lovely picture

Monday, December 29, 2014

Di Sudut Kantor Pos

Aku sedang tidak ingin mendramatisasi 
Tapi kantor pos selalu menyimpan kejadian menakjubkan
Yang hanya akan dipahami oleh si pengirim saja
Tak ada salahnya jika aku berpuisi tentangnya

Baru kali ini aku sangat takut ke kantor pos
Aku takut jika saja aku melakukan kesalahan
Padahal ini hanyalah selembar kartu pos biasa
Seperti kartu pos lainnya yang kemarin dan kemarin lusa
Dan kemarin lusa yang telah lama
Kau bagikan kepada orang-orang yang kau kasihi
Lalu, mengapa kini aku takut memberikan kartu pos ini

Aku butuh waktu untuk menenangkan diri
Untuk percaya kepada niat diri yang kerdil ini
Untuk meyakini bahwa janji adalah janji
Yang hanya lunas jika ditepati
Maka apalagi keraguan yang membuatmu takut

Bukankah setiap kita lahir dalam kesucian
Bahwa manusia lahir dengan hati yang suci
Hanya saja, hanya saja
Manusia tak pandai menjaganya

Maka biarlah Tuhan yang menjaganya
Menjaga bahwa apa-apa yang dia lakukan
Dan disaksikan bangunan di sebuah sudut jalan
Hanyalah sebuah niat baik untuk Allah
Niat baik untuk mendekatkan diri pada-Nya
Bahwa Allah tak akan mau mendekat
Bahwa Allah tak akan lagi mendengar
Bahwa Allah tak akan lagi menjawab
Setiap jiwa yang memutuskan tali persaudaraan

:Semoga Allah sampaikan doa ini
Semoga Allah jaga niat ini
Ya Muhaimin, sebaik-baik penjaga, jagalah.


Meja Kayu, 24 Desember 2014
Najma, Nurisma.




Friday, December 26, 2014

Hai, Namaku Haira :)

Hai, namaku Haira. Haira (dengan huruf kha) dari kata khairan yang mungkin berarti baik atau kebaikan.  Aku sangat pemalu jika ketemu orang baru. 
Tapi aku sebenarnya anak yang lincah dan ceria. 
Aku hanya butuh waktu untuk dekat dengan teman baru. Kenapa ya? 
Mungkin karena teman dekatku selama ini adalah papa dan mama. Tapi itu dulu. 
Hingga penyakit kanker itu tiba-tiba  merenggut mama. Sebab mama tak pernah mengeluh penyakitnya. Ketika kami menyadarinya penyakit itu sudah sedemikian parah.
Waktu itu aku masih anakpra TK yang tak tahu apa-apa.
Di usia itu aku sudah mengenal dekat kematian. 

Sekarang aku sudah kelas 1 SD. Sejak mama pergi kami juga pergi meninggalkan ibu kota. Kami akhirnya menetap di kampung halaman papa di Batang, Pekalongan. Teman baikku di manapun adalah papa. Hanya papa. 
Jadi aku nggak tahu kenapa butuh waktu lama untuk dekat dengan orang baru. 
Bahkan dengan sepupuku yang sebenarnya ketemu tiap setahun sekali ya setidaknya tiap 
lebaran tiba. Butuh waktu untuk mengumpulkan kenangan setahun sekali itu. 

Aduh aku ini gampang ngambek. Tapi aku gampang juga lupa kalau lagi ngambek kalau udah diajak jalan-jalan dan mainan. Ohya aku suka banget main air lho, bad mood-ku langsung ilang. 

Meskipun aku manja nggak ketulungan sama papa, aku anak yang baik kok.
Aku suka mijitin papa hehe. 
Aku janji Pa, bakal jadi anak baik dan sholihah seperti doa papa dan mama. 


*Catatan spesial buat Haira :) Terima kasih sudah membuat akhir tahun di rumah ini berbeda dan menyenangkan ^-^





Kembalilah

Kembalilah kembalilah wahai diri yang lupa sehitam apapun sang wajah
Kembalilah kembalilah wahai diri yang lalai sejauh apapun kau melangkah
Kembalilah kembalilah hanya kepada Allah karena Dia Yang Maha Pemurah
Kembalilah kembalilah meski setumpuk dosa karena Ia akan menghapusnya
Allah Allah Ya Ghaffar Allah Allahu Allah.
-Opick

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Harmoni Hati: Kado Kecil untuk Ibu

 















Dengan menyebut asma Allah Yang Maha Pengasih lagi Maha Penyayang.

Ibu, ini hanyalah kado kecil untuk Ibu.
Ini hanyalah antologi sederhana.
Kumpulan dari tulisan, coretan, dan notepad yang telah bertahun-tahun berserakan.
Kumpulan dari setiap ungkapan, perasaan, dan perenungan yang kadang tak tersampaikan.


Mungkin ini bukan apa-apa.
Barangkali hanya tulisan sederhana yang tak pantas disebut antologi.
Yang bahkan hanya ditulis dengan tulisan tangan yang berantakan.
Entah siapa pula yang mau membacanya.
Semoga ia tetap istimewa dan hanya ada satu-satunya.
Sebuah antologi hati untuk Ibu.


