#19 No Pain No Gain

As I like reading non-fiction books recently, but not as a ‘nerd/geek’, however, I probably can be said as one of Indonesians who lazy to read, as a stereotype that the world thinks about Indonesians. In which case, please pray for me to be not included to be among those who hate reading, or else I can prove that stereotype is completely wrong! 😐 And I feel that I start getting bored being ignorant.

Being a writer is something I have been dreaming about for years. But ironically, I have never started writing so that I blog my life to train myself at writing. I wish I get a job that involves English and writing skill. As I know, writing activity needs consistency because my patience is challenged. To be honest, I leave it when I feel tired because of a lack of ideas.

If looking at the successful writers such as a novelist, JK. Rowling, Arianna Huffington, the founder of Huffington post or even the successful Nigerian blogger, Linda Ikeji. Then it made me ask myself is it possible for one like me to be like them. However, behind their success, there is must be a struggle and they had proved it by only having ideas and perseverance that led them towards their success. A common saying in Indonesian like "berakit-rakit ke hulu berenang-renang ke tepian, bersakit-sakit dahulu bersenang-senang kemudian" the words are like rhymes or maybe poems but absolutely meaningful. In English, is just almost the same with 'No pain No gain'

If you know about behind the famous Harry Potter series, the author of Harry Potter and anything about magical school, Joanne Kathleen Rowling or well known as JK. Rowling. Perhaps not so many people know she had a hard time when she was writing Harry Potter. She experienced a life-difficulty after getting divorced and being a single parent. When she tried to publish her manuscript to publishers, she had ever been refused by some publishers for so many times, even though at the end, there was a publisher that allowed publishing it. But believe it or not, there were a lot of people liked her novels. Her novels were sold well up to millions of copies, that was fantastic! I think it was not surprised if she was claimed to be one of the richest woman in England.

Then again, if you have ever heard a story of Linda Ikeji before she succeed, she did not even know anything to do with her blog to make money from it, the thing she always does is keep writing and publish every article that she accomplished. She had been blogging for years without earning money until somebody offered her to place ads on her blog and finally she succeeds to get money from blogging. The interesting fact is at the time she used a free domain or hosted domain from blogger/blogspot.com. And it does not only happen in the realm of literacy but also other aspects, for instance, technology. We must be often hearing someone like Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gate, they are people who are successful at technological development.

From the stories above I learn that behind the great people there is an unease process, most of the people emphasize heavily on results, not process. Even if we have to experience a failure, actually learn from our failure is better and teach us to not easily give up.

Mmh... I should learn how to love and enjoy the process along with fully perseverance and conviction. No one can motivate me except motivating myself. I just need a bit willpower and consistency, fine, that is it! Even though I am not a writer (not for now) but I like writing. I am not a writer but I am trying to be.

#18 A Book Called ‘Rentang Kisah’

I would like to share another book that has attracted my attention. The book called 'Rentang Kisah' by Gita Savitri. Yep, this book is originally written in Indonesian, and it is categorized as an autobiography, which is written by an Indonesian YouTuber who studies and lives in Germany.

But I have to ensure that it will not be a book review. I only share a little bit my point of view about the book based on my experience.

I read the book about several months ago, and it did not take a long time, I needed two to three hours to read it until finished. I thought I did not have any difficulties when I was reading it because it's written simply; it is like a language that mostly used daily by younger. Some first chapter, she writes about her teenage days and school life before leaving for Germany to study, because the process was so long so that it was not easy to study in Germany, she found difficulties particularly in grasping the lecture that ever made her desperate. And then continue to how she met Paul, the guy who is now her husband. The interesting fact is, at the time Paul was a Christian. I think it is hard for a Moslem woman like Gita in deciding to have a relationship with a guy in other religion because in Indonesia it is a big deal, you know! But I appreciate her as she living in Germany has brought her up to new life changes, it makes her religion (islam) view better as well as she has open-minded. When I watched some of her YouTube videos, she had been chosen to be part of (YouTube) creator for change.

Even Falcon pictures (a film industry) makes a film adaption of this book and I hear it will be released in 2020.

Why I would like to tell you about Gita Savitri's book because it is so inspiring. Regardless she is an exceptional and has a good critical thinking, and you know what, the idea of leaving abroad always occurred in my mind because I think at least with leaving abroad I can learn more, finding out something new, meet new people, having broad-minded, open-minded and of course, more independent, particularly at problem solving so that with reading her book it ensures me that there is nothing impossible.

You know, I always have a desire to write a story of me, even though it is an unimportant and uninteresting story to tell. Yeah, maybe I have got to start it besides I blog my life. Thanks to Gita Savitri who has been inspired me through her book.

If you are interested to know more about her life journey, just read her book and watch her YouTube channel. 

#17 The Pursuit of Happiness

You may think that the words above are just like movie title which is starred by Will Smith and his son, Jaden Smith. Will you think that I am going to make a movie review? Nope, I am going to write some random things about why lots of us seem to pursue happiness. But the problem is what kind of happiness that most of us really want. So what is the true meaning of happiness for you? Yep, you probably have a definition of it based on your own.

If we are being questioned, "what do we want when we being an old then?" "Living peacefully and happily" at least that is probably we will answer.

Till this time I still don't know what true happiness is like. Sometimes we make it like a premise, happiness is if I can make a lot of money then I will be happy... or I will be happy if I have XYZ... there are so many people do anything to pursue the happiness. Many consider that happiness is if we can make somebody we love happy, or others say happiness is when we can achieve material success.

Realized or not, the more we want to be happy the more we suffer. Everybody has own problems. And the problem is something we scared of; therefore we often avoid and escape from it instead of solving it or looking for a solution. But nobody knows that happiness can come from the problems we solve.

