Ternyata untuk membuka rekening reksadana harus dengan nama orang yang bersangkutan sedangkan posisikuuu jauuuuuh sekali dari Indonesia hiks hiks terpaksa harus dipostpone. Sebenarnya alasan aku ingin buka reksadana itu karena investasi di Indonesia lebih aman dan dalam bentuk rupiah jadi uangnya bisa aku simpan di mata uang lokal. Salah satu pertimbangannya adalah karena suatu hari nanti aku ingin kembali ke tanah air dan membuat bisnis disana, jadi mata uang rupiah lebih simpel untuk perputaran uang. Reksadana yang aku pengen ambil itu adalah Reksadana campuran. Reksadana campuran adalah reksadana yang melakukan investasi dalam efek ekuitas dan efek hutang. Potensi hasil dan risiko reksadana campuran secara teoritis di tengah-tengah saham dan pendapatan tetap. Memang tidak terlalu menjanjikan, tapi aku termasuk orang yang percaya investasi daripada menyimpan uang di bank.
  2. Bangun KostBelum tercapai. Ini juga salah satu bentuk investasi yang aku pengen dari dulu selain reksadana. Karena hasilnya yang menjanjikan. Pertimbangannya adalah lokasi tanah yang ada di dekat kampus ITS Surabaya. Tapi modal dari bangun Kost ini nggak kecil, jadi prosesnya cukup panjang dan harus meminjam loan dari Bank di Indonesia (FYI, bank di Belanda tidak mengijinkan pengambilan mortgage untuk digunakan selalin di BENELUX area). Katanya sih bangun kost-an itu adalah pemasukan pasif yang paling baik. Makanya ini aku taro di list resolusi aku. Sayangnya karena banyak pertimbangan dan ini merupakan investasi yang sangat besar, plus pengen banget involve 100%, jadi musti tunggu tahun 2016 atau 2017 saat aku mudik. Smogaaaa dikasih jalannya! AAMIIIN
  3. Headstand – Tercapai, tapi sekarang kayanya dah oleng2 deh. Jarang latihan lagi. It’s something needs to be maintained
  4. Bakasana- Tercapai
  5. TRAVEL – Tercapai
  6. Indefinite Contract- Tercapai
  7. Raise a salary- Tercapai
  8. Living a healthy life. GO GREEN! ORGANIC!- Tercapai tapi harus continously dan sustainably. Ini yang nggak mudah
  9. Find out what business area I want to be in– Tercapai
  10. Khatam Qur’an– Tercapai
  11. > 1k followers on Insta (my personal social experiment)
  12. 10K (for charity)– Tercapai
  13. North Sea Jazz– Tercapai
  14. 6 PACK– Tercapai tapi bleber lagi 🙁
  15. Live Minimalist– Tercapai dan harus di lanjutkan seumur hidup kalau bisa. aamiin
  16. Dutch course – Tercapai
  17. Growing my hair
  18. Aerial Yoga – Tercapai
  19. Permanent Residence
  20. Inburgering – Tercapai
  21. JOB AT TOMS! – Tercapai
  22. Boost awareness SD An Nafi’ – Tercapai tapi harus continously dan sustainably.  This year will be a new resolution concerning this. Bismillah!

Bismillah untuk resolusi tahun 2016 🙂
I am sure it will be a bumpy ride, but anything is possible.

 

 

Dreams Milestone Self growth

Malam Pergantian tahun 2015 ke 2016

2nd January 2016 - 5 min read

Akhirnya sampai juga di penghujung tahun 2015. Rasanya waktu berjalan begitu cepat. Kata Einsten, waktu itu relatif dan sepertinya kecepatan itu tergantung seperti apa kita menikmati perjalanannya.

