doseofponderings

[doseofponderings]

Kenapa orang bisa mengira-ngira, mengomentari, bahkan mengevaluasi hal di luar hidupnya? Yang bahkan sama sekali tidak ada sangkut paut dengannya? Parahnya, salah lagi.

Ada berita tentang ibu yang menunggu anaknya UTBK, lalu seorang berkata bahwa hal itu lemah dan menyusahkan. Wow, sangat enteng sekali mulutnya tanpa mengetahui betul konteks dan kejadian persisnya bagaimana. Bahkan jika liat secara utuh, Ibu itu menunggu dengan sabar dan merasa senang karena bisa menjadi penyemangat anaknya.

What’s wrong with people nowadays?

[doseofponderings]

[doseofponderings]

Apa yang lebih menyenangkan dibanding hati yang merasa cukup? Terasa penuh namun tak sesak sama sekali.

Apa yang lebih menyenangkan dibanding hati yang tulus? Berharap dan berbuat baik tanpa pengharapan imbal balik.

Apa yang lebih menyenangkan dibanding hati yang selalu lapang? Mencoba memahami dan menerima mesti seringkali tak seiring dengan yang dipinta.

[doseofponderings]

Salut sama diri sendiri karena nggak iri dengki ngeliat pencapaian orang lain apalagi temen sendiri, bahkan bisa turut merasa senang dan ikut merayakan.

[doseofponderings]

Ternyata kalo ada hal-hal nggak ngenakin kejadian terus diem sejenak tanpa ngomong atau mikir apa-apa, tanpa ngeluh dan misuh-misuh, rasanya tuh enak banget ya.

Kayak “oh yaudah” ((sembari mencoba memahami dan menerima)). Nggak pake drama, nggak pake buang tenaga yang gak memperbaiki keadaan. Adem.

[doseofponderings]

21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastination: Key Takeaways from Eat That Frog!

So, I recently finished reading "Eat That Frog!" by Brian Tracy, and I have to say, it was a game changer. What I love about "Eat That Frog!" is how it gets straight to the point ((I read the whole book in only two days, and I think it could be finished in one sitting actually)).

Brian Tracy doesn't waste any time with unnecessary details or filler material. Every chapter is packed with practical advice and actionable steps that you can take right away to start making progress towards your goals. It's refreshing to read a book that doesn't beat around the bush and gets right to the heart of the matter. If you're looking for a book that can help you cut through the noise and focus on what really matters, then "Eat That Frog!" is definitely worth checking out.

Conclusion: Putting It All Together

The key to happiness, satisfaction, great success, and a wonderful feeling of personal power and effectiveness is for you to develop the habit of eating your frog first thing every day when you start work.

Fortunately, this is a learnable skill that you can acquire through repetition. And when you develop the habit of starting on your most important task before anything else, your success is assured.

Here is a summary of the twenty-one great ways to stop procrastinating and get more things done faster. Review these rules and principles regularly until they become firmly ingrained in your thinking and actions, and your future will be guaranteed.

Set the table: Decide exactly what you want. Clarity is essential. Write out your goals and objectives before you begin.

Plan every day in advance: Think on paper. Every minute you spend in planning can save you five or ten minutes in execution.

Apply the 80/20 Rule to everything: Twenty percent of your activities will account for 80 percent of your results. Always concentrate your efforts on that top 20 percent.

Consider the consequences: Your most important tasks and priorities are those that can have the most serious consequences, positive or negative, on your life or work. Focus on these above all else.

Practice creative procrastination: Since you can’t do everything, you must learn to deliberately put off those tasks that are of low value so that you have enough time to do the few things that really count.

Use the ABCDE Method continually: Before you begin work on a list of tasks, take a few moments to organize them by value and priority so you can be sure of working on your most important activities.

Focus on key result areas: Identify those results that you absolutely, positively have to get to do your job well, and work on them all day long.

Apply the Law of Three: Identify the three things you do in your work that account for 90 percent of your contribution, and focus on getting them done before anything else. You will then have more time for your family and personal life.

Prepare thoroughly before you begin: Have everything you need at hand before you start. Assemble all the papers, information, tools, work materials, and numbers you might require so that you can get started and keep going.

Take it one oil barrel at a time: You can accomplish the biggest and most complicated job if you just complete it one step at a time.

