Sabtu, 17 November 2018

Berhati-hati Dengan Celah dan Berupaya Dalam Kebaikan

Kenapa sih kita perlu berupaya selalu untuk mengisi aktivitas kita dengan kebaikan (walaupun saya akui, ngga semudah itu ya :p)? Kenapa kita harus belajar menjadi baik? Kenapa kita harus mencari ilmu-ilmu kebaikan? Emangnya sepenting itu ya? Emang kenapa kalau maunya gini, toh hidup tuh hidup gue. Pernah mikir gitu ngga? Jujur saya pernah... 🤪🤫.

Setelah menempuh hidup sekitar seperempat abad ini, saya menyadari bahwa pikiran kita, tubuh kita, ya intinya kita punya kecenderungan untuk mengalami kelembaman (kecenderungan semua benda fisik untuk menolak perubahan terhadap keadaan geraknya).
Jadi, kalau udah mager ya mager, kalau udah pingin rebel ya rebel, kalau udah kebiasaan negatif ya cenderung negatif, dsb. Padahal, sebenarnya kita bisa mengatur kelembaman negatif itu supaya tetap berada di koridor yang benar, tidak sempurna benar, tapi bisa mengarah ke situ.

Biasanya, kecenderungan kita (mengalami kelembaman) itu bermula dari satu kesempatan, kita merasa nyaman (yg negatif-negatif itu seringkali mengarah ke nyaman, enak, mudah, ngga perlu effort, dsb) dan akhirnya keterusan, lalu kemudian terlena.

Nah, kenapa pula bisa ada kesempatan negatif itu? Setelah mengamati, menjalani, dan mendengar dari berbagai sumber, yang saya pahami: munculnya kesempatan negatif itu ialah dari celah-celah yang ngga terisi dengan baik.

Ya, celah itu terkait dengan jarak, renggang, dan di antara. Lalu, apa yang dimaksud itu semua? Kenapa juga itu jadi penting dan baiknya diwaspadai?

Oke... Saya mencoba membaginya dalam dua contoh, dari segi positif - negatif dan dari sisi waktu.

Contoh pertama, pernah ngga kita naik kereta / kendaraan umum, atau mau duduk di suatu tempat dan ruang duduk yang tersisa hanya ada di antara dua orang? Kemungkinan besarnya kursi yang tersisa itu akan segera terisi kan..

Contoh kedua, pernah ngga, kita antri pesan di kasir fast food, lalu antrian sebelah terlihat lebih kosong dan secara reflek tubuh kita mengisi antrian yang lebih kosong, semacam terpikir, "wah ada celah nih, ya masuk ajalah". Semudah itu kita melihat celah dan mengisinya.

Sekarang, kemungkinan yang lebih terinci lagi. Ketika kita naik kereta, kita menjadi salah satu orang yang mengapit satu kursi kosong itu, kemungkinan yang mengisi kursi kosong itu ada dua, seseorang yang diam-diam aja, tenang-tenang aja (kita anggap sebagai orang yang tidak mengganggu), atau seseorang yang ternyata cukup membuat kita tidak nyaman, semisal orang itu membawa makanan berbau yang kita tidak suka atau orang itu tidur dan mengintervensi ruang duduk kita. Poinnya, celah yang masuk itu bisa positif dan bisa negatif.

Sementara, untuk contoh kedua, secara waktu, celah antrian akan terisi dengan cepat karena setiap orang akan reflek mengisi celah antrian yang lebih kosong. Poinnya, yang namanya celah itu sangat mudah untuk diisi.

Sekarang, coba dibayangkan apa jadinya ketika celah itu adalah waktu solat kita, dari mulai adzan sampai selesainya waktu solat itu, atau celah itu adalah waktu-waktu di antara waktu-waktu solat. Lalu, bayangkan juga celah itu adalah hubungan kita dengan sahabat kita, atau hubungan kita dengan pasangan kita (untuk yang udah punya :p), atau hubungan kita dengan orang tua kita. Dan bayangkan juga, jika celah itu adalah hati kita, hati kita bercelah, hati kita kosong.