*Antologi kecil ini adalah resolusi dan mimpi di usia ini yang tak kunjung terealisasi. 
Semoga membuat Ibu jadi suka membaca ya, atau malah sebaliknya? Ah ya sudahlah tak apa-apa. Ya, semoga saja antologi kehidupan kita, sesuatu yang terlalu berharga dan bermakna sehingga tak cukup ditulis hanya dengan antologi seperti ini.



Thursday, December 18, 2014

Di Bawah Langit-Mu

"Di Bawah Langit-Mu bersujud semua. Memuji memuja asma-Mu. Dan bertasbih semua makhluk-Mu tunduk. Berharap cinta dan kasih-Mu."-Opick 

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Deru Debu Jalanan

Jalanan masih menderu 
Suara knalpot bercampur debu
Langit berangsur-angsur kelabu
Air tumpah menggelinang jalanan
Orang-orang berlarian mencari naungan

Suara knalpot beradu
Bau debu, air, dan udara menyatu
Aroma hujan tak lagi sedap
Asap yang lembab menyisakan bau pengap
Deru debu jalanan

Jalanan semakin menderu debu
Kaki-kaki kecil merangkak kelu
Diiringi roda yang menggilas jalanan

Deru jalanan kian menggebu
Debu bertebaran ke udara
Matamu mendadak kelabu
Ke manakah perginya 
Naungan meneduhkan di bola matamu

***

Kehidupan nyata di tengah menjamurnya bangunan megah dan pusat-pusat modernitas. 

Benarlah perjalanan selalu membekaskan kenangan. 
Betapapun perjalanan ini hanya diiringi oleh kedua kaki. 
Ada berjuta kaki yang mengarungi jalanan yang sama. 
Ada tanah yang kau pijaki dan tapaki penuh suka cita. 
Ada langit yang kau tatap dengan penuh harap. 
Tenanglah, selalu ada tempat bernaung ketika kau temui Ia. 

Dan di setiap sudut sapalah mereka, tanpa peduli sesiapa. 
Belajarlah pada mereka, mereka, dan mereka. Tanpa peduli sesiapa. 

Kenangan tentang kota tua. 
Kenangan tentang jejak langkah seorang anak manusia. 
Kenangan dan perenungan tentang perjalanan usia.

***

Beringharjo di bulan Desember


Friday, December 5, 2014

Waktu, Arti, dan Perjuangan

Kami bicara padamu dalam hening di malam sepi
Jika ada rasa hampa dan jam dinding yang berdetak
...
Berikan kami arti
Berjagalah terus di garis batas antara pernyataan dan impian
...
Kenang, kenanglah kami
Teruskan, teruskan jiwa kami

(potongan puisi "Karawang-Bekasi" karya Chairil Anwar yang disusun secara acak)

Prof. Bambang Sudibyo bersama anak-anak didiknya :)
Foto: Miana Siranda (makasih Miana udah di-share grup jadi bisa tak simpan di blog fotonya)



Entah kenapa jadi keingat pernah baca puisi ini. Random... Dulu sih hafal puisi ini tapi udah lupa mah sekarang. Itu kayanya memang udah kebiasaan buruk ya, random, hehehe. Ya, puisi ini sangat membangkitkan semangat karena seolah-olah menceritakan para pahlawan pendahulu yang telah terbaring antara Karawang-Bekasi memberikan pesan ini kepada kita. "Menjaga Bung Karno. Menjaga Bung Hatta. Menjaga Bung Sjahrir." Ya, pokoknya puisi perjuangan yang dalem tentang waktu, arti, dan perjuangan sendiri. Iya kalau saya ada puisi buat Bambang Sudibyo pasti saya ingat itu. Nah, saya butuh semedi buat bikin puisi semacam itu. Hehehe. Doakan saya ya bisa menyelesaikan TA dan ujian kompre TA sebaik-baiknya, insyaAllah tahun depan. Puisi buat Bapak sudah cukup terwakili oleh itu semua. :")

Jadi hari ini pertemuan terakhir Teori Akuntansi dengan beliau. Saya baru ambil semester ini... Untungnya mayoritas masih teman-teman seangkatan ada yang baru ambil dan ada juga yang mengulang jadi beruntung ga merasa seperti anak ilang di sini. Semester lalu jadwal hari Jumat penuh sekali jika saya ambil makul ini yang tiap kali pertemuan langsung 2 sesi maka jadwal kuliah syaa full dari jam7-19.00 dengan hanya break jumatan dan ashar :D alhamdulillah jadwal hari Jumat udah ga padat kaya semester lalu  ya  hhe.. Meskipun ya masih ngimpi buat sit in kelas Pak Suwardjana yg semester ini memang nggak ada *_* 