Upgrade your key skills: The more knowledgeable and skilled you become at your key tasks, the faster you start them and the sooner you get them done. Determine exactly what it is that you are very good at doing, or could be very good at, and throw your whole heart into doing those specific things very, very well.

Identify your key constraints: Determine the bottlenecks or choke points, internal or external, that set the speed at which you achieve your most important goals, and focus on alleviating them.

Put the pressure on yourself: Imagine that you have to leave town for a month, and work as if you had to get your major task completed before you left.

Motivate yourself into action: Be your own cheerleader. Look for the good in every situation. Focus on the solution rather than the problem. Always be optimistic and constructive.

Technology is a terrible master: Take back your time from enslaving technological addictions. Learn to often turn devices off and leave them off.

Technology is a wonderful servant: Use your technological tools to confront yourself with what is most important and protect yourself from what is least important.

Focus your attention: Stop the interruptions and distractions that interfere with completing your most important tasks.

Slice and dice the task: Break large, complex tasks down into bite-sized pieces, and then do just one small part of the task to get started.

Create large chunks of time: Organize your days around large blocks of time so you can concentrate for extended periods on your most important tasks.

Develop a sense of urgency: Make a habit of moving fast on your key tasks. Become known as a person who does things quickly and well.

Single handle every task: Set clear priorities, start immediately on your most important task, and then work without stopping until the job is 100 percent complete. This is the real key to high performance and maximum personal productivity.

Make a decision to practice these principles every day until they become second nature to you. With these habits of personal management as a permanent part of your personality, your future success will be unlimited. Just do it! Eat that frog!

[doseofponderings]

Alasan Tetap Bekerja dan Hidup di Negara yang Ada-Ada Aja

Siapa yang tidak lelah hidup di negara Wakanda yang setiap harinya disuguhkan dengan suguhan di luar nalar? Tontonan azab perempuan yang selingkuh dengan mertuanya, penipuan QRIS untuk renovasi masjid yang membuat bingung Raqib Atid, peperangan antar suku pemuja pria-pria tetangga sebelah, drama anak remaja yang memporakporandakan pejabat negara; dan masih banyak lagi drama, berita, kejadian macam-macam yang tak henti-hentinya berlalu lalang di berbagai kanal media. Satu belum usai, topik lain sudah ramai diperbincangkan. Belum lagi perihal kebijakan ini itu, sistem ini itu, nggak akan ada ujungnya jika dibahas satu-satu. Oleh karenanya, tidak heran jika sebagian memilih untuk bermigrasi ke negara sebrang demi penghidupan yang lebih damai dan lebih baik tentunya.

Seorang teman pernah bertanya kenapa saya masih bekerja dari rumah. Ya, sebagai pekerja digital, saya punya privilese tentang hal ini — dimana saya bisa hidup dan bekerja darimana saja semau saya. Ntah itu bekerja secara remote menjadi digital nomad atau bahkan menjadi karyawan di perusahaan luar negeri yang mungkin tak hanya mencakup industri teknologi saja, tetapi juga sektor lainnya yang sedang (atau sudah) menuju digitalisasi di era 4.0 ini. Terbukti dengan beberapa peluang yang saya terima di portal LinkedIn satu tahun ke belakang — yang datang dari berbagai industri termasuk tech-giant di Jepang. Sayangnya, bagi saya hal-hal seperti itu tidak begitu menarik dalam artian saya harus berpikir ratusan kali sebelum sampai pada keputusan iya atau tidak; ujungnya pun tidak.

Lantas, kenapa? Bagaimana bisa saya masih betah bekerja di rumah saat punya kapabilitas untuk bekerja dari mana saja? Bagaimana bisa menolak peluang sangat baik dan berkesan “keren banget kerja di luar negeri”? Bagaimana saya bisa menolak hal yang mungkin jadi mimpi sebagian manusia di bumi?

