Power of the Mind

And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
(Alchemist - Paulo Coelho)

Coelho's novels talk much about the Power of the Mind.
How human’s mind is linked to the universe so when the mind is focused into something, the universe will help to make it happen.

The idea was exactly the same with The Secret, one of the best selling books last year, Tung Desem’s “Dahsyat” teachings, and many more.
That human’s mind, God’s ultimate gift which distinguishes man from other mammals has very incredible power.

Talking from my personal experiences, I had my Eureka moments reading Coelho’s novels and listening to Tung Desem’s teachings (I didn’t read The Secret though; the idea’s similarity bored me even before reading it).

Being a religious person, I see similarity between the Power of the Mind and the faith to God.
It was said that only when a person have unquestioned belief then it is faith.
I remembered one of my mentors taught me that in order to get something I have to “visualize”, have unquestioned belief that I have it, and then I will have it.
He said that he read it from Pastor Joel Osteen’s book, Your Best Life Now.

Being a technical and practical person, I tried to explore deeper on the ‘mechanism’ which brought me on the study of the subconscious mind.
It is said that the subconscious mind is a very powerful super computer which works 24 by 7.
The tricky part is how to make the most of this super computer.

Blink, a book by Malcolm Gladwell said that in a blink of an eye, human’s subconscious mind can process enormous life’s data and knowledge to produce a result which human’s logic or conscious mind needs months or years.
As in the case of how experts in arts can determine authentic and fake paintings by mere seconds watching it.

I am no art expert but I had my own way of utilizing my very own super computer.

In my programmer’s days, usually when I had unsolved problem, I tried to gather as much data, scenarios, and restrictions as possible, then went to bed.
The answer (usually) popped up the time I opened my eyes.

Lately, I also used my subconscious mind as an alarm.
As Tung said that the instructions to the super computer need to be positive and very specific, I repeatedly said to myself that I need to wake up at a specific time.
Most of the time, aside of the time when my body really tired, I wake up on time.
Well, I supposed my super computer should be intelligent enough to overwrite the wake up instruction should there be more urgent needs of rest.

And yesterday, Chandra, my yoga instructor said that I should use my subconscious mind to enable me do yoga poses better.
As far as I know, yoga poses are something that my body muscles need to learn.
Logically, I think it will be more difficult than problem solving or wake up in time which is driven by the (conscious) mind.
I imagined the conscious and subconscious mind as two connected servers, while body muscles are mechanical parts commanded both by the conscious and the subconscious mind, so the route is longer and more complex.

Anyway, as a huge fan of the Power of the Mind (and Chandra), I will surely try it …

If you don't feel pain it means that you do it wrong!

"If you don't feel pain it means that you do it wrong!"

That's my stringent yoga instructor's favorite quote of which I have no argument.
Not only because she would shout at me if I didn't do the pose her way, but also because I read that one of the essence was to find peace amidst the suffering.

Yet due to the pain, some people prefer doing it in other, more fun ways, to find peace and happiness.
Guess its all come down to each owns preferences.

Hence it tickled me to reason why I liked yoga, why I liked finding peace through the suffering.

Perhaps since some people were destined to live the hard way.
That it was God's plan for them to guide them through the ordeals.

Or because some people thought they didn't deserve the good life.
That they would have to restrain their happiness as not to turn into arrogance and bad luck.

Anyway in the wake of current global economic crisis, it was them who lived the hard ways that survived or even thrived.

And as my funky yoga instructor told me that one of her reason to learn yoga was to boast the inhuman poses to others (though with all her beauty and charm I don't think she will need that :)), there is silver lining in every clouds.

Consciously 'tortured' the body prepares it to the unexpected, real life tortures and injuries and making it more resilient and flexible.
And self-restraint is a vehicle to preserve resources for the unexpected.

So, live the life fully, and save some for tomorrows.

(previously posted in Facebook on January 18th, 2009)

I learnt something today

I like to be perfect on everything I do.
The downside is that if I’m not thriving on something, sometimes unconsciously I’d avoid it.

