Wisdom-to-share

The end result of kindness is that it draws people to you. Anita Roddick Walking through the security door and receptionist is my ritual every day. Sometimes I have to do it more than four times a day. No wonder if the security staffs and receptionists know me very well. I always greet them with smile and sometimes I tell a joke or just a short motivational story. Since they knew I am a teacher, they love to ask me some random questions or to teach them English language. I was happy to share my phone number with them, so they can send me any questions. As the result I got many SMS and questions, but I do love to share in my life. Last Friday, I got SMS from one of the receptionists who liked to ask me to translate for her. The SMS said she bought me a glass of mixed ice and she put it in the front desk. Yes I remembered, she promised to buy me an ice every time I did a translation for her. Actually she was not longer working in that building, but she came just to bring me a glass...

It was in the afternoon, I sat in the corner of a coffee shop. I always sit at that coffee shop to teach my student or I just wait someone there. On that day I looked around and I observed people were busy ordering drinks. My mind was frozen a bit to capture the moments. I didn’t have anything that I wanted to do at that time. My mind was browsing randomly my memories. Out of sudden my heart told me to do something for someone. As John Ruskin said, “A little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money” Right away my mind went to my student who would bring her dad to Singapore to get some treatment. I really cared about my student, she is not only my student but she becomes my sister. I sent her message whether she needed any help to find a good doctor for her dad. I got her message yes … she needed it. With the power of internet, I sent email to my handsome friend in Singapore, I asked him about the doctors. And in a couple minutes I got the doct...

It was Saturday night two days before Chinese New Year 2012. I got the invitation from a good friend to have “fine dining at French Restaurant”. In my life I only had a very few time having “fine dining”, I believed not more than ten times. It was a bit awkward for me being surrounding with many forks and knifes, sometimes I made a joke about how difficult to recognize which knife can be used to cut or to kill, and it was easier for me to recognize the chopstick because they didn’t have “left or right”. Anyway my friend is a very handsome and extremely smart I couldn’t reject the opportunity to know people better, especially when the setting was in the one of the most expensive restaurant in Jakarta. I was in a very nice restaurant with three handsome men. We talked about random topic and suddenly one of them asked me, “Miss Lina, how do you enjoy your life? “ It was like a table topic speech for me. Yes… that was really a good question for me. I don’t really like shopping; I don’t ...

If you want to accomplish the goals of your life, you have to begin with the spirit. Oprah Winfrey It was December 13, 2011 we arrived safely in Texas and I was so grateful for the opportunity to bring back my mom to visit United States. I wanted to share my belief about “Life is not about age, life is about the spirit of life itself”. My mom’s last trip to United States was 22 years ago and she was 55 years old at that year. She didn’t want to visit USA again because it considered a long trip in the airplane, especially when she got older and older. She was worried about her health, her legs and there were many reasons not to go to America. I thought, maybe the biggest reason she didn’t want to be a burden for somebody during a long trip. In July 2011, it was two days before her 76 years birthday at one o’clock in the morning, my daughter woke me up and said, “Mom … wake up… please wake up.. Something happened with grandma” My daughters always slept in my mom’s room. I jumped f...

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...