Utopia sistem yang sempurna

I was once an idealist myself. Mimpinya tinggi sekali; memperbaiki sistem yang bobrok di negeri ini, membuat dunia menjadi tempat yang lebih baik dan lebih layak untuk dihuni. Rasanya penuh jika membayangkan setiap manusia dapat hidup berdampingan dan berkecukupan, baik dalam segala aspek. Tapi, apa mungkin? Rasanya cara kerja semesta tidak begitu. Jika berharap semua ada di state yang sama, siapa yang menjaga portal kereta? Siapa yang membersihkan taman-taman publik? Siapa yang menjadi tukang ojek online yang membantu mengirimkan makanan untukmu yang mager itu? Sepertinya memang cara kerja semesta tidak begitu. Mesti ada yang di atas, mesti ada yang di bawah. Atas tak selalu berarti menyenangkan, pun bawah tidak selalu menyedihkan. Keduanya saling berirama dengan dinamikanya masing-masing, lebih kompleks dari sekadar materi yang dapat dikalkulasi. Malah, jika tak ada keduanya, kita mungkin tidak pernah paham makna memberi, empati, menerima, berjuang, dan konsep hidup lainnya.

Intinya apa? Intinya, sistem yang sempurna adalah utopia, tidak pernah ada. Tapi setidaknya ada yang lebih baik? Relatif. Mesti ada trade off nya juga. Jadi? Ya sudah. Semakin tua, saya semakin sadar bahwa banyak hal di bumi ini yang seharusnya (demi kewarasan diri) tak usah dipikiri atau diurusi meskipun tak jarang dampaknya terasa oleh diri sendiri. Selama masih bisa menjalani hidup secara tentram dan damai — tak ada yang mengusik — rasanya cukup, meskipun seringkali jengkel dan marah karena hal-hal di luar kendali. Tak apa, namanya manusia punya rasa dan kenal emosi.

Apasih yang dikejar di bumi yang sementara ini?

Orang yang kenal betul saya, mesti sering mendengar kata-kata nyeleneh yang sering saya ucapkan perihal tujuan dan hal-hal yang tak relevan tentangnya. Saya merasa saya cukup beruntung sebab mengetahui dengan jelas apa yang saya cari, kemana arah yang harus dituju, dan bagaimana caranya. Bila berkaca pada hal-hal itu, tidak ada disebutkan frasa bermigrasi ke luar negeri menjadi salah satu prasyarat atau tercantum di sana. Tidak ada satupun keperluan atau kebutuhan yang relevan. Pun, tanpanya, tak akan mengubah makna dan jalan yang (dan akan) ada.

Dan saya cukup beruntung untuk dapat secara sadar tidak melakukan hal-hal yang tidak ingin saya lakukan, apalagi melakukan sesuatu yang didasarkan pada ekspektasi atau penerimaan sosial.

Alasan pendukung, sebagian receh

Selain dua hal itu, banyak juga hal pendukung atas keputusan untuk tetap bertahan di negeri yang kocak geming ini. Meskipun sepertinya ada bias karena saya belum pernah hidup dalam jangka waktu lama selain di Indonesia atau mungkin ada cognitive bias lainnya — tapi mari kita beberkan beberapa alasan receh tidak receh itu:

Jajanan mamang di jalan. Di mana lagi bisa menemukan comforting food yang murah meriah dan bisa memenuhi ego perut? Akan sulit menemukan seblak, cimol, cilok dan peracian duniawi selain di negeri ini.

Iklim tropis. Sinar matahari dan cuaca yang so-so rasanya menjadi nikmat yang seringkali dikufuri. Ah, nyaman sekali bisa menikmati hangat mentari hampir di sepanjang tahun.

Biaya hidup relatif terjangkau apalagi jika memiliki penghasilan di atas (atau berkali-kali) UMR daerah. Walah, surgawi betul — kecuali penghasilanmu itu hasil korupsi. Tidak berkah kawand.

Warganya yang bodor dan ramah. Meskipun tak jarang membuat kesal, warga Indonesia yang sering berulah aneh dan ramah tak jarang dapat mewarnai hari-hari yang kadang gelap ini. Masa ada berita mudik ketinggalan anak istri, ngakak abis.

Para pengamen di jalan, manusia silver, tukang ojek dan teman-temannya yang sering mengingatkan arti hidup dan berjuang, dan melukis senyum tipis karena dapat sedikit berbagi suka dengan mereka.

Gak perlu ngomong bahasa enggres atau belajar bahasa lain karena sudah cukup fasih dengan bahasa ibu.