Lately I’m enjoying yoga very much, especially one thought by my favourite instructor.
Anyway, after attending her classes for some time I still could not do the head-stand pose.
Every time I fell down, I felt stupid and that I’ve disappointed her since she had been helping me perform the pose many times.
Lately this reached some point that I considered to avoid her class.

Besides yoga, my other hobby lately was golf.
Well, to be exact, driving, since I did not have the courage to go to the green yet.

God is good to me that my first time swinging the club, I could hit the ball pretty good.
My first driving experience was quite satisfactory that I can hit 100m with my 6-iron.

This morning, even though the reluctance was high, I had successfully forced myself to attend the yoga class.
I was still fail to do the head-stand pose.
But the important thing was that I didn’t run away but faced my fear.

Later in the afternoon, in the driving range, I didn’t know what went wrong, I could barely hit the ball!!
My swings kept hit the wrong side of the ball which resulted in humiliating ball flights.
Then perhaps out of a pity, suddenly a couple of foreigner (Korean, I think) gave me free swing course.
The guy was very good and was a member of some Golf Champion club.
They were very attentive to watch my swings and explain the correct techniques with mixed Bahasa - Tarzan language :).

I was still fail to hit as good as I used to be.
But their attention has made me happy that I could see my failure as a learning experience.
(I did realize some potential problem in my old swing style which hopefully will enable me doing better swing next time)

I learnt something today.
It is better to do something, though not perfect since it’ll give improvement chances.

(previously posted in Friendster on November 1st, 2008)

tuesdays with Morrie

A friend recommended me to read "Tuesdays with Morrie".

Today, due to some stupid mistakes that made me miss my Body Balance classes, I spent the whole afternoon reading the book.
Well, it was a blessing in disguise actually since I really enjoyed reading it and it really touched me.

It told me a true story of Professor Morrie Schwartz who spent the last three and a half months (14 weeks) of his life to give lectures about life to his beloved student, the author, Mitch Albom.
The lectures were happened every Tuesday in the 14 weeks.
Hence the title.

One of the Tuesdays that interest me the most is the twelfth which started with phrases
"Forgive yourself before you die. Only then forgive others" (it is a free translation since I read the Indonesian version).
It was said that we usually blame ourselves for not working harder, not doing something that we should do, etc.

I did that.
Many-many times.
For not be with my Father during his last days, for not doing the best for my Mom and families, for not continuing my studies, for not fully developed my talents, for not this, not that, not this, not that, etc.

Some of them can not be changed, some of them I try to change, some of them I try to ignore.
And as it is said in the book, I think I have to make peace with the unchangeable ones.
Only then I can move on and do better with my life.

Another Tuesday which gave me very strong impression was the fifth when Morrie talked about Family.
"If I’ve divorced, live alone, or don’t have children. This illness-which I have-will burden me more. I’m not sure if I can handle it. Yes, there are people who will visit, friends, ex-partners, etc, but they are not the same with someone who will not left us alone. They are different with someone who we know will continuously care for us, watching us all the time".
(It is another free translation, sorry if I’ve mistranslated some words).

On reading that, I can’t stop remembering my time being a flood victim.
Back then, the one thing that tortures me the most is the feeling of being lonely.
In normal condition, I have my work, places to socialize, to make friend.

But, the flood cut all of those.
And it taught me to appreciate my Mom’s and families’ phone calls, my friends’ attentions, and strangers’ attentions.
It taught me to appreciate many things that will be taken as granted in my usually busy days.

My friend told me that the book is the best book she’d ever read.
That she cried reading the book.

I’d been touched reading Tuesdays’ lectures in the book.
Many Tuesdays.

I’ve shared some of them.
And perhaps some more in some other days.

(previously posted in Friendster on January 10th, 2008)

reflection

Last month, I had a short conversation with my ex-boss and mentor,
"Herry, how are you?"
"I’m fine, thank you. It’s been an interesting and challenging year with expectancy of fruitful end Pak."

Yes, Year 2007 was a very interesting and challenging year.
Keep me running and running and running.

Actually, if I recalled, all my years were interesting and challenging years.
I am quite good in finding interesting challenges to keep me from getting bored and rusted.

As my other ex-boss and mentor said it,
"Never let go a day without some improvements."

