SHUT UP, STOP WHINING AND GET A LIFE !!

Hey... if the title make you frowning, I must tell you that it's not my line . It's a title of a book I recently bought, written by Larry Winget, author of some best seller motivational books . And read carefully, it's : "Get A Life" , not "Get A Wife" -- coz a wife, so they say, could make you whining endlessly .. kidding. On second thought, you might need a wife so you can stop whining

Firstly, mind you, I'm not trying to do a book review. I'd just like to share with you the book which attracted my attention when I was scanning through piles of book in one of the biggest book store in my town. It's plain white background with shocking red headlines: " SHUT UP, STOP WHINING, AND GET A LIFE-- a kick ass approach to a better life" encouraging me to flipped thru the pages. Immediately I know I would love this book.

It's not the usual 'motivational' book. Larry Winget intentionally made a different approach for this book: to shock all the readers. What I love about this book is it seemed like the whole book content was written for me and for me only . In other words, it talked to my heart. It’s all about changing everything you don’t like about your life. I'm not saying I hate my life, I just feel my life needs recharging -- or maybe I need to make a radical changes in my life??


Larry's words might seem harsh from time to time, but his approach to personal development -combining blunt truth with irreverent humor- conveyed his message crystal clearly.
Life is serious, but that doesn't mean we should always take it so seriously.
It is as simple as: life isn't as complicated as it seems and most people would find more success, and more happiness, in their lives if they'd do a few simple things-take responsibility for their actions, lighten up, and start doing the right things instead of the wrong things. Stop complaining and do something.

If you don't like your job, call it a quit and start doing something you love.

If you dont like you friends, stay away from them and mingle with the ones you are comfortable with.

If you dont like your lover/ spouse, try to make things better, but if you don't succeed, maybe it's time for you to move on with your life by your own.

If you don't like your hairstyle, your appearance, your things, change it, move it, replace it.

Enjoy yourself. Life is too short to being sobber all the time.

I especially love this one : "When it quits being fun - quit."

And that's just the beginning!

And the next..... ?? Well.... I guess I should follow Larry's request in his preface. If you would love to know more, you've got to buy the book. I am not allowed to lend it for you

My only dissapointment was the book I bought was written in Bahasa Indonesia. I don't mean to say I'm an English expert, but somehow I can't feel the soul of the book as it was meant to be.

Now, Im going to Shut Up, Stop Whining and Get A Life

Au revoir !




Salam Damai.
Kampanye Damai Pemilu Indonesia 2009.

The "First Granddaughter" of The "First Family"

Not intended to compete with Katie Holmes' "First Daughter" movie , but Almira Tunggadewi Yudhoyono is the First Grandaughter -- or I'd say -- the First Grandchild of The Indonesian First Family.

Born on the Indonesian 63rd Independence Day, the beautiful baby is the first daughter of Agus Harimurty -- son of The President SBY -- and Anissa Larasati Pohan. The baby's name was carefully chosen by the family, as the believe that each name brings good du'a (prayer) and good wishes to the bearer.

Almira, name rooted in Arabic, means noble/aristocratic/exalted. Tunggadewi is taken from the name of Indonesian leading and prominent women, the Queen of Majapahit - the 14th century monarchy. Yudhoyono is the family name.

The baby will be living her first 40 days at The Merdeka Palace with her parents and her Grandparent "the President" to ensure the best post natal treatment, before moving on to live at the army barrack in Karawang -- east of Jakarta, at the suburb-- where her father Captain (Inf) Agus Harimurty was posted. The plan is highly recommended and supported by her Grandfather, as to army barrack milleu would give a good influence in the character building of the family -- to be a strong yet humble person in the future.

May Allah SWT grant her and her family strong iman/ faith and happiness always throughout her life and may her existence brings ample of joys for the family.. Amiin




Salam Damai.
Kampanye Damai Pemilu Indonesia 2009.

The rainbow after the storm

How often have I quoted that Life is like riding a roller coaster. But a friend loves to say that Life is just like weather. Life, he quoted, is full of storms and rainbows.

Well. I could agree with that, for me, we just see things from different point of view, but he insisted that his approach is more suitable for humanity.. whatever that means..

No body wants to get caught in the storms, yet one time unwarily trapped in it and they have to face it and somehow do everything to survive. And after the hardest struggle everyone surely hope to see a clear sky -- and if you are lucky -- with a wonderous rainbow in distance. The storm is the unhappiness in our life, and the rainbow is the happiness we always striving for.

