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Thoughts: The Unrushed Path

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I’ve come to believe that everything happens for a reason—though not always the reason we expect. To some people, being single at 30’s probably looks sad, or at least suspiciously “behind schedule.” I used to see it that way too, especially when wedding invitations kept arriving from friends and even junior colleagues. There were days when I thought,  Wow, people younger than me are settling down, raising kids, paying school fees… and here I am, still unsure who I’ll eventually end up with. Marriage began to feel like something distant, fragile, almost luxurious. But at some point, it hit me: maybe there is something more valuable for me in this moment—something I wouldn’t have gained if life had unfolded the way I once expected. I started learning what solitude can teach. Being alone forces you to sit with yourself long enough to ask the questions you usually avoid:  Who am I? Why am I here? What matters more than checking the box of “getting married”? If marriage is supposed...
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Minimalism dan Zuhud

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Pernah dengar istilah YONO?  You Only Need One.  Prinsip ini seolah menjadi mantra bagi mereka yang sedang mencoba hidup minimalis. Minimalism saat ini memang sedang populer: sebagian diantaranya lelah dengan banyaknya pilihan, sebagian ingin lebih hemat, sebagian lagi sadar pada dampak lingkungan yang konsumtif. Secara singkat Minimalis berarti Minim atau sedikit, sederhana dan secukupnya saja, serta mampu membedakan kebutuhan dan keinginan.  Minimalism bukan selalu tentang lemari monokrom atau rumah estetik ala instagram .  Kita bisa memulainya sekarang juga. Karena minimalis adalah tentang mindset dan sebuah aksi yang berasal dari cara pandang kita. Tentang bagaimana kita tidak tergoda untuk membeli hal yang sebenarnya tidak kita butuhkan, dan memiliki barang secukupnya dan sewajarnya. Namun demikian, minimalis bukan berarti pelit. Justru dengan memikirkan pemakaian sebuah barang dalam jangka waktu yang lama, kita akan lebih fokus pada kualitas dibandingkan kuanti...
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Thoughts: Forgiving is so Liberating

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What emotions stir within you when someone inflicts pain upon you? When shame envelops you like a heavy cloak, when you're unjustly blamed, burdened with a weight not yours to bear? Simply, it hurts. Then, forgiving is our only option in order to bring back harmony. But, why is it so hard? Trust me. Forgiving is so liberating . Not for someone else, but for ourselves.  Forgiving liberates us from the shackle bounds our boundaries we set after being hurt by someone. Forgiving breaks the unseen walls we were built brick by brick to protect our little heart. Sadly the longer we keep it, the higher the wall is, the more we can see it there. When we experience hurt, wrongdoing, the emotional scars often feel heavier than the event itself. Holding onto resentment is like grasping a burning coal, it burns us. It’s a funny paradox though. We believe by holding onto the pain we can control and protect ourselves. But the truth is, we become the prisoners of our own resentment.  Forgivin...
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Analogi: Bulan

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     Bulan tetaplah bulat Di awal dan akhir bulan, kita hanya dapat melihat sebuah garis tipis melengkung yang kadang bersinar terang.  Bulan juga bisa nampak setengah porsi saat menuju fase tengah dan akhir dari siklus bulan.   Di pertengahan bulan, dia bersinar sempurna di bagian bumi yang gelap. Namun pada saat yang bersamaan, dia tidak nampak di belahan bumi yang langitnya sedang dikuasai matahari.  Meski demikian, bulan tetaplah ada, menggantung di langit dengan wujud seutuhnya sebagai bulan yang bulat. Cara kita melihat bulan lah yang membuat bulan nampak berbeda.  Pada analogi kali ini, tiba-tiba saja terpikirkan sebuah perumpamaan tentang siapa diri kita dan bagaimana cara orang lain memandang diri kita. Kita bertemu dengan berbagai manusia lainnya, dalam kondisi yang sangat beragam,  timeline  yang berbeda, dengan durasi dan kondisi yang berbeda juga. Hal ini lah yang memunculkan banyak sekai POV dari orang yang kita temui, tentang d...
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The invisible rollercoaster: Iman

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Iman is a rollercoaster. It can be high up in the sky, and in an instant, it plummets to its lowest point. One of my weaknesses is a lack of attention to my own emotions, and it’s been years since I attempted (and still continue to strive for) understanding my feelings better. Thus, I always try to listen to my own feelings and write down my emotions (which are often neglected) to untangle my real feelings. Well, I would say, sometimes emotions come in a massive form of layers. At least that’s what I feel lately. Most of the time, I cannot recognize what I truly feel, and it took me some time to unravel the core of my real feelings.   Back to Iman. By acknowledging my emotions and feelings, I started to understand that Iman is indeed a rollercoaster. There was a time when I felt so close to Allah SWT to the point that I was always happy every time I put my head down for my  sujud . It was around the Ramadan time. Maybe the vibe was just right to tune in. I learned and read mor...
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Thoughts: The Cat’s Philosophy

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That day, as usual, I got ready to work. That 8 to 5 work.  That day I felt energized after finishing 20 minutes of weight training and 20 minutes of a quick run.  I felt like I had won over my comfort blanket and decided to move. In the middle of my life, with no break time, I suddenly saw two cats chilling on the road. They got enough sunshine and were just lying down lazily. Their tummies were on the cold road, heads were rested on their front paws, and gazes were gradually disappearing as they closed their eyes. I suddenly felt envy. I wished I were a cat. This is one of the dreams that sounds irrational, but honestly, it does come to my mind sometimes.   The cat’s philosophy.  Something that suddenly pooped out of my head. See, human brains are weird. We think about cats’ things which they (the cats) don’t care about. When the cats don’t give a single care about their behavior terminology, we humans are busily defining the cat’s philosophy (or, was it just me?)....
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