Timing of Appreciation

This weekend, I am very fortunate to spend it on a very peaceful place in Bali. This is not the first time I visit this place, but this visit feels much more special because this is my first visit in the past year.

In this very peaceful place, I could breathe clean air, hear sound of birds, and away from noise and pollution. It hits me yesterday that I did not appreciate this place as much as now after three weeks working in Jakarta with its pollution, noise, and routines. This place means a lot more to me as I need time to be away from all of the craziness In Jakarta. And I realize that I should’ve appreciated this place more and more as I get older.

During my morning swim I realize that it is very normal for people to take many things for granted. Just like what I did to this place, I believe that all of us usually take stuffs for granted. These stuffs could be something tangible such as money, items, gadgets; it could also be intangible stuffs such as relationships and health. 

An old saying: “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone” could be very true for us. However at this point we could change it! Would you like to find out when it’s gone or right now?

I remember an episode from How I Met Your Mother about graduation googles. The episode mention that all the stuff we had during high school feels more special when we are about to graduate, it also relates about how we reminisce all good time with our special one when we are about to break up. Stuffs feel more special when we are about to lose it.

I believe that it is a part of human nature to take things for granted, but isn’t it better if we could start giving more appreciation on what we have today? Take ten minutes today, think about what you are taking for granted and start to give more appreciation to it. I bet that you will be a happier person just by doing that!

 

"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude."
- Cynthia Ozick

Investing on Relationships (1) (WHILAL pt. 6)

Investment (n) - an act of devoting time, effort, or energy to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result.

Every time we hear the word investment, it will lead us to the idea of money or wealth. However, does anyone familiar with the idea of investing on relationships? In which relationship here is not only limited on lovers; but also family, friends, coworkers, colleagues, and any type of relationship you could ever mention. The main difference of investing in relationships compared to other type of investment is that we do not need any assets to start it; we only need to put some effort to do it.

How do we invest on other people? The basic investment would be listening and giving some interest. Believe me that every person who we met today, either we met them in the school, public transportation, or even in the restroom, have stories to tell. Last summer, I had to use “ojek” service to go from the airport to the place I stayed. (p.s. “Ojek” is like a cab, but instead of using car to transport people, they use motorbike to do it, it is very common in Indonesia). We started a conversation, and he told me an interesting story that he has a daughter younger than me that was working on a scholarship application process. I assured him that as long as his daughter study hard, never worry about the money because someone else would pay for her studies. I have met so many interesting people just by listening and giving some interest. 

Me and my very good friend, Mike - Japan 2011. He lives in NY.

Did I invest on people by listening and give some interest? YES, I just did. By just listening to people story, I just made a new friend. I might not see him again, but I just assured him that he did not need to worry about his daughter, and I was inspired that an “ojek” rider wanted his daughter to get the best education. Win-win! Imagine that for at least once a day, we put small effort to listen to one person’s story. I bet you that you have no idea how much these stories could inspire you.

And that would be a short-term investment on people! Short term could be defined as to people that we might not see again, but we could never be sure! Because who knows that after years, we would be able to see them again?

Me and Mike's family during Christmas 2013 - Japan 2011 was the last time I saw him.

Does that mean that there is a long-term investment? Yes! And stay in my blog for the next part!

Leave comments below for any thought or ideas because I love to hear back!

If anyone wondering what is WHILAL, read this:
http://chtimw13.blogspot.com/2013/03/introduction-to-whilal.html

"Invest in the human soul, who knows it might be diamond in the rough."

- Mary McLeod Bethune

A Glimpse of Post-Highschool Life

Last week I was invited to attend my high school graduation in Malang. I am very excited to come because this could be time where I see some of my friends whom I last saw two years ago. Something that I did not expect was a reminiscent over three years of high school during the event.

#bestselfiesofGraduation

My high school was not just a regular high school because the students were carefully selected from all over East Java province (equivalent to a state in the U.S) to spend the next three years together in a boarding school. 

It was a very sacred moment for me when the graduates throw their hats off as a confirmation that they are officially finished high school. I was in their shoes two years ago. That moment of graduation means a lot of things. When I saw they gave hugs to each other, it struck me because I know that maybe they won’t be able to see each other again after a while. When I saw some of them talked to their girlfriend/boyfriend, I knew that their relationship might not go as they planned. When they talked to their best friends and promised to stay in touch, I knew that they would not actually stay in touch and after a while they were not best friend anymore. 

Graduates and alumni

My high school taught me loads of lessons, but one lesson that it taught me very well is that people come and go. At some point in our life, we have to realize that people might mean the world to us right now, and accept that in the near future their part in our lives must be over. One thing that we should not worry is that their spaces in our heart would be filled with new friends and new experiences. Something that we have to remember is that even though those people are not in our life anymore, somehow they would forever be part of us in many forms; it could be memories, it could be lessons, it could be heartache, it could be anything else we would like them to be. 

With teachers and friends

Attending my high school’s graduation is a good reminder that I once meant the world to some people. It is a great place to know that my friends are doing very well in college. Also it was good to know that some people actually miss me. Looking back two years ago, I had so many worries about my future but it is good knowing that I am doing fine after high school and I believe that the graduates would be doing fine as well.  

"Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. The older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young."

- Mary Schmich