Malam tahun baru kali ini aku habiskan bersama keluarga, mumpung mbak Fany lagi dateng dari Scotland. Kami sekeluarga makan malam di tempat mba Indah dan keluarga. Alhamdulillah, dikelilingi orang-orang baik yang suka ngasih makan cuma-cuma haha dan paling penting sebenernya masih punya orang-orang dekat untuk berbagi kebahagiaan merayakan pergantian tahun. Sederhana tapi bermakna.. Sudah beberapa kali aku merayakan diluar, dingin-dingin kehujanan dan bingung pulang haha. Di Belanda, kebanyakan orang merayakan pergantian tahun dengan pesta di club atau di rumah sambil minum-minum. Besok paginya, jalan langsung sepi karena hampir semuanya masih hangover di kasur mereka masing-masing 😛 Kali ini aku cuma ingin merasakan hangatnya selimut kamar dan keluarga di sekitar.

Biasanya firework paling besar ada di Rotterdam. Satu-satunya firework yang di organisir pemerintah. Dulu waktu aku pertama kali ngerayain NYE di Belanda 2009, ramenya bukan main di daerah Erasmus Bridge, bahkan ada DJ segala. Tapi semakin tahun, acaranya diperkecil karena anggaran pemerintah yang dipotong.

Sebagian besar dari tahun baruku, aku rayakan di luar rumah, bersama teman-teman atau di negara lain. Kali ini aku menikmati pergantian tahun, pukul 00.00 tepat di kasur kamar, sebelahan sama mbak Fany sambil nonton film dan menikmati firework besar diluar yang dinyalakan tetangga-tetangga atau warga sipil. Orang-orang yang mampu dan meluangkan waktunya untuk modal beli kembang api sendiri 😀

Banyak banget yang terjadi di tahun 2015 dan begitu juga pelajaran hidup yang bisa aku ambil. Alhamdulillah banyak resolusi-resolusiku yang berbuah menjadi atau hampir menjadi realita. Tapi ease requires a hardship, banyak juga kegagalan yang aku lewati yang akhirnya membentuk aku menjadi seorang perempuan yang tahu apa yang dimau dan juga lebih kuat.

Break up adalah highlight terburuk yang sama sekali nggak pernah aku sangka. Aku ngerasa gagal menjalankan komitmen yang sudah aku buat, bukan kepadanya, tapi lebih kepada diriku sendiri. Dan kegagalan ini, adalah awal dari perjalanan kami masing-masing yang aku yakin berakhir di tempat yang baik dan seharusnya. Perjalanan yang tanpa aku sangka-sangka membawa aku ke Damar… Dan itulah, highlight terbaik.. bertemu dia. Alhamdulillah. Kedengarannya kontradiktif yaaa.. tapi itulah hidup. Penuh dengan misteri. Mudah-mudahan rencana-rencana kami ke depan dimudahkan aaamiiin yarobbal alaamin.

Tahun 2015 adalah tahun yang istimewa karena setelah 5 tahun berturut-turut nggak kumpul satu keluarga komplit, akhirnya kita semua bisa berkumpul di Belanda, tanpa kurang suatu apapun. Aku bisa memenuhi travel destination yang aku tulis di awal tahun. Andalusia adalah salah satu yang paling berarti, lebih spesial karena aku bisa membawa kedua orangtua-ku dan kakak perempuanku menikmati sejarah Islam di sana berbarengan. Tempat-tempat tujuan yang aku tulis di jurnalku adalah Portugal, Luxembourg, South of Spain (Andalusia), French Riviera, Hungaria, Indonesia.. Semuanya tercapai. Bahkan ada beberapa yang nggak ada di listku yang bisa aku datangi. Gak henti-hentinya bersyukur dikasih kesempatan untuk melihat keindahan ciptanNya. Oh tapi ada satu yang belum sempat dikejar di 2015, pergi melihat Aurora di Iceland…. But I’ll get there in 2016 with my better half 🙂 Really looking forward to it. “Percaya pada mimpimu sendiri, karena kepercayaan itu sudah membawamu setengah jalan ke tujuanmu” – MSI

Di bawah ini meng-capture best nine foto-foto yang aku upload di instagram, yang artinya kurang lebih merupakan momen-momen terbaik selama satu tahun.