I remember he also quoted (I said he must have quoted it from somewhere coz he could not have been that wise he3x he said he forgot where he read it) that many of the storms in our life are the result of our own doing. We can chose not to do it, yet we are doing it after all: a ragefull anger, unreasonable jealousy, split second decisions, sharp words, cruel criticism, arrogancy, selfish acts, all can be unwantedly ending in a sad situation: hurting someone you love, breaking ups with lover, misunderstanding, losing a good job, a wonderfull wife or husband etc etc -- unhappiness for us too.

But everything in life surely would come to an end. Just like a catterpilars change into a beautifull butterfly, for every storm in our life we could hope that at the end we could see a rainbow in a clear blue sky.

In our life, we could make the rainbow back by wiping all the hurts and pains, feeling of betrayal and mistrust we have caused with sincere apologizing or probably a light cheering up will do. Or on the other hand we could stay happy by doing the things we like with the people we love and conciously chose not to pull any trigger that could cause an outburst of unhappiness.

Some hurts would need longer time to heal, but I believe the hope for happiness will help us cope. This time my friend agreed with me

* kalau kata emak gue: habis gelap, terbitlah terang *




Salam Damai.
Kampanye Damai Pemilu Indonesia 2009.

Menjadi Indonesia (2)

KITA ADALAH
PEMILIK SAH REPUBLIK INI

by: Taufiq Ismail

Tidak ada pilihan lain
Kita harus
Berjalan terus
Karena berhenti atau mundur
Berarti hancur
Apakah akan kita jual keyakinan kita
Dalam pengabdian tanpa harga
Akan maukah kita duduk satu meja
Dengan para pembunuh tahun yang lalu
Dalam setiap kalimat yang berakhiran
"Duli Tuanku ?"

Tidak ada lagi pilihan lain
Kita harus
Berjalan terus
Kita adalah manusia bermata sayu, yang di tepi jalan
Mengacungkan tangan untuk oplet dan bus yang penuh
Kita adalah berpuluh juta yang bertahun hidup sengsara
Dipukul banjir, gunung api, kutuk dan hama
Dan bertanya-tanya inikah yang namanya merdeka
Kita yang tidak punya kepentingan dengan seribu slogan
Dan seribu pengeras suara yang hampa suara
Tidak ada lagi pilihan lain
Kita harus
Berjalan terus.


1966
diambil dari buku Tirani dan Benteng
(Yayasan Ananda, Jakarta, 1993, halaman 113)




Salam Damai.
Kampanye Damai Pemilu Indonesia 2009.

Menjadi Indonesia (1)

DIRGAHAYU
I N D O N E S I A
63 TAHUN

Commemorating Indonesian 63rd Independence Day, August 17, 2008

Salam Damai.
Kampanye Damai Pemilu Indonesia 2009.

Desiderata

Last Sunday was like a "yesterday once more" when I heard a friend playing "Desiderata" (a.k.a You are the child of the universe) on the piano. It was an old old song I came to know long after my late father gave me a beautiful poster tittled "Desiderata". I was still in junior high school back then and not yet able to grab the hidden idea behind the writing. As I've become older (for sure) and wiser (hopefully ) I learned that this beautiful poem is about attaining happiness in life. Desiderata means "desired things" (in Latin, plural of desideratum)

D E S I D E R A T A
by: Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others, even the dull and ignorance; they too have their story

Avoid loud and aggressive persons , they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater or lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans

Keep interested in your own career, however humble, it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let not this blind you to what virtue there is. Many persons strive for high ideals and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. You have a right to be here, and whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be and whatever your labour and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Found in Old St, Paul’s Church, Baltimore 1692**


PS:
For years I considered this poem was "found in Old St.Paul's Church, Baltimore, 1692" since the poster given by my late father was my only source. But yesterday when I was googling for any Desiderata videoclips or mp3 file I found out about the controversies regarding the authorship, copyright and history of this beautiful poem. Here are some notes which I would like to share with you:

- Max Ehrmann, a poet and lawyer from Terre Haute, Indiana, who lived from 1872 to 1945, was the "real" author. The evidence is explained long and vivid in many sites. Like, among others, this site or this site.
- If you listen to the above Desiderata video clip , you might take the phrase second from the last line as : "Be carefull". But many source chose "Be cheerfull" since it seems more in tune with the rest of the poem, and it appears in a version published by the Indiana Publishing Co. during Mr. Ehrmann's lifetime. I myself feel Be Cheerfull is more "inspiring"

BE CHEERFULL
STRIVE TO BE HAPPY

Salam Damai.
Kampanye Damai Pemilu Indonesia 2009.