Komunitas. Hidup saya bergantung dan berjalan di radar komunitas yang mungkin akan sulit atau berbeda jika di negara lain. #iykyk

Dekat dengan keluarga. Singkat, padat, jelas.

Itulah alasan mengapa hingga detik ini saya masih menginjakan kaki di tanah Ibu Pertiwi ini. Mungkin ditambah fakta keanekaragaman alam, budaya, kuliner, dan banyak hal lainnya tentang Indonesia yang tak bisa dibantah. Terlebih, saya merasa keadaan saat ini sudah lebih dari cukup; saya memiliki pekerjaan yang fleksibel dan ideal (menurut diri sendiri), tinggal di lingkungan yang saya senangi (di Utara Bandung), saya menikmati slow living di mana saya bisa menjalankan morning routine dan berjalan/membaca/bermeditasi/berolahraga sehabis jam kerja. Saya bahagia dan content dengan kehidupan yang saya jalani saat ini. Bahkan, saya masih berkembang dan bertumbuh secara personal dan professional setiap harinya di ruang yang cukup disebut nyaman ini. Lantas, kenapa harus bermigrasi ke luar negeri?

[doseofponderings]

Common Thinking Errors We Should Aware Of

As humans, we like to think of ourselves as rational beings, but the truth is that we often make mistakes in our thinking. These mistakes are known as cognitive biases, and they can lead us to make poor decisions or draw incorrect conclusions.

Here are some of the most common thinking errors, as described in the book "The Art of Thinking Clearly" by Rolf Dobelli:

Confirmation bias: We tend to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs and ignore evidence that contradicts them.

Hindsight bias: After an event has occurred, we often believe that we would have predicted or expected the outcome, even if there was no logical reason to do so.

Negativity bias: We give more weight to negative information than positive information.

Gambler's fallacy: We believe that past events can influence future random events, even when they are unrelated.

Availability heuristic: We overestimate the importance or likelihood of information that is easily recalled or available.

Social proof: We adopt the beliefs or behaviors of a group, even if they are irrational or counterproductive.

Sunk cost fallacy: We continue investing in a project or decision based on the amount already invested, rather than the potential for future success.

Envy: We focus on what others have that we don't, rather than being grateful for what we already have.

In-group bias: We favor people who are part of our own group or social circle, while being biased against those who are outside of it.

Self-serving bias: We attribute our successes to our own abilities and talents, while blaming our failures on external factors beyond our control.

While these thinking errors are common, they can have serious consequences. Confirmation bias, for example, can lead us to ignore evidence that contradicts our beliefs, leading to poor decision-making. Hindsight bias can distort our memories of past events, making it difficult to learn from our mistakes. And the sunk cost fallacy can cause us to continue investing resources in a project that is unlikely to succeed, leading to wasted time and money.

But by becoming aware of these thinking errors, we can take steps to overcome them. One way is to actively seek out information that challenges our beliefs, rather than simply looking for confirmation. Another is to use decision-making frameworks that help us weigh the pros and cons of different options, rather than relying on gut instincts.

It's also important to recognize that our thinking is influenced by a variety of factors, including our emotions, past experiences, and social context. By taking a more holistic approach to decision-making, we can reduce the impact of these biases and make more informed choices.

Finally, it's worth noting that thinking clearly is a skill that can be developed through practice and self-reflection. By being mindful of our own thinking patterns and seeking out diverse perspectives, we can improve our ability to make rational, well-informed decisions.

[doseofponderings]

Unplugged: Why I Decided to Disconnect from Social Media

Have you ever felt like social media was taking over your life? You unconsciously spend hours scrolling through it from the time you wake up, during your daily routine, and even when you hang out with friends and family. It's no wonder as social media is designed to be addictive, robbing us of our time and attention. And of course, I've been there, done that, too.

My relationship with social media has been positive. I never felt like it was toxic, despite some people thinking so. It has served as a source of inspiration, where I learn from strangers, find ideas to improve my life, and even archive my stories to revisit one day. I love the energy and nuance it provides, where I can feel inspired and be an inspiration to others.

However, I've taken a few breaks from social media in the past when I felt overwhelmed or simply wasting too much time on it. And it felt perfectly awesome. Not knowing what's happening in others' lives, limiting consumption of overloaded information on the internet has been great. I feel more alive, more focused on myself and the real things around me, more content, calm, and tranquil. I realized what really matters to me, and I have so much time left.