Ketika pulang menjabat dan mencium tangan beliau, rasanya seperti kembali ke tahun 2007 ketika masih jadi anak smp unyu-unyu. Rasanya beruntung dan kagum bisa melihat langsung orang yang disebut-sebut Menteri Pendidikan Nasional di sebuah acara peringatan Hardiknas di halaman Prambanan kala itu. Dan hari ini saya bersyukur pernah menjadi murid Bapak. Hal terpenting yang saya pelajari dari beliau adalah kebijaksanaan dan ilmu siyasah (hehehe). Santun dalam bertutur dan bertindak, objektif, dan demokratis.  Ya, saya suka caranya melemparkan pertanyaan, membangun diskusi, dan menerima setiap jawaban tanpa melakukan penghakiman yang menjatuhkan tetapi membangun pemikiran yang kritis. Maafkan Pak saya belum bisa menjadi murid yang baik tapi terima kasih banyak Pak atas ilmu dan kenangannya. :") 

Monday, December 1, 2014

Hujan Bulan Desember*

Tak ada yang istimewa dari hujan bulan Desember
Ia sama seperti hujan yang baru kemarin turun
Pun hujan yang datang bertahun-tahun silam
Suara rintiknya,
Harumnya minyak aksiri,
Semua sama saja sepanjang masa

Katamu hujan hanyalah sekumpulan
uap yang perlahan mengangkasa
Menggantung di atas awan
yang tak pernah terjamah tangan
Hingga pada saatnya,
entah kapan,
Ia akan turun begitu saja
Lalu, adakah yang istimewa

Hujan bulan Desember
Kau mungkin benar
Tak ada yang berbeda darinya
Suara rintiknya,
Harum minyak aksirinya,
Sama seperti hujan biasa

Hujan bulan Desember
Betapapun tak ada yang istimewa
Ialah kesederhanaan yang istimewa


*judulnya terinspirasi dari Hujan Bulan Juni-nya Sapardi Djoko Damono
**gerimis tipis tadi pagi yang dibayangkan sebagai hujan
***tadinya saya pikir saya akan mengatakan "kehadirannya adalah keistimewaan yang sederhana" entah kenapa saya merasa ada yang tidak pas darinya jadi saya ubah saja menjadi "...kesederhanaan yang istimewa"



Friday, November 21, 2014

ABCDE and The Happiness of Randomness

Arousal. Believe. Create. Dream. Endeavor.

This conversation is an enlightening one with an amazing Accounting-mate. Thank you so much.

Can I ask you something?
Why do you love Accounting so much?
Actually, I used to love it so much. But, I think I don't love it as much nymore.
Really? Why?
Because I have found something that I truly love more.
(speechless)

Do you know what you really want in life?
Yes, I know. I just think that I am still looking for it. Actually, I have known it well, I have found it once. It just seems far away to me.
Well, at least you know what you are looking for. 
Hmm yes. But, it is like rebuilding a home that has been burnt away. Rebuilding a dream that has been lost and deeply buried. 

Be happy that you know what happiness means to you. Be happy that you know what you dream for, what life means to you. Just do it and believe in it.

Thanks, Prof. Rana Dajana for a motivating and inspiring lecture on MIT TV: Success in the perspective of Jordanian woman. Although I have different views on how I see families and works for I values my family more than my work. Family is priceless. However, I am inspired on how Prof. Rana Danaja proved that education has no limit on age, did great time management, created the real laboratory in Jordan, and made education as the light of fire. She has all the role or the head or the scarves as mother, scientist, educator, and so on and so forth. So, this is your time, let you define your own success.

http://video.mit.edu/watch/success-from-the-perspective-of-a-jordanian-woman-scientist-29088/


Why are we here, where we come from
Where's our future, leading us
Where's our life, taking us
Show us the path, dear Allah
What are we, to do here
There must be a reason to be here
Ya Allah the greatest
Nor of these you create for waste
Show me the right path
The path of the favored one with your grace
Show me the right path
The path of Rasulullah and his companions
Don't leave me please your guidance I need
Show me the way, light up my life
Don't leave me please your guidance I need
Show me the way, to gain your love
-Raihan, The Right Path

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent the Merciful. Praise be to Allah the Lords of the worlds. The Knower of all things. My Lord, increase me in knowledge.

Ya Allah, it is You we worship and You we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path...

Happiness for me is when I share smile and happiness :) I miss them so much. It is not that I couldn't move on with life. I recently sent an essay on education for children and they asked me to send some photos. I will post my essay here when it has been published. And looking through all the pictures really make me relive all the memories. Hope to see you all again! We have to share more of smile, dream, and endeavor! Yes, we do.

Happiness is...

creating smile on those little faces
photo: Noy-KKN


sharing simple things yet meaningful to those little and amazing intelligent kids
photo: Noy-KKN

photo: Noy-KKN

happiness is unseen, sometimes you look too far.. 
when, a closed smiley strawberry balloon cheers you up.
17an Jalan Sehat :)
photo: Noy-KKN

read through the river, write for the future. pena-pena ceria, how i miss this badly!
design: Laila



Surprising the loved one!
  photo: anik senja
Feeling happy the way you are :)
source: somewhere in the internet via google :D

Sharing food.. Making simple stuff to eat. anything edible is delicious when we are hungry. 
Too much spice, sorry Noy ^^V

photo: Noy-KKN

Opening your arms :)

photo: Mom



Randomness is happiness.














