Study Case: The Three Little Pigs

You know the story of the Three Little Pigs, right? It involves three pigs and a big bad wolf. The story has been made famous since 1840, and yet the lessons from it still rang true until this day, end of 2017. Here are some things we can learn from it.

1. Watch out for the big, bad, wolf – The big, bad wolf comes in many forms. Like Mayhem, he can show up at anytime –  as a storm, an unexpected illness, a setback of some kind, the list is endless. It is wise to be on the look out for him, especially if you know he is lurking about. Being properly prepared for adversity is the best defense against it.
2. Short cuts can cost you a lot – The first two pigs built houses of straw and sticks. While they were able to get the work done fast, their houses did not stand up to the huffs and puffs of the big bad wolf. They ended up losing their homes and in some versions, their very lives.
3. Hard work pays off – The third pig spent the time and effort to build a house from bricks and mortar. While his brothers were enjoying a leisurely existence, he was busy working away building a strong house. In the end, both of the lazy brothers found refuge in the sturdy home of their more practical brother in the versions where the pigs manage to escape the wolf.
4. Create a solid plan for your future – All three pigs created a plan for the future, more or less. The problem is –  the first two pigs were rather short-sighted. A straw house would not stand up against a rainstorm and a stick house would not stand up against a bad rainstorm. The third little pig took into account things that could possibly happen and decided to build a house that could pretty much withstand any bad weather and intruders. He came up with a solid plan for future protection.
5. Learn to expect the unexpected – Obviously the first two pigs were not expecting the need to ward off the big bad wolf. Chances are they would have been considerably more concerned about safety in building their homes, if they thought a predator would come calling. The third pig seemed to take all things into consideration in his choice of building materials. He was prepared when the unexpected happened.
6. Know your limitations – The big bad wolf felt that he was invincible. He easily blew down the house of straw, and the house of sticks, though a little harder to blow down, was still no match for his lungs. When he came to the house of bricks, he still felt that he was able to be successful, yet he was not. He didn’t assess the situation very well, and therefore, used unnecessary breath on trying to do the impossible.
7. Going after the wrong thing can get you into hot water – The wolf pursued the three pigs even though he wore himself out trying to blow down the house of bricks. He should have taken the hint that these pigs were off limits. He would have been much better off seeking easier prey. Instead, he continued his pursuit which landed him in hot water, or hot oil, depending on which version you read. Sometimes it’s worth pursuing a goal; sometimes you need to be willing to let it go.
8. Be willing to help your siblings – In the less violent versions, the little pig with the brick house could have been mean to his brothers and let them fend for themselves against the wolf, but when they came to him for help, he let them in and gave them sanctuary.
9. A little extra work is worth the sacrifice – The first two pigs were more interested in playing around and having fun than making sure they had safe, sturdy homes. Had they been willing to put in some elbow grease and quality time, they would have had nice safe homes and still had a chance to enjoy a life of leisure afterwards.
10. Don’t be fooled by people who would lead you astray – Some versions have the wolf trying to trick the last pig out of his home, since it won’t be blown down. But, with every suggestion the wolf makes to get the pig out, the pig outsmarts the wolf. We need to learn how to stay out of trouble and not be led into it by others.

There are several versions of this tale, some less violent than others. Whatever version you choose to share with your children, you will find many lessons that they can use to help them navigate the waters of childhood and beyond.

Pelajaran dari kuda

Ada 3 macam kuda.

Ada kuda yang dibiakkan untuk menjadi kuda pacuan. Kuda-kuda ini adalah kuda pilihan dari jenis spesial dan sengaja dididik untuk menjadi kuda juara. Mereka dilatih setiap hari dengan disiplin ketat untuk bisa melompati halangan-halangan tertentu, untuk bisa menunjukkan atraksi menarik, dan harus makan diet pilihan yang gak sembarang kuda bisa makan supaya tetap sehat dan fit terutama pada saat pertandingan tiba. Mereka disisir setiap hari dan hidup ibarat putri raja. Penampilan mereka selalu cemerlang dan tipe kelas satu bak primadona.

Ada kuda jenis lain yang dilatih untuk jadi kuda peternakan. Tujuan hidup mereka adalah untuk menjadi sarana transportasi manusia dari satu daerah ke daerah yang lain. Mereka ini jinak, jadi siapa pun bisa menungganginya. Kadang mereka dipersiapkan untuk anak-anak yang mau ikut kursus menunggang kuda. Kadang mereka digunakan untuk turis yang berminat untuk menunggang kuda dan melihat-lihat daerah liburan sekitarnya. Kuda-kuda ini makan makanan biasa seperti jerami, rerumputan, wortel, jagung, dan gandum. Seperti kuda pacuan, mereka juga disisir setiap hari dan dipelihara dengan baik. Mereka kelihatan sehat dan terawat.

Kuda ketiga adalah kuda liar. Kuda ini sama sekali tidak jinak, tidak takut manusia, dan tidak bisa dikendalikan. Mereka tidak kenal kekang dan sepatu kuda. Kalau manusia coba untuk menungganginya, mereka akan menghentak-hentak kakinya dan membuat manusia itu terlempar dari punggungnya. Mereka makan sembarang rumput yang ada di mana-mana dan tidak ada yang mengontrol nutrisi mereka. Karena tidak ada yang menyisir mereka, akhirnya bulu mereka tumbuh tidak terawat dan penampilannya jelek sekali.