Sometimes the problem is kind of simple, for instance, my problem is I want to have a good carrier and getting paid from my passion but so far I failed three times for joining the companies where I thought I could work with passion. Others may be more complicated or more standard, most of us used to have standard living based on social construction. Unfortunately, we seem to agree or being forced to say 'yes' to it so that we compete with all the way to achieve it just to get acceptance and approval from others although sacrificing our time, energy, money and people we love.

As I observe what happens to young people today is they compete to achieve success. I have no idea who has forced and pushed them to have success. Is it parents, friends, neighbour? What kind of success do they want? It does not mean I do not care about being a successful one but sometimes people turn success into pressure. To be honest, as a young who experiencing a quarter-life, I feel kind of worry about success, what will people think about me if I do not achieve that success. *Arghh, stop giving a s*hit about what people think! Yep, because success means we live comfortable living = happiness.

Okay, I will say that there is nothing wrong to be successful. Everybody has a right to be successful and live happily. But it depends on how the ways to achieve it because just for the sake of success, we often find people do the wrong things that can harm others even themselves. I would rather say 'the pursuit of satisfaction' than the pursuit of happiness for this issue.

As long as you are still alive, problems will never end. Let's say when I have a problem, a financial problem; I try to solve it with getting a side job. It actually means I am trying to create a new problem which is sacrificing lots of time and energy and it may bring up a risk toward my health. As I said earlier sometimes happiness can come from problems we solve means if we want to be happy we should solve our problem, not avoiding it or pretending as if we do not have a problem otherwise we will feel more inconvenient.

Before I end up all of these random and unimportant things, I will recommend some things: firstly, do not try to pursue happiness because it will make us feel getting unhappier, just face the problems with solving it. Secondly, give up for being liked. Next, do not try to compare ourselves to others. Appreciate others as we want to be appreciated and do not forget to always feel thankful for what we have. Remember, the source of happiness is in ourselves.

#16 All About Minimalism

Have you been familiar with the word called minimalism? Well, the first time I know this was on Youtube. There were so many Youtube channels which the content was about minimalism and it then made me spending my minutes just for watching something on my mobile screen, of course, minimalism.

The term of minimalism also leads me to the book of Fumio Sasaki called “Goodbye, Things”.  Fumio Sasaki is an extreme minimalist from Japan. In his book, he writes that he had thrown a lot of his possessions away and moves out of an old apartment into a small one.

If you have not been familiar with what minimalism is, perhaps this following paragraph will at least make you understand it.

The piece of the paragraph above is taken from Fumio Sasaki’s book so you know what minimalism based on his point. So, minimalism here is unrelated to art or music but it refers to a simple living with fewer possessions around us which means only surrounded by the things that needed. And the person who practices a minimalism lifestyle called minimalist. But minimalism is not merely about reducing things around house but it can be applied to other aspects such as gadget, food/drinks.

I once went to Gramedia (a name of book publisher as well as bookshop) in Bandung with my sister not intentionally for buying a book but for a window shopping, then I found the book like this: 

I didn’t even notice if it was available in Indonesian version.

#So for you, what do you think about minimalism, Warda?

Ehmm... honestly, as a Muslim I had been taught to live a simple living and not materially excessive life... I think the concept of minimalism is more than just a lifestyle but it should be applied to everyone’s life. To be honest, this idea attracts my attention to do it though I have not fully applied it but I am trying. However, I do not claim myself as a minimalist, not at all.

#So when you agree with the idea of minimalism, what have you done so far?

• Nothing much I have done but I no longer spend much money on unnecessary things, such as knickknacks, accessories, souvenirs, clothes (I have been the one who rarely buys things related to fashion since a long time ago even before I know about minimalism) and anything else.
• I look around, finding something to be thrown away. I mean, start to declutter and discard the things I no longer use, particularly the things in my rooms. I usually separate the things I no longer use and sort them out into which one still in good condition and usable. I will put it all if those are still usable and have functions for donation, and in reverse, I will discard it all if no longer have a function or broken. But another option we can also sell or manage it for the auction.
• I have given away some pieces of my hijab.
• I discard so many papers/documents related to the day’s college where I put them randomly.
• I bring a water bottle to wherever I go instead of buying mineral water to save money and reduce plastic use.
• I do not put so many physical (hardcopy) books to read in my room, instead, I read soft file books or just borrow books from the local library.
• Only having a few apps on my smartphone and laptop and uninstall unnecessary ones.
• I do not possess any vehicles. I like to use public transport.

#What’s the benefit?

Based on my experience when trying a minimal approach to be a little bit minimalist (not even minimalist perhaps) I feel more saving on money, time and energy. Why? Because I will only buy something I really need (less consume). I no longer spend much time on decluttering, cleaning or tidying up. I can do all of it briefly when I have fewer belongings. I no longer burdened by every item that makes me uncomfortable, because it distracts me to stay focus and it can also affect the way I think. With fewer items around me at least I feel free from stress. My room has enough space. I have enough time to contemplate what I really want. But the most significant from all of it is I become less comparing myself to what others have.

In a day of my life, especially in a morning, I once tried minimizing the things; it started from what is on my desk after reading “Goodbye, things” even though I had not finished reading that Fumio Sasaki’s book. And I made a little documentation of it.

At the time I had a thought that we would be happier if we had so many possessions because it showed who we were but I was wrong. It happens till today where people tend to collect the things that will be their pride; they do not realize they become consumerist.

As a part of God’s creation I should be aware that I and all of I have will not be eternal, means each those who are alive are going to die, I will not carry my belongings away when the death comes to me. That also makes me more introspective. If we want to live happier and meaningful, simple living that only surrounded by the things we most value and always feeling grateful is a solution. Again, you can make minimalism as a big part of your life if you want to.