My Life Now

I'm happy.

I live in one of the best and safest country in the world. I live in a beautiful home with gorgeous view all surround me. Every morning I wake up and get dressed to get to work, I can see Mount St. Helens afar with it's snowy peak across from my mini window in my closet. I felt so peaceful whenever I do that. In the afternoon, after my work, I sit down in one of the room that has been converted into an office, and I can see the tall green trees outside, and I feel in serenity.

I work in one of the biggest bank in America. I get to work in a reasonable hours, from 8 or 9 am to 5 or 6 pm, depends on the day. My profession is a personal banker, my favorite job. I get to meet people from various walks of life and it feels so good to help their financial lives to be in a better state.  I work so close from my home, only 10 minutes away, with no traffic in between. How lucky is that?

I'm married to a husband that is so loving and faithful to me. He is full of sense of humor and have a gentle spirit. He's kind, funny, and very understanding. I've been living this wonderful dream for the last eleven years, and only wish that this relationship will never end.

My mom still alive and live with us. She's very cute and protective, just like a mama bear. We all live together happily ever after. All of us: me, my husband, and my mom, are very healthy and not sick at all.  My house is clean and free from clutter. I am very thankful that we living this great life!

I'm happy because I have a choice to cook for dinner or buy food home from a restaurant near by. I'm happy because our house is full of our favorite snacks. I'm happy because even though we can eat what we want but we keep watching our weights and ensure we're not pass our max limits. 

My life now is a bit different from what I've envisioned twenty years ago, but that's okay. It's actually turns out to be better that what I originally planned. 

I'm happy. Life is great!

Wisdom of the day

The older I get, the happier I am.  Weird.  When I was younger, I somewhat afraid to be older. As if being older is something I want to avoid of. But somehow, age gets the better of me. I somehow (and hopefully) become wiser and humbler. I admit that I don't know everything, and still willing to learn things that excite me, or peek my curiosity.

To sum it up, I only have 3 simple wish I have in life:
1. I want to be happy.
2. I want to always be healthy.
3. I want to be wiser.

Success and wealth are important too, but being in a state of mind of happy and contentment are something that I can always have in any age level. No matter how old (or young) I am. Bob Marley once sang,"Don't Worry Be Happy!"

Health is another point of view. No matter how much money I have in the world, nothing can buy life. Yes you can prolong your life by keeping healthy habit, take vitamins, and exercise. But eventually, we all going to die at some point. So having a healthy life till the end is a priority to me. At least if I die, I want it not because I have certain disease or something.

Lastly, wisdom. This, I found, I can only get by age. Doesn't mean I have to be older. Learning from those who had walk before me. Like learning from my parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, and all those who have more seniority than me. One thing for sure, wisdom is something that I will always pursue.

I guess it's true what a wise man once said. "The more I learn, the more I know that I know nothing."

That's ok. As long as I'm happy, healthy, and getting wiser each day. :)

Tidur dengan pria lain?

Suatu hari seorang pria bertanya kepada tiga orang wanita yang sudah menikah.

Pria: Maukah anda tidur dengan pria lain kalau anda dibayar satu juta dollar?

Nyonya A: Tentu saja.  Bahkan saya akan berikan bonus satu malam lagi.

Nyonya B: Sudah pasti, siapa yang tidak mau satu juta dollar.  Bahkan keesokan paginya saya akan bilang pada pria itu kalau saya sebetulnya bersedia tidur gratis dengan dia!

Nyonya C: Iya saya mau, kalau nama pria itu adalah Tuan C, suami saya.

Pria: Kamu tidak mengerti pertanyaan ini.  Pertanyaannya adalah apakah kamu mau tidur dengan pria lain, yang artinya bukan suami kamu sendiri.

Nyonya C: Saya mengerti pertanyaan anda.  Anda tidak mengerti jawaban saya.  Saya hanya mau tidur dengan suami saya sendiri.

Pria: Kenapa begitu?

Nyonya C: Mudah saja.  Saya bisa tidur tanpa satu juta dollar.  Saya nggak bisa tidur tanpa suami saya.

Pria dan dua nyonya yang lain: ...