Friday, November 14, 2014

Creating Speech as Juicy as Peach



First of all, this is not going to be a recipe on how to make a certain kind of food. Yet, it is just a simple thought or if appropriate to be called a guidance on how to deliver a speech especially an English speech. The reason why I wrote this, is because last month I got this chance of delivering a speech. I felt so bad thar I haven’t practiced for years. Then I thought, the best speech is the one that can be as juicy as peach. If you want to know why I peak the analogy of peach, it is because peach is very juicy and my favorite one. 

I have been missing this sort of activities and challenges during my old days both in the middle and high school years. I haven’t got any chance to practice any in my college. I don’t know why the more people bring up my background, take me differently, or expect to me differently make myself become a reserved person. I know this is not right. I just don’t know how to change people’s mindset and even my own mindset that it is not nice to be treated or seen as a different kind of person.

Anyway, that big day finally came. I regretted in my life that after graduating and leaving Pedes (the high school debate club) I didn’t practice and improve my public speaking enough. So, I think I didn’t do well during my speech in the multimedia room of the central building last month. I was perhaps too nervous speaking in front of the CEOs, managers, vice rector, staff, and the fellow students. At least, I was the last speaker to represent the students and it makes it even worse. Well, certainly people couldn’t wait for the lunch and they were just tired to listen more speeches. Anyway, I hope it wasn’t too bad. But, it makes me feel happy, when Mr. Mitsuki knows Totto Chan, it is my favorite children book about education in Japan. He laughed really hard when I told him something I remembered about Japan from my childhood is a book called Totto Chan. 

Just later after that big day, an old friend of mine sent me a text message asking me to send some of the speech writings I have done during high school for her cousin who is going for a speech contest. Then, lately, I saw the documentation of our president speaking in the APEC Conference as well. Despite all the controversies over his speech, I would say that speech is an important skill that thankfully can be learned by anyone. So, I decided that I wanted to share some thoughts on this matter of delivering a speech.

Practicing is the first key to create a speech as juicy as peach. There is this saying goes, “Practice makes perfect.” It was honestly very hard for me to restart everything over. After this stagnant time and long break of practice. I miss this little girl who did her first speech in her freshman year in the middle school during Porseni so bravely, I miss this little girl talking about education, the achievement of Indonesia in the education, how to prevent drug abuse, and so on and so forth, with a high pride and optimism even if she had to face those university students meanwhile she was only a high school. I miss this faith, arousal, and belief that always move her inner self out. Even she was not the best speaker in the team, it was good when her team mates telling her that the best thing about being a team with her is that she has been the lucky maker. Since she was the only girl in the team, it means a lot to be thanked as the lucky maker of the team. Well there is no such a lucky maker but there can be miracles when you believe. Because He will answer anything just when we believe in it. It is always true.

How do I practice? Some freshmen had some consultation about life in college beginning of this school year. Like how to cope with all the books, how to improve English skill. This is what people always say: I feel ashamed. I am not good at speaking English. I am afraid people will laugh at me. No worries. I was. The only thing that pushed me hard to study English at that time was that I was trapped in a Bilingual class--the first in Indonesia to use English and Bahasa Indonesia in the learning of Math and Science. I got 2.5 in my Physics class because I wasn’t good at understanding the class and I had figured out that I was committed myopia for the first time. That free fall experience moved me to learn and to understand English better so that I could make it a hundred for the following test. It is publicly known that I always bring a huge bag. People always comment on this. So, actually I am accustomed with it. I didn’t have alfalink until now, so I used to bring a very thick dictionary recommended by the teacher anywhere, it is John Echol’ something... Also, I made my own little dictionary. I don’t care about people’s comment on my bag, except I care about my health, my back bone, hehe. So, if you think you want to learn vocabs more easily bring with you a pocket of Oxford dictionary (the mini size is so nice) or perhaps electronic dictionary. Then, write down any new words in your own little dictionary.

It was my experience to love English and Physics so much. In learning Accounting, well, since it is still on my way, I would keep the story for some other time. Hopefully, there will be some chances to share good motivating things about it. I struggled a lot. It is totally new strange world. However, I remember Theresa Sings, an exchange student from Passau-Germay studying at this faculty, whom I met during a seminar in Djarum Hall, she was surprised about students here. She asked me how come I studied something that I don’t enjoy. I know this is crazy but I feel jealous for people in Germany who can freely take higher education. They don’t have to pay tuition so that they can change their study plans as they wish. She said, how do you love something that you don’t like, how come you just follow what your parents say? Well, I try hard to keep telling myself, it is what is called love. It is because of love that we do something even a single thing that we don’t love doing. So, remind me please, when I feel like I am losing all the hopes.

