For Every Realization of My Dream

It has been almost 23 years since the day I was born to this world. In this 22 years of growing up, things has changed in almost every aspect of me. Except for one thing for sure that has always been here with me. This is for as long as I remember is the first thing I remember about myself, something that keeps on growing along with me, my very best friend that born together with me, at the same time, same place.

_It is my endless appetite to dream..._

I was born a dreamer, that's one thing for sure. I cannot stop dreaming, imagining for even a second in my life. It was merely a fantasy of a boy in the beginning, something like being a superhero, gaining special power, save the world, or something else like that.

But, in the end, the more I fantasize, the more I realize how normal I am, how ordinary. I look around and realize that even if such a fantasy exist, it won't be me. There are a lot of people around me that are worth more to become one. While me? I will remain a dreamer among these special borns around me.

But, that is no problem for me. I may be ordinary, but I believe I have the same right to dream, and I have the same right to make it real. Thus, while youth still remains inside me, I dream for more. But, this time I dream differently.

I begin my dream with the end. What would I accomplish at the end of my life? Then I dream about the path, the long and hard path to reach for the end. And yes, the imagination is flowing through my mind and it just won't stop. I even dream about several seconds to go to the future, even though most of them are not realized.

Then, during my childhood, I have put milestones to reach for the end pf my dream. A dream for another dream. These milestone are my childhood dreams, the product of my imagination for the end.

_I dream of a world without poverty_

That is the end, eradicating poverty. And in order to progress, I need to fulfill a dream for another and go on, dreams like going to university of indonesia, studying abroad at USA, enrolling in Princeton University, and so many other milestone, a dream for another.

And back when I was younher than this, I have vow to myself, that if any of my childhood dreams are accomplished, I would cut all of my hair on my head, becoming completely bald.

_Why is that?_

Because hair will always grow no matter how many times you cut it. It falls, but befor you notice it, it will rise again and again. That is a philosophy that I would put in my heart, the I would grow up no matter what, I will strive for the end of my dream.

Cutting my hair means that it is time to start all over again. One of my dream is accomplished and now is time to start again from zeri and strive for another dream, a dream for another dream. I must not be mesmerized by the accomplished dream and strive more. The hair keeps on growing rven if I cut it all, so why should I stop on just this one dream.

This is my second time in my life for cutting all of my hair. This is just my second childhood dream, my second milestone. The road to the end is still very long. I hope more of my hair would be cut, more of my dream would be realized. Even though I am just an ordinary person, just like my hair, I won't stop dreaming, growing and progressing. This bald head will always be the witness.

With this fistful dream in my hand, I walk in the path I believe in...

_Never stop dreaming_
Wirapati

My True Meaning of Victory

It was Ied Fitr, the victorious day for Moslem all over the world after one month of fasting, when I finally got my mind on this thing: What is victory?

This is a special Ied Fitr for me. Because, for the first time, I celebrate this special day separated from my family. As I may have told you before, I joined Teaching Indonesia (Indonesia Mengajar) to becoma a primary teacher in remote area. I am currently a primary teacher in Pangkalan Nyirih village of Rupat Island in Bengkalis, Riau. But, I am not alone in this once a year day, I have a new family in this island, Mr. Gopar and his warm family, swept away my bitterness of having this day without my main family.

In this special day, people in various social media ask each other the same question as mine, about the meaning of victory. People came up with various answers. Some told about their experiences, and some told about their phylosophies. I came up with quite different answer with theirs, at least with the ones that I have seen directly with my very own eyes.

For me, there are two meaning of victory. First, victory First is about ourselves, victory is about defeating yourself. A little contradiction, isn’t it? To achieve victory, you need to be defeated instead, and by your very own self. Actually, it was not ourselves in physical term. Ourselves is what beyond our flesh, that run through every vein and every cycle inside us. The weaknesses, the pride, the greed, the envy and any other things that consume our mind and blind our heart. It is the one that hinder ourselves to feel, hinder ourselves to see others, and bring us to our own self-fulfilling without any compassion about everything around us. It is very human to have these things in ourselves, but it is more human to put ourselves to defeat these parts of our own. It is a battle between ourselves. Can we defeat ourselves? Because, once we are defeated, we are victorious in reality.

Second is about the other around us, victory is when everybody never aim for victory, yet they do their best for themselves, and for the others. What is the importance of victory? Does it all that matter for you? Why are we always aiming for victories? Those who only aim for victory will eventually do anything to achieve it, even though in the process they have to hurt others. If that is what happen, then what is the meaning of having victories if we cannot celebrate it with others? True victory is when you do your best for yourself and the others without any ambition of actually winning it, and celebrate whatever the result you are having, because a solitary victory is no fun. We are social creature. Therefore, whether you win or lose, you are still celebrating your victories with those that you love, because you do what’s best for their part, too.

That is my dimensions of victory. Please keep in mind that victory is not a one straight line, it is a multidimensional system. Can you achieve victory for yourselves, and for others?

Smile Eternally...

What it means by "DREAM BIG"

It's been months since I became Pengajar Muda in Gerakan Indonesia Mengajar. I have seen a lot and learn no less than that. Being a teacher, I always tell my students to Dream Big, and to put their dream as high as the sky or even higher. I always tell them to fill the empty blue sky with their rainbow of dreams which in the future will elevate the prosperity of the nation. But, in the end, they always come up with a big question mark.

What is the meaning of DREAM BIG?

You may come up with a very cliche answer, like dream big is to dream something very big, like becoming a president or any cool job you can ever imagine. Yeah, most of us might answer that. But, I ask them back when they answer like that, "What would you do when you already reach your dream?" They might end up in silent, not knowing what to answer. We can dream of becoming a president, then what would we do when we already become a president? We can dream of becoming a minister or professor, then what? That's the end of it? Then, we're not dreaming big.

Dreaming big is not about how big the job/profession that you dream of, it is about how big the thing that you do as that profession.

You might think that being a farmer is a very small dream. Yeah, everybody could dream that. But, it's the same as being a president, easy to dream. Then how about being a farmer that has thousand hectares of land and employs thousands of workers, participating in eradicating unemployment. Small? Not at all. It is a big dream rather than a small nothing dream like becoming a president. If you want to become a president, then explain what would you do once you reach that place. And the things that you will do must big and influencing to other people. Never dream of something which could only beneficial to yourself. That is what I mean by "Dream Big".

I let them write all of their big dreams and surprisingly I saw some extraordinarily big dreams.

I want to become a president who bring this country to prosperity. I want to become a teacher who makes my students go into college. I want to become a minister who combat poverty. I want to become a mechanics who invent the fastest car in the world. And many more.

These are the big dreams of the small kids. So, why can't we dream more than them. We, adults, shouldn't be stopped on what profession we would like to have after this. Start thinking what are we gonna do and dream big! This world is the manifestation of the dreams of the people from the past. Let us shape this world with our big dreams which create a better world for every one.

Dream Big,

Wirapati