This morning when I was watching news program on TV, there was one thing that I still remember until now. It was about a donation program called toy donation. It was held in Central Java, Indonesia. The committee of the program said that all toy owners could give their toys to the committee. Then the committee would sell those toys in an auction. All the money of the result of the sale would be given to an orphanage in that area. After the auction was finished, one of the highest bidders was interviewed. She said that she was happy because she could donate her money to the orphanage through that charity. And then she hoped that she would get more for her life after she bought some toys with the highest price. Then I directly concluded: She helps orphans because she wants something in return.
Why didn't that woman just give? I mean that she just took out the money from her wallet to pay the toys and hoped that the money from her could do a little help to the orphans. Why did she think that she deserved to receive more after she donated her money? It's not wrong to have a positive hope, but her pure intention to help was not pure anymore. It became materialistic.
The same case happens to students. Students will give their extra effort to study for exams. They expect to get good scores. So they study hard to just want to get good scores? It will feel different if their intention to study hard is not to get good scores; but to know more from not knowing before. When they study hard, they are actually helping their brain to boost. And when they get good scores on the exams, that's a bonus.
So, let our heart and brain focus on helping when we help. Don't think about anything else. And when later on suddenly we get something good in our life, just say Alhamdulillah, thanks to God. That good thing comes from Him, because God is always good to us.
16/10/2017
02/10/2017
A schoolkid's depression
Today, an Indonesian schoolkid works very much harder than an adult with a career. Take, for example, Anisa. She is my neighbor and a fourth grader. She starts her day with usual morning activities at home. Then she goes to school. She spends her time at school from 7 am until 1 pm. And I guarantee that it is a boredom (sitting in a classroom, listening to the teacher, looking at the board, doing a bunch of exercises). Then she goes home. She has to take a nap because after that she must come to a private lesson in the afternoon. In the evening, she must study again to prepare for the lessons for the next day (doing a bunch of homework).
No wonder there are many depressed schoolkids in Indonesia. They are forced to master all subjects. They are forced to understand any material, like it or not. They are forced to study from morning till afternoon, then forced again to study at night for the next-day subjects. They are forced to do a lot of homework at night. Then the next day, the teacher doesn't even check their homework. Of course, they are disappointed (or happy if they don't do the homework).
For career persons, they don't have to work hard all day and night. From morning till afternoon, they will just focus to work in the office, doing their main job. They don't have to do many things. They don't have to be a multitasker to make themselves look super fantastic. At home in the evening, they will just have fun (watching TV, playing games, eating out). They don't need to think about and prepare for the next-day job. It's balanced between career life and personal life.
But think about Anisa's life. The whole day and night is about school life. No personal life, no family life. So, why don't we as parents let our kids have fun at home? They've had enough at school. Let them play with you, have a conversation with you, make jokes with you while they are at home after school. They will forget how boring and sleepy it is at school. The next day, when they are at school, their brain will be fresher to absorb knowledge because they have a happy life at home.
No wonder there are many depressed schoolkids in Indonesia. They are forced to master all subjects. They are forced to understand any material, like it or not. They are forced to study from morning till afternoon, then forced again to study at night for the next-day subjects. They are forced to do a lot of homework at night. Then the next day, the teacher doesn't even check their homework. Of course, they are disappointed (or happy if they don't do the homework).
For career persons, they don't have to work hard all day and night. From morning till afternoon, they will just focus to work in the office, doing their main job. They don't have to do many things. They don't have to be a multitasker to make themselves look super fantastic. At home in the evening, they will just have fun (watching TV, playing games, eating out). They don't need to think about and prepare for the next-day job. It's balanced between career life and personal life.
But think about Anisa's life. The whole day and night is about school life. No personal life, no family life. So, why don't we as parents let our kids have fun at home? They've had enough at school. Let them play with you, have a conversation with you, make jokes with you while they are at home after school. They will forget how boring and sleepy it is at school. The next day, when they are at school, their brain will be fresher to absorb knowledge because they have a happy life at home.