Nah, di antara waktu-waktu solat, ada jeda aktivitas yang kita lakukan, seberapa cepat kita mampu mengisinya? Dan seberapa positif kah aktivitas yang kita lakulan di antara itu. Saya tidak muluk-muluk karena saya pun tidak sesempurna itu, saya masih belajar dan masih suka keliru. Tapi, saya sadari, di celah antara waktu-waktu solat itu banyak sekali godaan untuk melakukan hal yang tidak baik, menunda pekerjaan misalnya, bergosip, bermalas-malasan, dsb dsb. Begitu juga di antara adzan dan habisnya waktu solat, selalu ada celah kemungkinan untuk menunda solat hingga batas akhir, alhamdulillah jika tetap dilaksanakan, tapi sedih sekali jika tidak sampai waktunya.

Berikutnya, di antara hubungan antar manusia. Ketika komunikasi merenggang, jarak menguat, dan celah terbentuk, akan ada banyak kemungkinan prasangka-prasangka yang tidak perlu tetapi tetap muncul di kepala. Akan ada gap dan celah untuk enggan memulai lagi, gengsi ah, atau mulai merasa tidak nyaman, dsb. Apa jadinya jika itu berlanjut? Tentunya suatu hubungan yang terjalin bisa tidak semulus pada awalnya, atau bahkan celah itu bisa terisi oleh yang lain, ya kan?

Nah, lalu, bagaimana kalau celah itu juga ada di hati kita? Ruang kosong itu jika tidak terisi kebaikan ya maka akan terisi keburukan. Jika tidak diisi oleh iman, lalu akan diisi dengan apa? Jika tidak diisi dengan rasa kasih sayang, lalu akan diisi dengan apa? Jika tidak kita kontrol untuk diberi asupan positif, maka akan terisi dengan apa? Cukup mengerikan jika celah hati kita disalip oleh sesuatu yang bukan iman. Sementara, dikatakan nikmat paling dibutuhkan adalah nikmat iman. Cukup mengerikan jika hati bercelah, tidak dimasuki lagi oleh iman, atau nikmat iman kita dicabut seketika. Akan bagaimanakah nasib kita di dunia dan di akhirat kelak? Naudzubillah himinzalik.

Satu-satunya upaya mengantisipasi hal-hal negatif menyisip di semua celah hidup kita adalah dengan tetap berupaya mengisi celah-celah itu dengan hal-hal positif. Tidak ada yang tau dan tidak ada yang menjamin bahwa celah-celah hidup kita akan selalu terisi dengan kebaikan, kecuali kita memang mengisinya dengan kebaikan.

Jadi, dari keterkaitan itulah saya memahami bahwa penting sekali untuk mewaspadai celah-celah di hidup kita dan penting sekali untuk tetap berusaha dan memaksa diri kita mencari dan mengarahkannya pada kebaikan. Karena kalau bukan diri kita sendiri, siapa lagi yang bisa memaksa kita untuk ke arah kebaikan?

Wallahu'alam bishawab.

Jumat, 16 November 2018

Kejutan Baik vs Kekecewaan

Mendingan dapat kejutan baik, daripada dapat kekecewaan...

Pernah ngga dapat sesuatu tiba-tiba / dapat free beli 1 gratis 1 tanpa sengaja / ketemu seeorang yg udah lama ngga ketemu (padahal pingin ketemu) secara ngga sengaja / dimudahkan di suatu hal secara ngga direncanakan / dapet kesempatan ke suatu tmpat tanpa kita duga bakal bisa ke sana, dsb dsb.

Berasa dikasih surprised ngga sih sama Yang Maha Kuasa?

Nah, apa di saat-saat itu kita berekspektasi? Apa di saat-saat itu kita udah tahu kalau bakal dapat kebaikan ini dan kebaikan itu? Jawabannya kmgknan besar ngga ya...

Di situlah kadang-kadang saya ngerasa kesentil, semacam ditunjukan kalau Allah itu selalu punya cara terbaik dan (seringkali) rahasia untuk memberikan sesuatu, tanpa kita duga-duga. Yang diduga-duga tuh biasanya malah entah ngga tau ujungnya ke mana.

Iya...

Kenapa seringkali beberapa org (termasuk kita, mungkin) berekspektasi ini dan itu, berharap ini dan itu, berkeinginan ini dan itu, menentukan ini dan itu, harus begini dan harus begitu.

Memangnya, siapa kita berhak menentukan ini dan itu? Kenapa kita harus begini dan kenapa kita harus begitu? Kenapa kita menuntut ini dan menuntut itu? Bukankah udah ada yg Maha Mengatur?