Kesetiaan seorang istri tidak ada harganya.  Berbahagialah Tuan C punya istri yang tidak bisa dibeli dengan satu juta dollar!

Busy

"I'm a very busy person."

"Busy doing what?"

"Busy relaxing."

...

Have a good day/night everyone! :D

Which Type of Glass?

In my previous blog,"Why Half-Glass Perspective Is Important", I outlined the pros and cons of having both point of view.

Now here's a question for you.  Which type of glass would you like to have?
a) Full glass
b) Half glass
c) Empty glass

I think the answer for this answer will depend on the context.  What's the context?  There are situation that required either full, half, or empty glass.  If you're thirsty, of course you choose full glass.  But if you're fulfilled, then there's no point of having a full glass.  Unless if you predict you can't get refill! :)

Either way, understanding the context of situation you're in will help you determine which type of glass you need.  Have a good day!

How Many Ways to Get 4?

Really, how many ways?

2+2 = 4

2X2 = 4

But then you can get it with 1X4 = 4, or 3+1 = 4.

Or 100-96 = 4.

Or 80/20 = 4.

The true answer is.... infinite.

There's infinite ways to get to 4.

The end. =)

Thank You, Readers!

My dearest readers,

This blog article is dedicated for you.  You are the reason why I write this blog.  Through my blog, I want to support people.  I want to instill hope and inspiration.  I want to provide motivation.  That you can do whatever you want to do as long you put your hearts and minds into it.

Readership.  That's a new word I learn today.  I enjoy our readership (me writing, you reading).  And I like that we can "talk" about whatever issue or concern or topic our heart desires.  That's the purpose of my blog.

So readers, thank you.  Thank you for your time reading my blog, and I truly hope you enjoy it too.

Decide to do it in this lifetime

Whatever it is you plan to do, to make things better, faster, cheaper, decide to do it in this lifetime. You will amaze yourself on tapping your capabilities in a way that you never think before!

I'm proud that at least I achieved these 3 accomplishments:
1. Closed a $10 million dollar deal when I used to work in a big foreign bank in Indonesia.
2. Closed another half million dollar deal that land me a trip to Italy for 2 weeks.
3. Lead a direct sales team of 40 people.

And I did it all before I get married at 26!

These achievements are something that I will always carry in my heart for the rest of my life.  And all because I was dare to do it. So whatever you wish, dream, and want to do, just do it!  You can do it!

Time.

Why "Half Glass" Perspective is Important

Let's face it, we live in a world where "half glass" concept exists.  They say half-glass-full people is optimistic, and the other half live in a pessimistic world where no one wants to live in it.  But the truth is, we need both sides of the story.  Why?

Half Glass Full
* To be grateful for what we have
* To be thankful for what we've experienced
* To enjoy life as it is
* To count our blessings
* To be in the mindset that "now I know more"!

Half Glass Empty
* To know that there's more work need to be done
* To realize the race is not finished yet, keep moving on to our goal!
* To tap more into our deeper potential
* To understand what it means to not have everything and be kind to those who less fortunate
* To learn more!

Our reality will always balanced out between these 2. The secret is to choose one condition based on our situation.  Hope this help. :)

Shopping Marital Advice

A couple who had been married for 15 years is asking a marital advice from a couple who had been married for 35 years.  The older couple gave 5 advices to the wife and 1 advice to the husband.

Wife:
1. When shopping, do shopping.
2. That means check price comparison.
3. Do your due diligence on quality.
4. Stick within your budget, do not over extend.
5. Do not regret things you buy.  You need it, right?

Husband:
1. Let your wife shop.

Change

Some people that knew me since my childhood years, or even back 5-10 years ago, might thought that I don't change that much.  They are partially right.  The truth is, I changed.  Now I decide to let go things that no longer matter anymore.

At some point in my life, there are things that are more important than the others.  But the thing is, you really need to try to look beyond your present day.  Try to look ahead of what will come, but not too eagerly want to peek at your future, is truly an art.  Mastering this can help us avoid unnecessary mistakes and get us to our "destination" faster.

I guess it's true what they say.  Life is about how you handle plan B.  And that's why, to a certain degree, I will always change and evolve.  To something better. :)

Terhalang 20 Years

20 years ago, 10th June 1995, was an important date for me.