Dari kiri – kanan = 1. June: Di Amsterdamse Bosch, ngelihat ratusan pohon sakura yang lagi mekar 2. Desember: Akhirnya ngecat rambut setelah 24 tahun penasaran, it’s not so bad. Cat rambut untuk menyambut tahun yang baru 🙂 Kerjaan baru, rambut baru, semangat baru 3. September: Moments of being an aunt 4. December: Strolling a day before his birthday. Strolling in Amsterdam has never felt so good and romantic 5. April: Menikmati Venice-nya Belanda (Giethoorn) for my best friend’s farewell.  6. September: Imron reunion full team 7. 2014, throwback a great time in Lucerne, Switzerland 8. September: Di salah satu pintu di Malaga 9. Januari: Luxembourg trip with Enschede mates  whom by now are all back in Indonesia. 

 

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Aku percaya banget sama teori menuliskan mimpi-mimpi di catatan. Karena, nggak ada perasaan lebih menyenangkan daripada sukses mencoret rencana-rencana dan mimpi-mimpi itu. Sekali mencoret, beribu kali memotivasi untuk berani bermimpi lebih jauh dan memahami bahwa tidak ada yang tidak mungkin.

WELCOME 2016, I am ready to make my dreams this year come true 🙂

Dreams Milestone Self growth

Turning a dream into plan

1st November 2015 - 9 min read

It’s finally official. 
Yesterday I filed my letter of resignation to my current work (TH). I have been quite and rather keep it secrets about the whole situations.

All started with thinking, making dreams and questioning in which direction I want to go, turning a dream into a plan, a plan to reality.

12 months ago, I know I will work for the company not too long, then continue another year elsewhere for the sake of experience.

6-8 months ago, I know I want to do something that matters, something more valuable and meaningful for me, but I don’t know what, where, when and how

5-6 months ago, I have got more ideas about what to do in life. I want to create a business that is sustainable in terms of helping other people. Not only meaningful for me, but also rewarding because it’s meaningful for other people who receive the helps they need too. Certainly, came after that, I set a goal to work somewhere else that has the same vision and mission as how I determine what is importance in a corporate. Or rather, not a corporation, but also an organization. So that I can learn about passions and to be part of the growth or developing processes until they get to a peak point. I don’t how, where and what. But I know when.

4 months ago, I talked to a colleague of mine about my plan and she immediately remembered about one company that has the exact same ideas with what I have. The company is called TOMS. They sell shoes (and a lot of other things as well), and their business model is ONE FOR ONE. You purchase one, and someone in the other side will be given the shoes to go to school. That’s perfect for, same goal, and has the same background as me (in fashion area, more or less, although that’s obviously not what they aim for). Thereafter, I looked it up on the internet and I told myself that day ‘I HAVE TO WORK FOR THIS COMPANY’. It’s definitely a process, because then I didn’t only know the when but I also found what and where. But still, I don’t know how…..

3 months ago, I live my life just like as if I will work for the company in the ‘when’ that I have chosen. end of this year or beginning of next year. I bought the shoes (well technically, I gave a hint to my best friends to give me these pair as my bday gift) 😛 I learnt about the company on youtube, I read a lot of articles about what have they done, I watched the interview of the founder, Blake Mycooskie, really bright inspirational man by the way, I bought the book also ‘Something that matter’ that was written by Blake himself to encourage people doing something similar like TOMS, I placed TOMS sticker on the mirror in my bedroom. I believe in the law of attraction.
I checked on their vacancy, there was only 1 job available. Something that qualifies the candidates to work 3-5 years in the field. Not me at all. So I refused to apply. After implementing the law of attraction in my life, I began thinking ‘it’s no harmful to try applying’. So I did.
For  a month…. Heard nothing.  And I surrender….
Until one day, my phone was ringing during the quite working hours. I decided not to pick up, but then I received voicemail not so long after. Guess what? TOMS invited me for an interview !!!! That really made my day. Never did I thought I would make it to that point.
I went for the interview… then I went for a holiday right after words, so that again, I was not setting any expectations to get the job. Again, I surrender….