After this realization, I desired to quit social media. Now I'm on that trajectory. I've noticed significant changes since then (in a better way). My screen time has decreased from an average of 8 hours to 2-3 hours (cause sometimes I read books on phone). I'm more focused on my work, finish more tasks, read more books, and worry less about what people think of me. I've gained a ton from this decision.

Even though there are times when I feel out of the loop on current events or miss social connections. But I always try to remember what Cal Newport wrote in his book "Deep Work" about the Any-Benefit Approach to Network Tool Selection. This approach says that we're justified in using a network tool if we can identify any possible benefit to its use or anything we might miss out on if we don't use it. However, this approach ignores all the negatives that come along with the tool. Instead, we need to apply a more thoughtful philosophy in curating the tools that claim our time and attention by identifying what matters most in our life, then assessing the impact of various tools on these factors.

So here I am now – feeling content and calm yet lonely and bored at times – living my life to the fullest without social media in my trajectory (except Tumblr as I will keep my memories here).

[doseofponderings]

2022, Retrospective

This year was full with unexpected things. I was doing things I've never done before, learning a lot of new things, feeling a wider range of emotions, meeting a bunch of new people, venturing into new places, and receiving tons of God's blessings and goodness.

Regardless of the positive and negative viewpoints, 2022 has been eye-opening for me, and I dare to name it the best year of my twenty-four-years on this planet.

Here are some of the lessons I learned this year:

Sometimes, we have to step back to go further. After spent 1 year as fulltimer at Singapore-based cloud consulting company, I accepted an internship offer from one of Southeast Asia's largest payment gateways that unexpectedly has opened up numerous new doors, chances, and achievements in many terms that I could never have imagined – notably in my professional career.

Tech winter and marcoeconomic situations has taught me what really matters in life. The moment of clarity that we cannot control the market, jobs are disposable, and we are replaceable has caused me to reframe and reprioritize things. Work to live, not the other way around.

Dream, visualize, work hard, make it happen. I have no real knowledge how the universe works, but I believe we can intervene in some way with utmost faith and absolute trust. So, I have two manifestations that I believe can only be achieved over a long enough length of time (if we're being realistic), one of which I couldn't even forecast the time, yet both happened this year. Thanks to God's kindness.

Think twice before $verb-ing anything. This year, I had several regrets that cost me a lot of resources: people, money, time, and energy, all of which could have been avoided if I had slowed and considered before doing/saying/buying something. But that's fine; at the very least, I learned. Then let strive to be more thoughtful and purposeful in the coming year.

Do good and be kind, to yourself first, to others then. Sometimes we just see other people as entities that must be treated with respect and kindness. We frequently forget to do well for ourselves, to truly love ourselves, to say pleasant things to ourselves, and to congratulate ourselves whenever possible. There's nothing wrong with regularly hugging ourselves, petting our shoulders and saying 'you did amazing'. People said; if we be nice and love ourselves first, we will be able to grow a lot more kindness and love.

Invest in yourself (more) as Warren Buffet said. This year I become more aware that the finest investment is one in ourselves, mainly the mental knowledge which leads to competencies and capabilities and a healthy-fit body. Both could supersede all others. Without them, we could do nothing exceptional.

Knowing God better for having a peaceful life. In a noisy and hasty world, become peaceful is way much needed than anything else. And I discovered the only how is when I sought to know my God more deeply by improving the servant's relationship with his Lord, notably through salah. At that point, I felt content, at ease, and I had nothing to worry about.

Without social media, I live better, feel more pleased and tranquil, and am more productive. It should be clear, no need further explanation lol.

Thank you, 2022! It's been an incredible and remarkable year.

Let's get ready for the better 2023!! ((we have a bunch of stuff to learn, fix, and commit to)) 🍻

[doseofponderings]

All Together, The Psychology of Money

I recently finished Morgan Housel's The Psychology of Money, which is one of the must-read finance books of all time. I spent months reading the entire book as it was tough to comprehend and there's a plethora of information and takeaways I could get from each reading ((no, this book is too heavy for me actually, so I pause for awhile lol)).

