Happy birthday mom!

On July 21st is my mom’s birthday, I planned a trip to Singapore for her 77th birthday celebration. Two days before the trip I wasn’t feeling well at all. I needed to cancel a meeting with my friend. A meeting was set for my friend’s son who needed some advices. I felt so sorry I couldn’t meet them in person, but I really thought my health condition would affect my trip. My friend understood my reason to cancel the meeting. Anyway I shared with him about my trip for celebrating my mom’s birthday. My friend said, “Lin, I want to give something for your mom” He sent something for my mom. Just a day before the trip, my mom was surprised to get the gift from my friend. She just knew my friends by name but she might not know my friends in person. My friend sent his best wishes for my mom through my cell phone. He wrote, “Lina, please tell your mom… she has outstandingly educated you…so you become a blessing to people around you” It touched my heart. When I read that message to my mom, she smiled widely. That sentence was priceless for my mom. I thanked to my friend; he made my mom proud to be my mom. That was a gift for me too. I never thought what I had done for him as a big deal. I just gave my time to share my experiences and a little knowledge in life. It actually impacted my mom’s happiness. A couple months ago my youngest daughter said to me, “It is actually very easy to make parents or grandparents happy; we just need to do our best in our life, whatever our achievement in life. They will be proud and it is their real happiness” It was so true that as parent we don’t need anything from our children, we just want to see how far our children’s wings can bring them reaching their goal. As parents we just need to hear that our children do their best and they are happy with their life, we are proud to be part of their life. My mom’s happiness was shown in her eyes when I said to her, “Happy birthday mom, thank you for being part of my life” Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more. Tony Robbins **Lina Kartasasmita** Jakarta August 6, 2012 at 7.06PM

I am perfectly blessed in my imperfection

“Recognize that you are enough, and that all external gifts are simply extra blessings.”

― Bryant McGill, Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life

How do you describe that you are blessed? Sometimes in life, when I meet a very wealthy family, I wonder how much money they have, how big is their house, how many cars they have and hundreds of questions in my mind.

I believe, once in a while those questions come into our minds. Who doesn’t want to be wealthy? 

A young man came to my house to share his dream. He said, “I want to be very wealthy in my life” So I asked him, “What definition of very wealthy?”

He mentioned some names in the top list of the wealthiest person in this country and in the world.  I could imagine what the wealthiest people have in their life and how their “Balance sheet” looks like.

He mentioned one famous name and said, “I want to be like him” 

The only thing I could say, “It is a great dream, and yes you can achieve that dream.  However, you have to remember you cannot ‘copy paste’ others’ life into yours.  We are a very special creation and we are blessed in unique ways.”

 Maybe it wasn’t a good advice that I could give to this young man.

It seems unusual if I say I don’t really think about being wealthy in my life.

Sound like a denying while people this world want to be very wealthy.

Maybe I am weird or crazy, but I think “to be blessed is the most important in life”

Instead of wanting to be very wealthy I always pray that I am blessed enough to enjoy this life.  And every time I count my blessings, I always amaze with my life. I am perfectly blessed in my imperfection.

One day I said to my husband, “ I am so blessed, because the girl in the shop smiled and she was so happy to meet me again. She remembered my name. And the man whom I never met for a long time, he could remember my full name. He was so happy to see me again. Honestly I couldn’t remember his name at all” Awkward when I mentioned it. My husband just smiled. It was probably crazy thing to count as a blessing.  As Janette Oke said,  “Blessings sometimes show up in unrecognizable disguises. ”

One small thing or simple thing, seen or unseen I like to count as blessings.

My life is not perfect at all; I struggle with my health however it brings me to meet loving and caring doctors. Through my work, I meet wonderful people who become good friends and sister or brother for me.

On the top of all my blessings is my family. I have my two lovely daughters who make me a very proud mother and a husband who always loves and supports me.

When we count our blessings we are wealthy perfectly .

“Count your blessings.

There are many beautiful things in life to appreciate.

The gift of life is a priceless.”

― Lailah Gifty Akita

Lina Kartasasmita Jakarta October 30, 2014 at 8.31PM

“Dunia ini kelasku dan kalianlah guru-guruku”

Di Negeri yang baru saja terguncang oleh pemilihan para pemimpin ini, selalu ada berita menarik, mengelitik dan sekali-kali mengenaskan.

Hari ini hal yang menarik adalah persoalan apakah seorang tanpa ijasah boleh menjadi pimpinan. Untuk segelintir orang Gelar sarjana menjadi begitu pentingnya, sehingga mereka lupa kalau gelar itu hanya untuk beberapa pelajaran yang diikutinya. Gelar itu hanya se-per-sekian dari seluruh pengetahuan di dunia. Sehingga kepandaian seseorang selalu dinilai dengan apa yang tertulis di selembar kertas nilai.

Kadang kita lupa, bahwa pendidikan formal itu untuk sebagian orang adalah hal mewah, mahal untuk mendapatkannya. Dan ada sekelompok orang yang merasa pendidikan formal itu membunuh kebebasannya berkarya, memberi batasan untuk ide-ide cemerlangnya. Dan banyak pula yang menjadi korban karena pendidikan itu memberikan kelas-kelas di dalam masyarakat.

Inilah yang kurasakan sebagai suatu yang mengenaskan. 

Belajar dari almarhum ayahku yang tidak pernah mendapat pendidikan formal di sekolah, karena kemiskinannya, dia harus belajar sendiri. Sering kudengar dia bercerita, bagaimana dia duduk di bawah pohon bambu, belajar menulis dan berhitung sendiri. Ketika kemiskinan dan keterbatasan menekan kehidupannya, ayahku justru menjadi pejuang tegar meraih kehidupan yang layak untuk keluarganya.

Nasehat ayahku,jadikan dunia ini ruang kelas dan setiap orang bisa menjadi guru bagi kita. Dia belajar menjadi kontraktor dari tukang batu, dia belajar berapa perbandingan semen dan pasir, dia belajar membuat tempat tidur dari pembuatnya. Dia menghafal semua Undang-Undang Agraria, dia mampu mewakili kaum minoritas menghadapi setiap perkara di pengadilan. Tanpa gelar Sarjana, tanpa ijasah Sekolah Dasar, bagi ayahku, yang terpenting adalah dia mandiri dan tidak menjadi beban bagi orang-orang disekitarnya.

Jadi teringat seseorang yang mewawancariku mengenai analisa tulisan tangan dan tanda tangan. Seusai wawancara dia bertanya, “Mbak, boleh saya tulis kalau mbak seorang ahli?” Terpaksa aku menjawab, “Jangan mas, aku tidak punya ijasahnya tidak punya pendidikan formalnya” Dia menjawab, “ Sayang ya mbak, padahal menurut saya mbak itu sudah bisa disebut ahli “ Dengan bercanda aku menjawab, “ Aku ini ahli dari jalanan, kalau istilah asingnya Street smart. Tapi yang penting aku tahu cara memakai ilmu itu, Mas. Tidak penting lagi ijasahnya”

Seperti yang dikatakan oleh Bel Kaufman, “Education is not a product: mark, diploma, job, money in that order; It is a process, a never ending one”

Lina Kartasasmita, Jakarta 29 October 2014 at 7.43PM