The first person to practice speaking English with is yourself. Don’t you think I am crazy? Yes, it is ok to feel like a mad as long as it is helping you to learn. If you hesitate to start it with people start it with yourself. I am a kind of person who like talking to myself when no body’s around. Well, sounds weird. But it is true. I was a very shy person-until now. I could only practice my English in the class and I have no one whom I can practice with at home. So, I started practicing with my self, the radio, tape, and the music. I love reading and playing as the characters in the stories. So, I started reading everything in English loudly by my own. I started talking to myself in English when I was sad, happy, or angry, Sometimes when you see yourself in the mirror, encourage yourself in English is a good way to motivate. Yet, be aware of the surroundings when people start noticing your weird manner don’t worry just tell them you are practicing. Then, the next person, would be anyone around you. It could be your sister, your mom, your friend, or your teacher. However, it sometimes feel awkward to speak in Englsih with your family when they don’t really speak English. So, be a hunter. I used to go to Malioboro and approached the tourists and shared anything with them. They were mostly welcome and happy especially when they need help with direction and other stuff. Trust me, speaking in the language other than your language is one of the reasons that foreign tourists will really admire and respect you. There could be funny experiences you found. It sometimes happen. Once there was this fight between the pedicab driver (tukang becak for I am not sure with my english for this term) and the tourists on how much the cost, they thought 20,000 was too high since they usually used dollars. There would be more fun stories to find.

Anyway, delivering a speech is a way of influencing the audience to get into your messages. It is not easy especially that people love talking themselves rather listening to others’ speaking. For me, it is hard for me because I love writing more than speaking. Besides, I naturally don’t like to debate with people simply because everyone has one’s own belief and I don’t like to interfere. But, debating is something important in life in ways to grow mature, to be able to learn our opponents and make the best decision through it. Thus, we want to make our speech leave good impression at the very first time. Good opening is a good start. My favorite opening when I did the speech or everytime I did a contest was this: 

In the name of Allah. The Beneficent The Merciful. Praise be to Allah. Lord of the worlds. The Knower of all things. My Lord, increase me in knowledge.

I always start my speech with this powerful words. It doesn’t have to be like this one. You may use a popular quote, a poetry, or even a song. It is a good thing to create an icebreaker as well.

The next thing to consider is that it is always harder at the beginning because it is harder to start saying something. During this critical time, be sure to take a deep breath and look over the audience. Mr. Tri Kartika, my first mentor, who is my dad’s good friend and later is my high school friend’s dad (Ninda’s) as well, telling me that I have to look over the audience before starting to gain their attention. He said, “If you are afraid to look at their eyes, look at their forehead. Just to pretend you are looking at them straightly.” It worked actually to build a strength and rapport (trust and invisible relationship) with the audience.

The first time I did speech contest, I was amazed. What I did was to listen and observe other contestants. I observed the ways others bring their speeches. In business, you call this strategy as bench-marking. You do benchmarking to learn the best practice of your competitors in order to be better. So, there was this girl having an excellent accent who delivered a speech with high intonation in some parts, clear conjunction and coherent speech, and enchanting song. I was admired. She was a year older than me. So, the next time I competed, I benchmarked her strategy. I brought up a story, a song, and/or a poetry to make my speech more interesting.

The next thing to do is sign posting. This message is from my high school debating coach, mas Zaka. I don’t know where he is now but he is one of my important teachers although he used to bully me and the kids a lot. I remembered we exercised speaking on Yos Sudarso road. Whenever people and the vehicles came across, they would think we were crazy students talking to ourselves across the busy road. Anyway, sign posting means you put the contents of the speech in a systematic manner. Make the points clear and highlights. So, for example, the motion of the debate is this house believes that students should be given freedom to take any courses they are interested in. Instead of saying, I have many reasons why it is the freedom of the students to take courses that they like, it is better to say it clearly as: I have three main reasons why students should have the freedom of choosing courses that they like. First, ... Second,... Third... The conjunction to keep coherent and cohesive speech is to keep the right conjunction such as therefore, nevertheless, unfortunately, and so on. 

Logical thinking is an important thing in delivering both speech and debate. I love learning the fallacies in order to understand how to make a logical thinking. One funny way of learning the logical fallacies is through reading the short story called “Love is Fallacy.” Ms. Dohe was the one who introduced me to this funny story. If you are any interested you can type and search for yourself. It is a fun way of learning those difficult terms. I do remember our coach-mas Zaka kept telling the team not to make a tautological argument which is an argument with circular reasoning. So, it doesn’t have a basic reason and it just keeps going round and round. So, for instance, this house believes that should human should never leave the planet earth because everyone live upon the earth. This type of reasoning will be tautological.

Hmmm... What else should be important? I could not remember anything else except manner and expression. So, whatever happens keep the manner and expression as desire. Be aware with the err... What.. Emm.. Those are fillers and sometimes are annoying. Instead, you can pause for a second or say something that you forget the word by its synonym or description. Last but not least, keep practicing!

Picture: http://fruits-vegetables-benefits.blogspot.com/2013/03/health-benefits-of-peaches.html

Thursday, November 13, 2014

The Night Comer [Translation]

This is one of my favorite surah/chapter. It talks about a piercing star, the star that comes at night. It is called ats-tsaqib, the shining one, "yang bercahaya." One of the very verse is "There is no soul but that it has a protector over it." So, when you feel lonesome, you have too much in life, just know that Allah will not let us be alone. Yes, there always be those beside us, the guardians who should remind us acting like an accountant that keep the records of our deeds. There always be yet until the day when there is no protector nor a helper.

audio: https://soundcloud.com/nurismanajma/the-night-comer-at-thariq
further readings:
www.houseofquran.com
www.qtafsir.com

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Study HARD! Love, Pray, and Do :)


Today I found two quotes. Both compelling and awakening quotes to live the day as an Accounting student for this final year. Also, it is surely good to begin a new year (the Hijriyah) with blessing. 

