LIVE TO GIVE.
LIVE TO MAKE CHANGES.
I know I have talk about this topic many times before, but I just finally managed to write an article about my view on it.
Enjoy reading :)
Life is not just simply living and breathing.
Most normal people around us can do that.
Everyday I see people, meet and chat with various kind of people.
What I can see is many people are living the life of what others have told them to.
Go to school and college and get good grades.
Find a decent job or further study that you finally will end up in a big air-conditioned office with high salary.
Get married, have one or more children, go for holiday locally or outside the country.
Live life, enjoy, sometimes go to talk or religious events and give charity to the poor and needy.
What a life!
Not bad at all.
Well. I think that's how normally many people will think.
I was like that until quite recently, about 3-4 years ago.
After I graduated and got my bachelor in Biotech, I knew I love to teach or get involved in anything related to education. But I wasn't thinking about is seriously since I was (excited) getting married and therefore I just decided to do master related to biotech+chem engine.
After 2 years, I am still struggling to love this research field though many people tell me that it's better to have a phD and to be a lecturer rather than a teacher.
With the kids nowadays and the workload, isn't better to be a lecturer with higher income, chances to travel around the world and even got the title of Dr. or Prof. which indicate you are an expert in your area.
Aren't those amazing?!
Yes. There are.
But I just don't feel it. I don't hate doing research and writing papers, it just that I don't have the passion and confidence that I will manage to love and stand this career for the next 10 years.
I am not saying anything bad about being a lecturer or a researcher or any other job.
Each career or post has its own privilege.
It's just that I'm not feeling it.
Therefore I sit down and think.
A few times.
Really think.
I am just like everyone else, struggling everyday to be a better person, to be a good Muslimah, to work harder.
Only people closest to me know how bad I am as a person.
But, i know that I can still dream, I can change and I should change.
Then I sit down and think again.
A few times.
Really think.
I think of what I want, what change I want to make that is significant to me personally and live a life that I won't regret.
What I found and what I really want are:
> I love reading books on children psychology and education, about human personalities, and stuff like that. Basically psychology and education.
> I am a family person. I want to have quality time with my family especially my children so that my husband and I are their first teachers of life, their best friends to spend time with.
> I will be happy if my children can grow up being humans who know their purpose of life, can differentiate good and bad, can think critically by themselves and found their passion and what to do with their life.
> I want to teach and share values of life to my children and other children as well by teaching, create events or projects to improve a small society of mine.
> And if possible in a larger scale, improve education system in Malaysia, or at least be among the people who are fighting for changes.
> I may change overtime and I may further my phD sometime in the future. People change. But, NOW, these are my definition of success.
Well, my point is that I hope all of us can stop for a while, think and realize the big potential God has given us to make changes thus make the world a better place.
No matter what kind of background or hardships you have been through, different people learned their lessons of life from different Experiences. If you are optimistic enough, those lessons should definitely drive you to do good and contribute back to the society. And if you are a Muslim, you should be ambitious and optimistic. Those are the traits of a strong believer.
At the end of the day, everyone is a leader in something thus think what you can do to influence others.
We can talk about our family, what and where to shop, what to cook, how to improve income, where to go for holiday, to discuss and complaint about politics and issues around the world.
But NOT JUST THAT.
You can be a teacher, a lecturer, a doctor, a businessman, a rich man, a housewife, a preacher (Dai'e/Naqib/ah), or anything, but you need to REALIZE YOUR TRUE POTENTIAL, and PASSION.
Furthermore, spend your money for charity is great.
But it is much better if you can spend time once in a while and go down to the ground and meet various people from different backgrounds, have face-to-face conversation and actually do volunteer work. Those will be experiences that you will treasure, plus a drive for you to keep contributing back to the society.
This is a talk that I would recommend everyone to listen and ponder upon the messages, even if you are a non-Muslim.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1W4wv4K8rM
Last but not least, stop for a while and think, make changes, enjoy and live a life you won't regret.
Wallahua'lam. ^_^