Bukankah kewajiban kita itu berusaha ya, selebihnya itu adalah ridho Allah, kasih sayang Allah ke kita, kebaikan Allah ke kita. Kenapa kita hrs berharap lebih pada apa-apa yg ngga perlu kita jadikan tmpat berharap, kenapa kita harus berharap lebih pada rencana kita padahal ada yang Maha Berhak menentukan. Kenapa kita hrs kecewa hanya karena perihal yang kita pikirkan dan harapkan, itu toh hanya sekedar pikiran kita, bukan ketetapan akhirnya.

Dari situ saya terpikir, pada kenyataannya, memusatkan diri pada "here and now" terasa lebih nyata dan lebih mudah dilakukan. Memusatkan diri pada apa-apa yg bisa kita lakukan dalam langkah-langkah walaupun kecil tp berkelanjutan terasa lebih nyata dibandingkan ekspektasi-ekspektasi yang berlebihan.

Sementara, kita tahu sendiri bahwa ekspektasi erat kaitannya dengan kekecewaan dan kekecewaan itu di mana-mana rasanya nyelekit bukan. Jadi, ya lebih baik dpt kejutan (baik) dengan mengurangi harapan / ekspektasi tinggi daripada dapat kekecewaan 😁.

Dari itu semua, sebenarnya kita berhak memilih untuk berekspektasi dan siap menghadapi kekecewaan, atau mengurangi ekspektasi dan berserah diri serta bersyukur dan tidak berharap selain kepada Allah, setelah kita berupaya.

Kita juga berhak memilih untuk bersyukur atau kecewa, selayaknya kita memilih untuk bahagia dibandingkan sedih, dan selayaknya kita memilih mencintai atau membenci. Semoga kita selalu diberikan petunjuk oleh Allah untuk memiliki pikiran positif dan meraih kejutan-kejutan baik itu. Aamiin...

#try to be more positive thinking, do more, less expectation, and less complain
#wallahu'alam bishawab

Jumat, 07 September 2018

See You on Top

Hari ini hari Minggu...

Seperti beberapa hari lalu, langit hari ini masih cerah. Warnanya biru menenangkan, tidak ada awan pekat, hanya semburat-semburat putihnya saja yang sesekali terlihat mengoles langit. Matahari pun seperti tak mau kalah tampil, tetap pada kedudukannya yang tak tertutup awan. Bisa dibilang hari ini cerah dan terik.

Tadi pagi pun tak ada mendung yang merundung di atas tempat kuberdiri. Seperti biasa, pagi itu aku berdiri mengarah pada rooftop di seberang sana. Kulihat Lani, tetangga Binar sedang asyik menyiram bunga. Ia mengamati satu-satu bunga yang ditanam di pot di atas rooftop itu. Kulihat ada mawar, anyelir, anggrek, juga asoka. Gemericik air siramannya hanya terdengar samar-samar, tapi aku suka. Gemericik itu sedikit kalah dengan bunyi sapu yang dimainkan petugas kebersihan yang sedang menyapu jalanan. Sesekali juga terdengar bunyi kicauan burung yang mematuk-matuk lantai di mana aku berada, entah apa yang dia cari, yang jelas bunyi itu sedikit mengalahkan bunyi gemericik yang kusuka itu.

Bunyi gemericik itu juga sedikit kalah dengan bunyi bel sepeda tukang koran yang mengantarkan koran ayah pagi itu dan juga majalah kesukaan Binar, majalah bola yang kutahu, karena ia suka membacanya di depanku.

Beberapa menit kemudian, kulihat Lani menutup keran, digulungnya selang yang tadi ia gunakan untuk menyiram tanaman. Kalau saja aku berada di tempat Lani berdiri sekarang, mungkin aku akan mencium aroma basah yang menyegarkan dan hawa lembab yang segera hilang karena matahari yang mulai meninggi.

Lani dan bunga-bunganya. Bergitu menyenangkan melihatnya. Bunga-bunga itu tumbuh merekah dengan warna-warna menarik, semacam menjadi aksen di depan hamparan langit biru yang kulihat. Aku jatuh cinta pada keindahan itu.

****

Minggu, 19 Agustus 2018

Someone We Have to Please

People can not please everyone, because the one they need and they have to please is Allah, the God of this universe

Alhamdulillah

Alhamdulillah means
'All praise is due to Allah alone' 
or
'Segala puji adalah milik Allah'

Minggu, 03 Juni 2018

More Than Just Anything

Someday, maybe there's a day when you don't want to think about that but you have to, you don't want to do that but you have to, you feel tired but you have to wake up, you don't suffered with it but you have to understand it.