I highlighted certain noteworthy words that resonated within me from the first time I read, so I decided to write them down. BUT, thankfully, Housel had a chapter that concluded some universal yet practical financial truths, here are some:

Go out of your way to find humility when things are going right and forgiveness or compassion when they go wrong. Because it's never as good or as bad as it looks. The world is big and complex. Luck and risk are both real and hard to identify. Do so when judging both yourself and others. Respect the power of luck and risk and you'll have a better chance of focusing on things you can actuallly control. You'll also have a better chance of finding the right role models.

Less ego, more wealth. Saving money is the gap between your ego and your income, and wealth is what you don't see. So wealth is created by suppressing what you could buy today in order to have more stuff or more options in the future. No matter how much you earn, you will never build wealth unless you can put a lid on how much fun you can have with your money right now, today.

Manage your money in a way that helps you sleep at night. That's different from saying you should aim to earn the highest returns or save a specific percentage of your income. Some people won't sleep well unless they're earning the higest returns, others will only get a good rest if they're conservatively invested. To each their own. But the foundation of, "does this help me sleep at night?" is the best universal guidepost for all financial decisions.

If you want to do better as investor, the single most powerful thing you can do is increase your time horizon. Time is the most powerful force in investing. It makes little things grow big and big mistake fade away. It can't neutralize luck and risk, but it pushes result closer towards what people deserve.

Become ok with a lot of things going wrong. You can be wrong half the time and still make a fortune, because a small minority of things account for the majority of outcomes. No matter what you're doing with your money, you should be comfortable with a lot of stuff not working. That's just how the world is. So you should always measure how you've done by looking at your full portfolio, rather than individual investment. Judging how you've done by focusing on individual investments makes winners look more brilliant than they were, and loosers appear more regrettable than they should.

Use money to gain control over your time, because not having control of your time is such a powerful and universal drag on happiness. The ability to do what you want, when you want, with who you want, for as long as you want to, pays the highest devidend that exist in finance.

Be nicer and less flashy. No one impressed with your possessions as much as you are. You might think you want a fancy car or a nice watch, but what you probably want is respect and admiration. And you're more likely to gain those things through kindness and humility than horsepower and chrome.

Save. Just save. You don't need a specific reason to save. It's great to save for a car, or a downpayment, or a medical emergency. But saving for things that are impossible to predict or define is one of the best reasons to save. Everyone's life is a continuous chain of surprises. Savings that aren't earmarked for anything in particular is a hedge against life's inevitable ability to surprise the hell out of you at the worst possible moment.

Define the cost of success and be ready to pay it. Because nothing worthwhile is free. And remember that most financial costs don't have visible price tags. Uncertainty, doubt, and regret are common costs in the finance world. They're often worth paying. But you have to view them as fees (a price worth paying to get something nice in exchange) rather than fines (a penalty you should avoid).

Worship room for error. A gap between what could happen in the future and what you need to happen in the future in order to do well is what gives you endurance, and endurance is what makes compounding magic over time. Room for error often looks like a conservative hedge, but if it keeps you in the game, it can pay for yourself many times over.

Avoid the extreme ends of financial decisions. Everyone's goals and desires will change over time, and the more extreme your past decisions were the more you may regret them as you evolve.

You should like risk because it pays off over time. But you should be paranoid of ruinous risk because it prevents you from taking future risks that will pay off over time.

Define the game you're playing, and make sure your actions are not being influenced by people playing a different game.

Respect the mess. Smart, informed, and reasonable people can disagree in finance, because people have vastly different goals and desires. There is no single right answer; just the answer that works for you.

And Housel also shared what works for him, which rang true with me in terms of financial goals: independence. I didn't want to get rich, I just wanted to get independent. Chasing the highest returns or leveraging my assets to live the most luxurious life has little interest to me. Both look like games people do to impress their friends and society, and both have hidden risks. I mostly just want to wake up every day knowing my family and I can do whatever we want to do on our terms. Independence, to me, doesn't mean stop working. It means I only do the work I like with people I like at the times I want for as long as I want.

This book has radically altered my mind and perspective on making decision in finance, especially amid the current economic situation and tech winter. I highly urge you to read this at least once in your life.

[doseofponderings]

Why Don't I Dream to Take Master Degree Anymore?