The first one came in the electronic mail from our department sending some challenges. The message says:

"Great minds don't see limits, they see opportunities."

It used to be so easy to take those kinds of challenges. It is harder when I start asking and doubting my own self.

Another was a poetry from Dylan Thomas entitled "Poetry in October."

"And I rose 
in rainy autumn.
And walked abroad in a shower of all my days."

And yes,

"In every hardship, there is relief."

Friday, October 24, 2014

Psikologi Humanistik: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Humanisme merupakan sebuah aliran pemikiran psikologi yang jika dirunut berasal dari filosofi eksistensialisme. Humanisme menurut Bagus Riyono mengakibatkan pandangan hidup yang misleading karena memusatkan segalanya kepada manusia sehingga meniadakan Tuhan. Namun, humanisme dalam teori Maslow telah memberikan kontribusi pada pemikiran psikologi mengenai hierarki kebutuhan manusia atas aktualisasi diri, sebuah karakteristik manusia yang lebih defining, manusiawi, dan lebih tinggi derajatnya dibandingkan pemikiran Freud yang melihat bahwa semua manusia pada dasarnya buruk dan diperdaya hawa nafsu.

Sebelum membahas lebih jauh, mari sedikit mengulang teori Maslow, teori motivasi yang merupakan bagian dari content theory menurut Budi Santoso dalam kuliah Perilaku Organisasional. Teori ini sangat populer tetapi memiliki keterbatasan yang hanya melihat kebutuhan sebagai tingkatan-tingkatan hierarkis sehingga tidak mampu menjelaskan lebih komprehensif apa yang sebenarnya membuat seseorang termotivasi. Content theory kemudian dikembangkan oleh para ahli menjadi process theory seperti goal-setting theory maupun expectancy theory yang menitikberatkan pada apa yang menjadi penyebab perilaku seseorang. 

Teori hierarki kebutuhan manusia yang dicetuskan Abraham Maslow terdiri atas lima kebutuhan mendasar manusia yang berurutan dari paling bawah sampai kebutuhan yang paling atas meliputi kebutuhan dasar fisiologis, kebutuhan psikologi, kebutuhan sosial, self-esteem (kebutuhan untuk berprestasi dan unggul), self-actualization (kebahagiaan). Bagus Riyono menarik kesimpulan dari penemuan Maslow bahwa terdapat dua kategori manusia yaitu actualized and non-actualized person. Manusia yang belum teraktualisasi akan terus mencari dan menginginkan terpenuhinya kebutuhan tersebut. Sedangkan, pribadi yang telah teraktualisasi akan lebih stabil. 

Maslow berhasil mengangkat sisi kemanusiaan yang terlupakan dan terabaikan dari teori Freud. Self-actualization merupakan konstruk yang dimunculkan Maslow dari hasil pengamatan terhadap orang-orang yang berkepribadian baik dan mulia. Pandangannya yang berbeda adalah keyakinan bahwa tidak semua manusia jahat. Bagus Riyono kemudian menjabarkan ciri kepribadian yang telah teraktualisasi. Orang yang memiliki aktualisasi diri memiliki pandangan terhadap realitas, lebih nyaman, dan objektif. bisa menerima diri dan orang lain dengan tentram, spontan tetapi tidak ngawur. Ia memiliki kemampuan untuk menyendiri atau meng-handle attachment dan melakukan detachment. Autonomy yang dimilki sehingga lebih mandiri, independen, self-reliant, dan memiliki continued-freshness of appreciation. Dengan kemampuan megapresiasi yang tulus tersebut pribadinya memiliki kemampuan empatik yang tinggi dan hubungan interpersonal yang kuat.

Namun, kekurangan dari teori tersebut adalah konstruk self actualization masih sangat abstrak. Selain itu, teori Maslow kehilangan ruh atau nirmakna. Pengalaman spiritual bagi Maslow sayangnya hanyalah sebuah istilah yang tidak diinginkannya yang terpaksa dia gunakan sehingga hanya berakhir pada pemaknaan secara humanistik. Ya, agama kemanusiaan. Maslow menilai bahwa tidak ada hubungan yang bermakna kecuali hubungan antarmanusia. Agama dalam kaca matanya dianggap sebagai kelompok yang menghambat kebebasan manusia. 

Pandangan Maslow tentang agama tertulis dalam bukunya Religions, Values, and Peak-Experience. Sayang sekali banyak penganut aliran humanisme yang tidak benar-benar memahami basis pemikiran Maslow karena mengabaikan footnote dalam buku tersebut. Catatan kaki yang khusus menjabarkan makna “spiritual life” menurut Maslow adalah distasteful vocabulary dalam dunia sains dan psikologi. Istilah yang kurang bermakna atau hambar dalam dunia ilmiah dan psikologi. Baginya, the common base of all religion is human sehingga dia terlalu mendewakan manusia. Semua kejadian menurutnya bersifat subjektif, kemanusiaan, dan menuntun kepada pengalaman puncak yang mengarah kepada iluminasi (pencerahan yang tidak berhubungan dengan Tuhan). Maslow pada akhirnya tidak menemukan kata yang tepat untuk menjelaskan makna spiritual sehigga kata itu pun menjadi kata yang biasa saja.

