Wisdom-to-share

One day my friend Lucy Rodjito posted a picture of a lighthouse in her Facebook. It was beautiful scenery of a lighthouse which stood strong on the rock and visible with a clear sea background and blue sky. Right away it reminded me with my dad. One day my dad told me, "In your life I hope you will be like a lighthouse, you will be far away from the crowd; stand lonely by yourself, but you can lead people to reach the place safely" It was so easy to touch my heart and to bring me back to precious moments with my dad. In my life I think my dad not only gave me a name Lina which in Greek has a meaning “a light” but also he continuously told me what I should stand for in life. He wanted me to bring the spirit of light for everyone. He always said, “Find the meaning of your life and dedicate your life for that. You probably will walk alone in your life; you will hardly find good friends in your way. Don’t worry … keep going and you will grow stronger and stronger… you wil...

Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. Albert Einstein One day I went to funeral house with my husband. It was unusual situation for me, because the room was decorated with purple color, in the corner of the room there was a band with four vocalists singing love song. It gave me an impression about saying goodbye with love to someone, that was a great idea and the songs actually make people facing the sadness with an easy feeling. It brought some idea for me about my funeral one day. I rushed to my husband and children. I said, “This is my will, when I die, please cremate me without the coffin, just put me on the top of the wood logs and just like Indian movie … it looks simple and easy” My husband and my children dropped their jaws. Especially my husband, he said,” Lina, it sounds so easy for you because you don’t know anything at that moment. We can not do it for you. Please consider your Bollywood cremation style. I think you watch too much Bollywood movie” It w...

Wednesday is always my full day of teaching, but I can not help myself that I love to teach. It was Wednesday evening and I just jumped into my car. I barely hear music in the car, cause I was busy checking my emails and SMS. I got SMS from my brother who asked me to visit one of his friends to share and to give motivation. All of sudden my phone rang. I heard the old man voice, “Hallo Lina, Do you remember me?” I just answered,” Of course I remember you sir, we met at my parent’s house” His voice was so light and happy, “ O… you remember me, I am so happy to meet you and we had a chance to talk. Finally in my life I met someone like you. I am so happy and you are in my heart…. “The conversation was on and on for almost an hour. I met him on Sunday, when I was about to leave my parent’s house. A 76 years old man came to the house; he was looking for his long lost friend. He is my parent’s friend. My husband told me that he was a history teacher for 35 years. He has a very keen memo...

A couple years ago I watched “The Bucket list” movie, the story about two men who did their bucket list before they died. They wrote down what they really wanted to do in their life before they died. That story inspired me to write down my own bucket list. Honestly I forgot where my list is now. It is probably somewhere in my drawer, it is hard for me to memorize it but at least I can always rewrite again and again before I die. The Bucket list movie came across my mind again when Bhavna asked the question at the end of Toastmaster meeting, “What is in the top of your bucket list?” At that moment I didn’t have time to open my rusty brain to recall my bucket list. So I answered the question spontaneously. The answer was, “I want to give a speech” Bhavna gave comment, “You can always give speeches” Yes it was probably not a special thing to do for a bucket list. I just remember when I was in the emergency room; I was in pain and suffer. My daughter told me,” Mom you can not be hospita...

In College Station-Texas, it was a very hot day; my body refused to go outside. I stayed in the apartment. My daughters were busy with their laptop and I just watched them silently. Suddenly I was so sad; I only had a few days to stay there. I remembered my friend wrote to me, “Lina, this year you will have a total empty nest; both of your daughters will study abroad” That statement was just a reminder for me. The most important for me “how I have to face the total empty nest” I am just a human; I have worries in my minds as other people have. It has been many times I asked myself, “Are my babies okay there; do they eat right; do they sleep well… can they solve their problem? What should I do if they have problem while I am miles away from them?” Thousands of questions come from my worries. I knew that we could set our mind to be positive or negative. And it was our privilege to choose. I learnt that worries came into our mind because we allowed them to come into our mind and we let...

It was a short Easter holiday; we were at Universal studio in Singapore. I was sitting when my husband took a picture, I was curious to see. I looked tired in that picture and I saw my wrinkles around my eyes. I looked around I saw my daughter, she is growing up now. I can not hold her with my both hand anymore, she is taller than me. I remember so clearly when the first time she went to Singapore she was six months old, so small and she was always in my embrace. Now she is going to be 18 years. The questions came into my mind, where have I been? Do I suddenly become old? The answer was in my mind. I was in that process but I passed it without my awareness. I was busy with daily life routine. From time to time, I didn't realize about myself, I was busy with my babies and served my family. Now I looked into myself I couldn't recognize myself. Sometimes I do hope to have time for myself, but my minds always drag me into my family. This is the reality we live as if we chase aft...

Happiness can exist only in acceptance. George Orwell It has been 10 years ago, my last trip to the island of Gods, Bali. I couldn’t recall what happened during that time clearly but I could recall my first trip to Bali when I was five years old. I remembered when I played at the beach with my brother; I knew all stories about Tampak Siring and all the legend of temples in Bali. I fallen in love with Balinese dances and that was inspired me to let my daughters to learn Balinese dance since they were at the age of five. It seemed Bali has changed a lot during the past 10 years. I was amazed to see something that probably never changed in Balinese people’s life. They still love to pray, they still dedicate eighty percent of their time for praying and giving offerings to their Gods. They believe in karma and it leads their life from generation to generation. They accept good thing and bad thing as part of their karma. It was a very simple message from the island of Gods. Life is more...