The greatest happiness is to transform one’s feelings into action. – Madame de Stael, French author
I have heard that line over and over in my life. In primary school, in high school, at university, from my friends, from TV, from everywhere. “I want to do something great for my country. I want to contribute to Indonesia.”
How many of us are actually doing something for Indonesia right now?
I believe everyone involved with Indonesian Future Leaders wants to do something great for our country. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here, browsing through their website and reading my article. I’m one of you, too. I’ve always wanted to do something for Indonesia, especially in the field of education. It all started when I studied the Constitution in primary school, like all of you did, and somewhere in there it says that “all citizens have the right to an education.” Well, that’s not true, I thought, I know a bunch of children near my neighborhood who can’t afford to go to school.
I felt sorry for those children, because I liked school and I knew how important education was. “I would do something about this,” I thought, “I would do something when I grow up. When I start working and earning a lot of money, I’d find some underprivileged children and pay for their education. I’d have my own business and use the profit to build a huge public library, with good-quality books, open for everyone for free. There would be a free English class at that library, too.” Then I shoved that dream aside, knowing that I’d come back to it when I have the money and skills to do so. I felt young, full of ideas, enthusiastic and good about myself.
Sounds familiar?
The problem with that thinking is that it begins with, “When I grow up and have the money and skills.” Big dreams are great, but they’re no bigger than the brain cell they occupy until they are put into action. What a lot of people don’t realize is that they can do something about their dreams now. They don’t have to wait until they graduate from high school or university, or until they have a job, or until they join the government or until they have the time. No matter how big your dreams are, there is always a part of it that you can do now. There is always something that you can do. You don’t have to wait any longer to realize your dreams for Indonesia.
Let me give you an example. Say you want to provide education for underprivileged children, but you’re still a high school student. You can set aside some of your money and use it to send just one child to school, perhaps your becak driver’s son. If you can’t afford it alone, get your friends and relatives to help out, and together pay for the son’s education. Or just donate whatever amount you can to help pay for his education. You’d be surprised at how many people would be grateful for a donation of Rp 20,000/month. Or lend him some books to read. Or give him English lessons for free, once every one or two weeks. Regardless of your age or financial status, or how much time you have, there is always something that you can do. The possibilities are endless.
And you might say, “But that’s kind of a small contribution. You know, just helping one child, just with his English homework, just once every 2 weeks.” Well, it’s already better than not doing anything. Do not underestimate the change you can make on someone’s life. Do not underestimate the impact you can have by helping just one person. Mother Teresa began her massive social movement by helping out one person. Also, do not underestimate what you can do. I once heard a very intelligent scientist say that if each of us would use our full potential, we’d be surprised at what we can do. I was also taught that whatever dreams I have, God has instilled in me the capabilities to make these dreams come true. That is God’s promise. Well, I don’t need further assurances. I can safely say that you and I, my friend, are capable of great things.
However, I find that people are also good at making excuses. “But I want to do things big.” I really understand that, because I used to have an all-or-nothing attitude: I want to do everything perfectly, or not at all. I can tell you that it is a very destructive attitude. Most of the time, people can’t do things perfectly, especially when they just start out, but that shouldn’t stop people from doing things. Any amount of contribution matters. Also, if you never start somewhere, you’ll never learn anything about that field, and you’ll never be able to do it well! You have to start somewhere, and you can build your dream from there.
“I want to wait for inspiration.” To quote Frank Tibolt, the great writer and success trainer, “We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.” So, if your passion for Indonesia concerns the environment, you can start something small and doable, perhaps in your neighborhood. Maybe you can ask your neighbors to gather their paper and plastic trash separately for two weeks, and pass these on to you. You can bring them to a recycling centre and use the money from the sale to buy non-plastic shopping bags for every household. Then maybe, as you do this, you’ll find some more inspiration about how you can contribute.
Some people also say, “But I don’t have the time. I’m very busy and I have exams coming soon.” I have found that it’s not true when people say that they don’t have the time – they just don’t make the time. The reality is, time is limited and we have to make priorities as a result. If people don’t get around to doing something, it usually means they don’t make that thing a priority. So, if you think you don’t have the time to start working on your dreams, you need to ask yourself if these dreams are a high priority for you. Also, I find that as you get older, you only get busier. If you’re busy when you’re in high school, you’ll only get busier at university, and even more once you start working, get married, have children, and have six hundred other things to worry about. The way I see it, the only solution is to acquire time-management skills and learn how to prioritize. And remember, you can adjust your contribution to your schedule. If you can’t do it once a week, do it once every two weeks, or even once a month. But it’s not an excuse to not do anything.
The other type of excuse is familiar for me, because I used to do it. “But those people could realize their dreams because they’re much more privileged than me. One of them even graduated from Harvard. They’re richer and have a lot of networks. That one is the son of an Ambassador.” I used this excuse until one day during my university time in Yogyakarta. I came across this old lady, a beggar, and from my neighbors I learned that she took care of the street children in that neighborhood. She made them take a shower a few times a week in her small hut, and fed them whatever she could find. She was helping others although she was only a beggar. She made me realize that you can never be too poor – or too anything – to help out.
All these excuses basically lead to waiting – waiting for your life to start, the life that you want, the life where you get to realize your dreams and make great contributions to the country you love. And waiting certainly is easy, as easy as criticizing our government for not doing this and that. But where is the fulfillment in that? Where is the joy and where is the result?
Dear friends, do not let yourself think that fulfillment, joy and positive result only lies with the grand acts in life. Fulfillment, joy and positive result comes to the people who take a courageous step toward their goal, no matter how small that step is. There really is happiness in action. If you truly want to do something for this country, then do something. As Helen Keller has so eloquently said, “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” The opportune time for your dreams is now.
With love,
Annisa
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