The ugly part of this theory adalah sisi wagu dalam istilah Jawa yang digunakan Bagus Riyono yaitu bahwa Maslow percaya 90 persen manusia jahat. He said, “all men are bastards.” Hal ini cukup kontradiktif dalam konstruk yang diangkat Maslow karena dia melihat adanya tingkatan teratas manusia self actualization-tingkatan yang paling mulia versinya yang berarti hanyalah 10 persen saja yang dianggap oleh Maslow. Ia pun masih membenarkan defense mechanism dalam teori Freud bahwa manusia ketika melakukan kesalahan dapat merasakannya. Ya, itulah dosa yang sebenarnya disadari manusia. Namun, teori Maslow mengarahkan bahwa manusia memiliki self defense mechanism untuk membentengi dan merasionalisasi setiap kesalahannya. Berdasarkan uraian dan analisis di atas, Bagus Riyono membuat sebuah pemikiran, a discourse analysis, bahwa pemikirannya atas 10 persen manusia terbaik tersebut berakar dari pemikiran Yahudi yang menganggap dirinya sebagai umat terbaik yang seharusnya menguasai manusia lainnya. Hal ini tentu tidak terlepas dari latar belakang Maslow yang merupakan seorang Yahudi.

Ancaman dari psikologi humanistik adalah munculnya agama humanisme. Relativisme kebenaran bahwa semua benar dan relatif bagi setiap orang mendorong kepada paham pluralisme yang idenya setara dengan humanisme. Pluralisme dan pluralitas sendiri memiliki esensi yang berbeda. Pluralitas adalah diversitas. Pemahaman bhinneka tunggal ika seringkali misleading. Bahwa ia adalah sebuah pluralitas, diversitas yang menyatu. Bukan pluralisme. Pada akhirnya Maslow belum bisa menjelaskan mengapa seseorang berperilaku tertentu ketika semua tingkatan kebutuhan telah dimiliki, misalnya mengapa koruptor yang telah mendapatkan pemenuhan semua tingkat kebutuhan masih saja korupsi?

Pada sesi akhir ada sebuah refleksi yang menarik. Bani Israil dalam Al Quran diceritakan sebagai umat yang terpilih tetapi ingkar. Oleh karena itu, umat terbaik adalah umat islam yang ber-amar ma’ruf nahi munkar, mengajak kepada kebajikan menjauhi kemunkaran. 

Self defense mechanism dalam teori Maslow maupun Freud tidak sesuai dengan Islam. Dalam Islam, semua manusia dilahirkan dalam kondisi fitrah sehingga ketika ia berbuat dosa bukan self defense mechanism yang seharusnya dilakukannya melainkan taubatan nasuha. Oh ya, saya baru tahu ada seorang peserta yang out of topic menyinggung soal lambang iluminati pada Tugu Jogja. Menurutt Bagus Riyono hal itu memang tidak dapat dipungkiri karena penjajah yang datang ke Indonesia, Belanda, membawa misi iluminati. Gospel, Glory, and Gold. Bangunan tugu asli Jogja sebenarnya sangat sederhana berbentuk golong gilik. Tugu Jogja yang sekarang ini adalah peninggalan Belanda. 

Bagus Riyono juga mengangkat sosok Mohammad Hatta. Tahukah Anda mengapa Mohammad Hatta terpilih sebagai bapak Indonesia atau bapak koperasi atau title istimewa semacam itu? Karena dalam biografinya Bung Hatta ketika belajar di Belanda merupakan pribadi yang memiliki idealisme. Saat itu banyak kelompok diskusi yang mengarah pada penuhanan pemikiran manusia. Ketika dirinya diajak belajar filsafat ketuhanan ia dengan tegas mengatakan, “Maaf, saya Islam.”


Sumber: Kuliah Psikologi Islam oleh Bagus Riyono ditambah sedikit review beberapa ilmu yang diperoleh dari Pengantar Psikologi oleh Fathul Himam, dan Perilaku Organisasional oleh Budi Santoso



Monday, October 20, 2014

So Real

So Real Lyrics

By: Raef feat. Maher zain
They say that love never lasts
That love never lives to see another day
But what I know deep down inside
It’s what I feel and it’s so real
I gave it up all for You
And there ain’t nothing that I won’t do
All I know deep down inside
It’s what I feel and it’s so real with You!
Chorus:
Allah, everyday I’ll try to be as true as I can to You
‘Cause loving You the best I can

Will always be my number one and only plan
Yes everyday I’ll try to be as true as I can to You
‘Cause loving You the best I can
Will always be my number one and only plan
They say: “You’re out of your mind”
“Don’t you know that love fades away?”
They say: “It only brings you pain!”
But what I feel is so real!
I gave it up and turned to You
‘Cause I know what your love can do
O Allah open up our hearts
And make us feel how it’s so real with You!

source: www.islamiclyrics.net

Thursday, October 16, 2014

In The Harmonious Harmony

I would rather walk slowly 
to catch every breath of the airy way
yet, it would never last forever
would you let me 

reminisce every step of the journey 
for at some point I would start over
and fly away

Life sometimes becomes 'too kind'
But, I would rather talk softly
and hear the very whisper of the wind
for I will leave silently
to live in the harmonious harmony.