When I was in school, I had this burning desire to pursue a master's degree from one of the most prestigious universities in the US. I even made their logo my phone's home screen, so that it would constantly remind me of my goal and motivate me to study hard. I also read "Tuesdays with Morrie," which further fueled my ambition to obtain a PhD.

Looking back, I find it funny how much my aspirations have changed since then. Although some of my friends have encouraged me to apply for well-known scholarships and pursue a master's degree, I haven't taken any steps in that direction. I'm not exactly sure what happened to that dream and that burning hope.

But now, I understand that pursuing higher education abroad was not something that I truly wanted for myself. Perhaps it was just a social expectation that I felt compelled to fulfill. However, I'm grateful that I realized this early on and didn't force myself to do something that I didn't really want to do.

Fortunately, I have discovered my true passion and the career path that I want to pursue for the rest of my life. I have a clear idea of how I want to contribute to the world, my community, and the people around me.

It feels incredibly liberating to live life without worrying about what others think of me, without feeling the need to fulfill societal expectations or succumb to social pressures. I'm content with the path that I have chosen for myself, and I'm excited to see where it takes me.

[doseofponderings]

Kindness, literatim

Since childhood, we are taught by our parents and the people around us to do good and be kind. Sharing food, lending toys, or simply greeting people and smiling. But at that time, we weren't told what kindness was literally. Ended up raising thousands of new questions in the head.

In the past few years, I have enjoyed doing unnatural acts of "kindness". It may be excessive, it may be out of proportion – and it may be inappropriate at the end. During those journeys, I often felt restless, often questioning whether this was a good thing or not. Denial, somehow. That feeling often haunted me and I threw it away every now and then, although it came back often. Until after various feelings and feedbacks from related people that I gathered, I understood that kindness is not just doing what humans like in general, but also the process that goes into it. Similarly, food for a muslim is said to be good and can be consumed not only because of its halalness, but also the process of making it.

Kindness is pure; it consists of good things. The intentions, the entities, the processes, and even the feeling of doing; it is sincere. Cannot be compromised. If there is a single thing that is not good along the way, it is no longer called kindness, literatim.

P.S. - Apologize to everyone who was hurt during those journeys. May goodness always be with you. - Hopefully, we can do good and be kind with the best kind of kind, constantly, anyways.

[doseofponderings]

Misleading Perception about Genius in Traditional Society

Many parents and teachers today misconstrue what it means to be a genius. In the end, they put pressure on their children to take tutoring, additional class, and so on—in order for their children to become 'geniuses' in their eyes; a genius is someone who excels in all subjects. The most heartbreaking thing is when a child is forced to do something he clearly dislikes. Some parents may wish to elevate the areas where their children fall. But most of them do not question whether their method of raising the fallen field will make their child smart or vice versa. Because many children become frustrated with their parents' pressure, the child falls even further.

Today, it is necessary to believe that each individual has unique genes and abilities. This is scientifically correct. According to Dr. Kazuo Murakami's book The Divine Message of the DNA, no two sets of genes or genomes are exactly alike. The distinction is visible not only in a person's face or appearance, but also in their nature and abilities. However, certain countries' educational systems are hostile to the diversity of our genes. Each student is assigned a specific piece of knowledge and is evaluated using standardized tests that assess their ability to remember and repeat that knowledge. Kenichi Fukui, a Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry in 1981, stated that a person's ability or value should not be determined solely by their ability to memorize, cram words in their heads, and then spill them on paper.

Howard Gardner defined genius as innate. Everyone is born with a unique genius. Each person is endowed with a distinct and diverse set of genes, and the timing and methods of activation differ. Of course, comparing a fish to an ape to climb a tree is stupid. Because fish are born to swim rather than climb. As a result, there is no measuring device to compare one person to another because they are born with their respective gifts. The environment also has a significant impact on activating the unique genes in us, allowing us to identify where our genius lies. Someone with talent in a field who does not practice it—this is when the gene dies.

Every person is a genius. Everyone has distinctive hopes, but only a few people can achieve them—that is people who understand themselves and where their genius lies. Anything is possible if we can turn on our genes with the three billion pieces of information that the world's geniuses have. Even though we are not capable of doing what is not written in our genes, that limitation is unlikely to be an impediment to those who can develop the extraordinary talents that lie dormant within us. All we have to do is figure out how to use it.