And it is called more than just sacrifice, compliance, compassion, and what else. And I see it from a mother (my older sister) who's her toddler got sick and tantrum by the sick. And it just remember me what i've done along ago when I was tantrum and what my mom had done, too (melting). Just impressed with her (mom) once again...

It just another melting moment beside when I saw my older sister struggled in emergency at night waited for her time to give birth her child. The next morning I saw her still struggled too, but she already in VK room, waited for the moment. Actually I just would to visit her, but infact that was the moment. It was the first time for me seeing (in front of me) someone struggled, waited for giving birth her child.

The moment later, after I saw her in VK room, and my mom said I had to call my older sister's husband (to accompanied my sister and see the moment), I just go outside and shocked. I've never seen my older sister been like that before (i can't describe this situation, her expression, the situation is just like the pain more than we can imagine, you just can feel it when you see it, I think. I can't describe it in words).

It came dhuhur pray time when my sister still struggled. I came to mushola done a prayer and suddenly, my tears drop unconsciously. I just saw a power of a mother wanna be. I can't describe my feeling. It showed me how tough is a mother and that is why we have to love love love her a lot.

Selasa, 24 April 2018

Writing Exercise Task 2

Question:
In some countries, small town-centre shops are out of business because people are driving to large out-of-town stores. As a result, people without cars have limit access to shops, so more and more people buy cars. Do you think the disadvantages of this development outweigh the advantages?

Answer:
Small town-centre shops in some countries are closed since people prefer to visit bigger store in out-of-town by driving. It gives a condition for people who do not have private car difficult going to shops. The consequncy is the purchasing of cars will increase. By the situation, there are some disadvantages and advantages for people who live in town and who live in out-of-town.

The disadvantages of the situation are firstly, many people in town will spend more money because they have to take a trip to out-of town. Secondly, the more people use car, the more air pollution created in the air. The third one is the situation will make the center of town become quiet and it can increase the criminalism because of not so many people walk around the town-center for just sight-seeing or greet each other. The last one, out-of-town will become more crowded and not enjoy to be live in.

Meanwhile, in my opinion, the advantages by this development are just two. Firstly, people in town-centre will get refreshed because they make trip to the out-of-town. Secondly, the shop in out-of-town will rise the purchasing of their materials. It also will happen to the car seller because many people will buy cars. It gives advantages just in personally.

In conclusion, by the opinions stated above, I think the disadvantages are bigger than the advantages when people always go out-of-town to shops.

Rabu, 18 April 2018

Writing Exercise Task 1 (3)

The pie chart illustrates major factors that make agricultural land productivity decrease. While, the table describes the affection of the causes in North America, Europe, and Oceania along 1990s.

Overall, the reasons of the worldwide lack of agricultural land were because of over-grazing for 35%,deforestation for 30%, over-cultivation for 28%, and 7% because of other causes. Those happened in 1990s with the highest total rate of degraded land was in Europe, followed by Oceania, then North America.

In North America, the most reason of land reduction was over-cultivation, the second was over-grazing, and the last was deforestation. The total land degraded was 5%.

A little bit higher than North America land degradation rate was in Oceania that reached 13% with the most causes were over-grazing, then deforestation. Over-cultivation did not become a reason of land degraded in this area.

Moreover, Europe total lack of agricultural land was the highest rate than the others. It rose 23% with the main cause was because of deforestation. Meanwhile, over-cultivation and over-grazing were the second and third reason. They both rate higher than in North America and Oceania.

Selasa, 17 April 2018

Writing Exercise Task 1 (2)

The maps illustrate West Park Secondary School and its surrounding layout that gradually changed in 1950, 1980, and 2010. The layout changes indicate the different kind of the spaces functioned.

Overall, the main road, school, and its playground were still located on the same location for years. Meanwhile, the houses and farmland were gradually changed into car park, science block, and sports field.

In 1950, the land was used for school, playground, farmland, houses, completed with main road. But, in 1980, the houses changed into car park and science block. While, the farmland became sports field, located beside the playground.

In 2010, the car park area expanded to the area of sports field before. Then, the sports field was located on part of playground area. Therefore, playground area became smaller than before. Moreover, the science block, school, and main road were still on the same location as seen in 1980 layout.

Writing Exercise Task 1

The bar chart illustrates the top five mobile phone brands varied number of units sold in global market and compared in 2009, 2011, and 2013. The five brands are Samsung, Apple, Nokia, LG, and ZTE.