1,5 months ago, I received another voicemail from them inviting me for the 2nd interview. Never did I thought, I would be called for the first interview, let alone the second. So I went there, feeling happy to have this experience. My heart whispered to get the job, but I tried to surrender. Just being myself and being honest. The job is not important, anything can be learnt. But the organization you work and stand for are important, because that defines what value you have. This was when I think I knew how.. to be honest and be myself during the interview, showing my genuine interest to contribute to the company.

And yes, that’s it. I got the job 🙂 Too many ‘coincidence’ happened during the process. For instance, the supply chain director happened to work at Mexx and Tommy Hilfiger in the past, same path as me. They have a yoga class on Wednesday, which I love. They have a shoe drop program which will allow to have a trip in the 3rd world country, which I really want. Things just fall to the right places and I am very grateful about it. Coincidence and lucks only occur to the chosen people, people who strive, have a strong belief on their self and work hard

Small handwriting postcard can touch a heart. Really personal 🙂

Resignation has not been easy especially I am at the point where I very much comfortable with what I am doing as well as the team. But I also find it dangerous, because I need to keep on challenging myself and I need to develop myself. And comfort at this age will not get me there…..

Jack Ma once said that it’s important to work in a big company and has a good manager, thereafter you shall work in a smaller company to learn and be part of the process in getting it bigger. Then, you’re ready to make your own company because you see things from different dimensions. And I am on my way there… Proudly and graciously.

Salary and position at the end does not matter so much. TH tried to keep me and they actually had something planned for my future as well. As tempting as it sounds, I still prefer to move to TOMS even though it means that i will not be secure anymore by the fact that I have to start over again with contract whilst in TH I am already with indefinite. It’s quite challenging, but I feel good about myself 🙂 I can’t wait.

If everything is meant to be it will be, but not when you don’t make plan, don’t realize that setting goals is essentials, and certainly not when you do not walk your life conciously because then you’ll never be ready with any opportunity opens in front of you.

There is a difference between wishing for a thing and being ready to receive it. No one is ready for a thing until he believes he can acquire it. The state of mind must be belief, not mere hope or wish, openminded-ness is essential in creating a belief.’ 

Life Quotes Self growth

Paulo Coelhoe – Pilgrimage

13th June 2015 - 3 min read

“We must never stop dreaming. Dreams provide nourishment for the soul, just as a meal does for the body. Many times in our lives we see our dreams shattered and our desired frustrated, but we have to continue dreaming. If we don’t, our soul dies and agape cannot reach it.”

 ” The first symptom of the process of our killing our dreams is the lack of time. The busiest people I have known in my life always have time enough to do everything. Those who do nothing are always tried and pay no attention to the little amount of work they are required to do. They complain constantly that the day is too short. The truth is, they are afraid to fight for the good fight”

The second symptom of the death of our dreams lies in our certainties. Because we dont want to see life as a grand adventure, we begin to think of ourselves as wise and fair and correct in asking so little of life. We look beyond the walls of our day-to-day existence, and we hear the sound of lances breaking, we smell the dust and the sweat, and we see the great defeats and the fire in the eyes of the warriors. But we never see the delight, the immense delight in the hearts of those who are engaged in the battle. For them, neither victory nor defeat is important; what’s important is only that they are fighting the good fight”

 

“And finally, the third symptom of the passing of our dreams is peace. Life becomes as Sunday afternoon; we ask for nothing grand, and we crease to demand anything more than we are willing to give. In that state, we think of ourselves as being mature; we put aside the fantasies of our youth, and we seek personal and professional achievement.”

– Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho

Family Finance Self growth Thoughts

Becoming minimalist day by day

6th April 2015 - 7 min read

It’s ironic how human tends to waste money for something unnecessary, by human it is certainly including me.
Start from last year after getting a job, simultaneously I am more considerate about how people are living on the other side of the world. It just happenned to me after I have witnessed lots of things in my 20 yrs of existence and Unfairness still predominently filling my mind seeing those who suffer somewhere else. I feel guilty to have all the glitz and glam while other people are in challenged and having a difficult time. I am glad that my surroundings keep me grounded because the actual testing for human is not when they are poor and suffer, but when they are high and happy – a saying by someone famous. It’s literally the real ordeal when we have everything. I m not saying at all that I am rich, in fact I am hardly saving up for my future plans. But after all, I am earning some amount of money monthly which were something new for me, that thankfully relatively more than what my age earns, especially in my own country. And that transition period normally creates more demand and consumpiton in humany daily behaviour. And that is true..

I thank God that from my childhood, my dad has been very discipline about conducting considerably great parenting to be invested in all of his children. He’s never spoiled any of his kids, well according to my siblings, I have always been the one he has spoiled and yet I have never felt so. Therefore, i can imagine what my siblings were feeling growing up. He’s the most headstrong man and knows exactly where to stand, which at the end creates the best example for four of us. He has planted a mindset to be always live moderately and share fully. 

He is the best philantrophic whom I can always look up to. I remember when I was kid, I cried asking for a cellphone just because all of my friends had them. As a teenager, I felt life was unfair, or well he was unfair because I know he had the money. I could not understand the whole concept of being modest, and the reasoning of it. …. It’s because my family is adequate financially. I always got jealous watching other kids in junior high school running around with their branded stuff, while I barely got new pair of shoes after the other one broken. My dad always says, wear till it’s torn apart and can’t be worn anymore. Otherwise it’s a waste because there are people who can’t even think of buying new shoes, because they are busy thinking how to live and what to eat tomorrow. Little did I know, he has been responsible in some people’s college tuition fee.

Tracing back, I actually have been a compassionate person from when I was a kid in which I think that’s the result of my dad ‘s lesson, by compassionate I mean I can’t stand seeing people in front of me suferring. However, I still buy a lot of unnecessary things with my pocket money or money I earned from working part time. Although it may seem that the whole concept of being modest and minimalist are not acquired so well by me, but it recorded in my brain so well that subconciously that lesson has always stayed. I noticed when I walked in to 20th period of my existence on this planet… when my eyes are wider-open and when I start carefully listening to my inner core. I feel guilty to spend too much money on something. I want to live modest like my dad and share some to other people, yet i didn’t have money that time because I was still a student.

Now that I have a job, I practice of what my dad taught me and understand why he’s never easy in
giving me something. Because all those things require hardwork. And because everything I acquired up to this point involved hardwork, I’ve never been an impulsive spender. I start to understand the value of things.. I try my best to spend things wisely. Too many of my friends older than me have no savings in their 30s and I dont want that to happen to me. Instead, I would love to be able to be a philantrophic by then, meaning that I can already build an empire of my own, before helping others……

The way of keeping my financial running and be minimalist is as following:

1. Invest in any kind of investement instrument: Reksadana.. I am still learning, and got opinion from here and there not to play stocks or trading just yet until I am confident and have the time to. Keep the money running and not stay in place.
2. It’s okay to buy things, at the end life should be balance, but also give up something.
3. Give away extra stuff you have, I cannot really define extras, because you will never get enough. Think about it, thesedays, people have too much stuff that when things lost in between (got stuck in the laundry machine or borrowed by someone), you don’t even notice. So give away, it may end up in someones in need. There is redcross bin in particular locations in the Netherlands, so everything is well maintained and distrubuted. I usually throw my wearable textiles or shoes there.
4. Donate your money to clean up your financial account. I personally believe that sharing your income to people in need will even give you more blessings (It’s something taught in my faith/religion). It feels great to give back to society.
5. Target secondary expenditure every month, allocate to travel, concert, living life basically.

I sure will teach my kids not to buy things but to learn a value of something and to be modest. Again, this is me.. On the other hands, my dad also always says “we can believe what we have believe in is right, but there’s always chance that what other people believe is also right”