~NN~
16 October 2014

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Untuk Kawan Pertama: Sebuah Doa

Kita mungkin bukan sepasang merpati yang selalu terbang bersama
Bukan sepasang kekasih dengan kata-kata romantis setiap harinya 
Tetapi kita sepasang manusia yang terlahir untuk saling melengkapi
Bahwa aku mungkin kadang terlalu berlebihan
Memaknai dan menilai arti cinta di antara kita
Padahal sejatinya ia terlalu sederhana dan mulia

Panggilan konyol di antara kita
Perang bantal dan rebutan guling
Apa kau ingat semuanya
Sebab kau teman pertamaku sejak aku terlahir di dunia
Mungkin hal-hal bodoh itu tinggal kenangan 
Setiap detik yang kita habiskan itu terkadang 
Meski seperti kenangan masa lalu
adalah kawan yang selalu membuatku rindu
Untuk memutar waktu, kembali ke masa itu

Kita mungkin bukan sepasang merpati yang selalu terbang bersama
Tetapi terima kasih telah membagi sayapmu
Pada saat-saat di mana kau yang paling tahu sayapku terlalu lemah
Ketika aku pun barangkali bukanlah yang paling menguatkanmu
Ya, kita mungkin bukan sepasang kekasih dengan kata-kata romantis setiap harinya
Tetapi semoga Allah menjaga kita dalam doa-doa yang tak kasat mata.

Selamat berjuang untuk salah satu ujian dan mimpi besar itu, Mbak! 
Semoga setiap usaha dan doa dijawab Allah dengan sebaik-baik takdir. 
Kau kawan pertama dan terbaik yang pernah ada,
apapun penilaian yang mungkin orang berikan di antara kita. 
Maafkan atas segala kesalahan dan ketidaksempurnaanku. 
Semoga pertengkara yang pernah ada, kekonyolan di antara kita, 
menjadi warna-warni yang melengkapi perjalanan hidup kita.


Perjalanan terakhir bersama: Guci






Friday, October 10, 2014

The Alchemy of Happiness-Al Ghazzali vs. Freudian

Sigmund Freud believes that human has the needs of life, in his opinion, the desire for life is to the desire for sex. He developed dream theory, psyco-analysis theory, etc. out of his own experience which makes his theories for some scientist and psychologists are not scientific enough because the theories seemed to be personal interpretation and assumption.

Born as a Jewish child, feeling abandoned as a child, he made his own principles, the dark side of psychology, that is what Mr. Bagus called the theory. Under the power of Hitler during his childhood, he witnessed the weakness of having a religion. His dad, who is a Jewish, once he walked over the street and got attacked. His hat fell into the mud. But, his dad did not fight back. He just took his muddy hat and went by without having the feeling of humiliated. Freud was mad by his weak less-powerful father being treated like a dummy. He hated his dad until his dad really died. He had this feeling of uncertainty, whether he should be happy or sad when his dad died. His disappointment of his own childhood, religion, and life in general directed him to make such theory which sadly, nowadays has been common in our society. People unconsciously are omitted Freudian as they talk some improper words as though they are proper. Vulgar talks in the media are becoming things in common, like just a habit in a daily life. We probably forget the wisdom, the valuable heritage we mostly leave behind.

The thought of Freud, how he assumes human is that dark animal character has been long time before brought up and encountered by Imam Al Gahazali. In summary, Al Ghazali said be aware to yourself if you think happiness is something you gain after eating and drinking, then you have this animal character, or if you have ferocious (Ind.: agresif) feelings and acts, and if you see yourself as a machine (behaviorist-neuroscience thinker).

Al Ghazzali then countered this dark side human into this wonderfully beautiful quote:


"And if you possess angelic qualities, whose nature it is to worship God in sincerity and continually to await the vision of His beauty, then like them you should unceasingly, resting neither day or night, be zealous and strive that you may become worthy of the vision of the Lord."

In his argument, human has inherited the prophetic nature of Adam. Thus, the nature of human is to worship sincerely. This sincerity and obedience to God drives the feeling to miss the moment of meeting God day and night for them to be worthy enough in the eyes of God.

At the end, life is a choice. Everything in life seems to be a two-eyed-sword, having both the good and bad sides. You've got to choose either way. Don't swear those who are deviant because the deviants are part of Allah's will. Allah knows and wants to give His guidance to those who learn and understand.

Note: Summarized from Islamic Psychology Lecture-Dr. Bagus Riyono. After getting lost in a class for 15 minutes where you feel like you have no clue at all, discovering that you believed you just got into a wrong class, something like intuition class. Then you escaped from that place and finally you found the right one!