Overall, Samsung and Nokia were the highest position number in units sold, while, ZTE became mostly the lowest units sold in those three years.

In 2009, the highest global sales rate was Nokia, reached over 400 milllions units sold. It was followed by Samsung, LG, ZTE, and the lowest was Apple with the global sales rate was a far below 100 millions units sold.

In 2011, the order of the highest and the lowest global sales rate were similar. But, it is clear that global sales rate of Samsung, Apple, and ZTE increased, meanwhile Nokia and LG decreased smoothly.

In 2013, the top of global sales rate was Samsung that reached over 400 millions units sold, overtaking Nokia that was in the second position of the rate. They were followed by Apple, LG, and the last ZTE with the rate was below 100millions units sold.

Rabu, 11 April 2018

Writing Exercise H-23

Question:
Scientists say we eat too much junk food and that is harmful to our health. Some people believe the answer to this question lies with education, but others argue education is useless.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Answer:
It is true that when we eat too much junk food, it will be not good to our health. Most scientists clarify this issue as a fact. Some people know the case and keep their health by reduce the consumption of junk food. Meanwhile, the others do not do the same thing.

Nowadays, government and most scientists or health practitioners try to encourage people to mitigate eat junk food by giving knowledge to everyone for this health important issue. For example, they deliver the message in some articles, news, social media, and also public advertisement. In my opinion, those kind of movement are good things to remain people aware with this fact. Because the message spreads everywhere, many people,  who do not know the fact before, will conscious to their activity in consuming junk food.

In other hand, I argue that the attempt to educate people is not most the effective way to get people attach to this case. Many people seems to still like eat junk food uncontrolled, eventhough they see the possibly following effect. In my view, it depends on people self awareness to become healthy. People need to come out with their own mind and improve self awarness to reduce junk food consumption.

In conclusion, I argue that government, scientists, or health practitioners should keep giving education to people to not consuming junk food in exceed. However, it is obvious that the education will not be effective if people do not come out with their mind in enhance their health awarness.

Selasa, 10 April 2018

Writing Exercise H-24

Question:
Families who send their children to private school should not be required to pay taxes that support the state education system.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Answer:
Parents who are their children entrance a non-public schools have not an obligation to pay taxes that encourage the state education system. This statement is still in pro and contra.

In my opinion, I do not agree with the statement because of some reasons. For the first, the condition will make government difficult to calculate the tax reduction. The amount of taxes paid to government will decrease since only people who send their children to public school that take part to remunerate the tax. Therefore, the government have to re-calculate the portion of taxes charged.

The second one, as a good citizen, we should all be happy to contribute to public services. Take part for paying the tax, eventhough we are not incharge for public field, is a provement of enthusiasm in developing our nation.

Moreover, if the situation were happened as stated above, inequality will appear in social sector. The poorer would remunerate more tax than wealthy people and it will enhance injustice condition.

For the reasons mentioned above, it seems to me that the family who deliver their children to non-public school are still required to pay taxes for the sake of state education system improvement.

Senin, 09 April 2018

Writing Exercise H-25

Question: Advances in technology and automation have reduced the need for manual labour. Therefore, working hours should be reduced. To what extent do you agree?

Answer:
Improving high-end technology and automation in industrial world can decrease the demand of human labour activities. It is significantly, may reduce the working hour of human labour.

In my opinion, I agree that the technology and automation can cut the duration of production in industrial daily works. However, I also believe that human labour is still needed.

Machines are made by people to help them finishing their tasks. Some of them made in orther the human tasks easily been done in a limit of time. Nowadays, industrial field developing their technology and automation to make the production becomes more effective and efficient. Therefore, many of them prefer to change their manual labour activity to machinery as automatic work. All those situations can cut the production cost, duration, and energy. They have not to pay human salary regularly, as before. It can improve the profit of the industrial field.

In other hand, I think industrial production still need human labour. Machines, actually, are made by human. Eventhough the machines automatically can finish the tasks, they still need human creation behind. They need to be maintained by people, as simple as to be set, controlled, turned on, and turned off. Those facts make automation can not automatically changes human activity. Human need automation but automation need human.

For the reasons mentioned above, it seems to me that automation can take part of human labour. It can make human task become more effective and efficient. However, automation can not easily change the need of human labour. It is still needed but in different way, to control, maintain, and stay behind the operation of the machines. So, I think working hour is not easily been cut because of the automation.