Orang juga sama.

Ada orang-orang  yang halus, terdidik, dan berbudaya. Orang-orang ini tahu aturan. Mereka mengerti tata krama dan bisa bergaul dengan baik dan sopan. Mereka membuat peradaban manusia setingkat lebih tinggi. Mereka membuat orang merasa senang untuk berinteraksi dengan orang-orang berkultur ini. Orang-orang jenis ini ibarat kuda pacuan. Mereka sudah terdidik untuk menjadi juara dan punya mental bagai pemenang.

Sayangnya, ada orang-orang yang nggak punya etiket. Mereka grasa-grusu dan hidup "liar". Mereka tak punya aturan dalam pergaulan dan bicara seenak jidat. Apa yang dipikirkan di otaknya pada saat itu juga dilontarkan dalam perkataan yang pedas dan menusuk hati. Mereka tidak mengontrol lidahnya dan itu juga terlihat dalam perilaku hidupnya sehari-hari. Orang-orang ini menyebabkan banyak sakit hati dan akibatnya mereka tidak mendapat respek dari orang lain. Mereka ini ibarat kuda liar yang tidak terdidik dan tidak diperhatikan.

Tapi orang bukan kuda. Orang bisa berubah, kalau mereka mau. Orang bisa belajar untuk menjadi berbudaya. Apalagi zaman sekarang, zaman informasi dan internet. Mereka bisa melatih diri mereka untuk menjadi setahap lebih baik, kalau mereka punya keinginan untuk tumbuh dan berkembang.

Manusia adalah makhluk yang paling tinggi, mereka sudah dilengkapi dengan akal budi untuk terus belajar dan berkembang dengan lebih baik. Nggak ada orang yang dilahirkan sudah punya aturan dan tau cara mengucap terima kasih. Itu semua diajarkan pada kita. Dan kita juga bisa bersikap otodidak, belajar sendiri. Jadi nggak usah nyalahin orang tua atau guru kalau kita tidak tahu atas suatu hal. Masa kini, kita bisa belajar dari begitu banyak sumber untuk setidaknya tahu cara bertata krama. Untuk punya etika dalam pergaulan dengan orang lain.

Seandainya kita mau ketemu sama Ratu Elizabeth II di Inggris. Apakah kita akan ngomong dan bertindak tanduk sama seperti kita ngomong sama kuli bangunan? Ya, seharusnya kita tetap sama sopannya pada Ratu Elizabeth dan pada kuli bangunan seberang rumah. Manusia semua sederajat, tapi tidak semua manusia sama. Kenyataannya, banyak orang-orang yang tingkah lakunya sangat berbeda satu sama lain. Ada yang baik dan manis. Ada yang sopan penuh teladan. Dan ada juga yang bicara sembarangan seolah-olah nggak takut akan konsekuensi yang ditimbulkan dari lidahnya. Dan ketika dua tipe orang ini berbaur, mereka bagaikan minyak dan air. Nggak akan bisa bercampur. Yang satu jadi sakit hati, dan yang lain tetap aja bebal dan gak mau berubah.

Jadi apa kesimpulannya?

Intinya, orang yang mau berubah menjadi satu derajat lebih baik, akan selalu maju. Seperti kuda pacuan, mereka terus berlatih sampai mereka jadi ahli. Mereka mendorong diri mereka untuk terus berjuang dan berlari menuju tujuannya. Mereka akan mengasah diri mereka untuk menjadi orang yang lebih baik. Orang yang tetap tahu tata krama dan menghargai lawan bicaranya. Mereka akan terus naik tingkat ke level-level yang lebih tinggi.

Orang yang bebal? Biar aja mereka terus menjadi orang-orang liar. Kalau mereka mau berubah ya syukur, nggak juga nggak papa.

Anjing mengonggong, kafilah berlalu.

Cushion

In life, you've got to have a cushion.

Call it a buffer, a space, a distance; cushion serves to separate us from the edge of living. Cushion is our safety net.

In money terms, cushion is savings.
In time terms, cushion is the time gap between one activity to another.
In sitting terms, cushion is the pillow between us and chair that give us comfort.
In people terms, cushion is a wall between us and people who degrade us.

In many thing, cushion is a necessary skill we need to have to ensure our survival. If we don't have cushion, if we don't have a room between us and life, we could resort to any means that sometimes lead to trouble. By the definition, cushion soften the effect of an impact on. The synonyms for this word are protect, shield, shelter, cocoon.

For example: let's say you have to be at work at 9 am. You know between traffic and everything, it will take you 30 minutes to get there. But instead of going at 8.30 am, you want to give your self 5-10 minutes cushion (or even more), just in case there is an accident that would delay your commute. When you leave home at 8.25 am or 8.20 am, that's when you give yourself cushion. And as we know, in life, there are some unpredictability things we cannot control. That's why you want to give yourself a bit of time for that "just in case" moment.

Living on the edge sounds fun, but if you do this everyday, eventually life will catch up to you, and you'll be behind on your schedules and then need to play catch up. It's just better to be ahead rather than catching up. When you're ahead, you have more control and eventually can minimize the damage life might prepare for you. Soften the blow.

Have as many cushions as you like. The more you protect yourself from the mystery of tomorrow, the more you become prepared. Beside that, cushion is comfy and who doesn't like comfy things?

Have a cushion in life. It'll help you to get ahead.