That’s why I love my work environment.

As I’ve always said to my team,
"Here, you can be whatever you wanna be."

No BS, I’ve proved it.
I started my career as a lone-ranger programmer with difficulties to communicate and work as a team.
They even considered me an alien back then :).

Anyway, through years of learning and improvements with planned career assignments from my bosses and supports from my colleagues and my friends, right now I’m trusted to lead a team of some of the most talented resources in my company.
"Here, I can be whatever I wanna be."

Of course, there are rules, as my ex-HR Manager and mentor said it,
"Here are like in the dojo, you must respect your elder brothers."

Hehe, perhaps even back then he already detected my rebellion nature, the arrogance of never acknowledging the less-than-myself to be placed-above-myself.
Speaking of which, I remembered my boss and mentor said something very valuable to me,
"You must seek and learn from the strength of others, not their weaknesses."

The ability to do that enables me to be more positive to others and getting useful insights for my improvements.

And my work environment is full of talented people which made it a very interesting place for me to learn and develop myself.
Hence there are so many "mentor" words above; since I consider them my mentors, model of their strengths that I’ve studied to enrich mine.

Perhaps that’s why when my schoolmate asked me on why I’m staying in my work environment for more than 8 years, I answered quickly,
"I am learning so much here."

He laughed.
8 years ago he started his career from zero, as I did.
Right now he’s already got his Camry from his place of work and yearly company-paid-vacation.
Perhaps that’s why he laughed.

But, never mind, as my director and mentor said,
"Among the specials, you are special no more."

This is good, because only then the special can learn others’ strengths and develop itself to be more-than-special.

Merry Christmas 2007 and Happy New Year 2008 friend …

(previously posted in Friendster on December 18th, 2007)

human

There are two parts of the film Hannibal Rising that interest me the most.

First one is the first 10 minutes of the film.
The horrors of little Hannibal witnessing his beloved sister, Mischa treated brutally, killed and eaten.
This later, as said in the film, has made the child Hannibal died in there.
There was still the body and the mind, but no soul.

A human treated inhumanly finally lost one’s humanity.

Second one is at the 10 minutes before the end of the film.
When Hannibal said to Lady Murasaki, "Please don’t leave me, I love you".
Then the beautiful aunty looked to him sadly and said, "What’s left in you to love?"

What’s left in a human if one lost one’s humanity?

It will be like the Jedi knight which fallen to the dark side.
Like Spiderman in his black-powerful-but-evil-outfit which made him throw a bomb to his childhood friend.

It started with a vengeful mind, hatred and abusive power.
And ended with one as Darth Vader, Venom or Hannibal Lecter.

(previously posted in Friendster on May 29th, 2007)

why am I here?

Why am I here?

This question first stroke me during my first few weeks in university.
It was the first few weeks I’ve been separated from my home, my family and my familiar environment.

Having ‘lost’ my familiar reasons for life made me think to find my new Purpose for Existing.
Since then, the founded Purpose for Existing has been quite stable and unchanged.

Recently, my friend lent me a book, The Why Are You Here Cafe by John. P. Strelecky.
A very inspirative book that made me reconsider what I’ve considered as my Purpose for Existing.

Have I found my true Purpose for Existing?

How, if somehow the thing is taken out from me and I’m pushed to the other side?

As in the Gladiator film, where the once famous Roman General became the lowest level of warrior, the Gladiator.
How everything that ever mattered in his life turned to be his nemesises in few hours.

Problem is I do not have time to think for the other things but my set goal.

It is because I am a very focused person.
I’d like to fight all the way to reach the goal.
Even so that I burnt out all my energy.
Left me nothing to think of other things.

Well, maybe it’s time for me to stop positioning myself as a powerful shark with unlimited energy who can swim as he wants.
Swim forward all the way do not bother of whether the wave are incoming or outgoing.

And start to think like a green sea turtle who use his limited energy wisely.
Conserve energy, not fighting the incoming wave, only spent minimal energy just not to be set back.
And using the outgoing wave effectively to swim faster than he actually can.

(previously posted in Friendster on April 12th, 2007)