On that fateful day, me and my high school friends produced a theater play "Terhalang", adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  My role as Mercutio (aka Jaen Lohai), which was the 1st guy who died on stage, is something that I will never forget and will probably take with me till death do us part.

Oh btw, it was an all girl high school, so somebody gotta play the guy.

My love for drama and theater will never die.  I think.  Now fast forward 20 years later, and here we are today with new movies, tv series, and plays.

But something authentic about all girls drama high school is just an experience that you will always cherish and remember.  I especially want to say thank you to my high school drama club.  Thank you for the opportunity for me to play that special guy, Jaen Lohai. Thanks for having me in your show. :)

Pelajaran Berharga

Kemaren ada kejadian luar biasa. Banyak hikmahnya. Dan membuatku merenung dan ambil pelajaran2x berharga.

Jadi ceritanya gini.  Aku dan suami sudah on the way home, skitar jam setengah sebelas malam. Tiba-tiba ada suara kayak DOR.  Aku bingung dan nanya suami,"Kamu denger, nggak?"  Dan gak berapa lama kemudian,  ban belakang sebelah kiri kempes seolah2 kena paku.  Alamaak!

Nah, terus mau nggak mau ya kita stop di pinggir jalan.  Bingung, gimana ganti ban, soalnya kita nggak punya ban serep (mobil zaman sekarang nggak nyediain ban serep, adanya cuma satu kotak kecil untuk mompa gas, dimana gue & misua kaga ngerti gimana cara makenya.)  Alhasil kita akhirnya mutusin untuk nelpon nomor darurat 911.  Mana batere telpon udah cenat cenut pula, alias tinggal 5 watt.... haiyah! >_<

Sementara suami lagi berusaha kontek 911 (minta bantuan roadside assistance), mendadak ada orang asing ngetok kaca jendela.  Mungkin dia berusaha jadi good samaritan kali?  Tapi instingku berkata lain. Suara hati bilang, "Jangan percaya sama orang ini!".  Susah ngejelasinnya, pokoknya nggak feel good deh sama orang ini.  Dia berusaha untuk menolong kita ganti ban.  Pake acara keluarin toolboxnya dia segala.  Tapi dia nggak berhasil ganti ban kita, entah kenapa.

Aku kasih kode lagi untuk suamiku telp 911 lagi, dan kali ini mereka bilang mereka akan kirim mobil patrol.  (Berarti polisi dong? hore!!).  Dan beneran aza, nggak berapa lama kemudian, mobil polisi tiba.  Baru sekali ini aku ngeliat polisi dan langsung bernafas lega.   Polisinya wanita berbadan tegap bernama K.Gibson.  Aku tanya,"Bisa nggak kamu stay?".  Tadinya aku pikir dia setuju2 aja, tapi ternyata responnya dia aku nggak nyangka!  Dia cuma nanya satu kata gini: "Why?" Waduh!  Gelagapan jawab, jadinya aku nggak bisa jawab...

Nah, mungkin bu polwan ini kasian kali ngeliat kita luntang lantung kayak orang digantung, jadinya doi cuma nasihat gini,"Sudahlah, masuk mobil kamu sana, naikin jendela, kunci pintu, dan tunggu sampe tow trucknya dateng."  Ya wes, abis itu kita ya nurut saja sama nasihat beliau.  Padahal hati gue jadi dag dig dug lagi. Getar getir mikirin kalo ni polisi mungkin bakalan pulang dan ninggalin kita sendirian.  Ihik!

Oke, sekitar setengah jam kemudian, akhirnya tow truck yang ditunggu2x dateng juga.  Horeeeee! Gila, seneng bangeth deh gue!  Mana udah jam 12 malem, dan hp udah mati total.  Drivernya muda, namanya Nick.   Sementara itu, orang asing nggak dikenal yang sok nawarin bantuan tapi berniat jahat (maybe? I don't know, looks suspicious, sih!) ngelewes2x pergi mundur teratur.  Terus, tiba2x aku denger suara di sebelah kiriku,"You guys are so lucky.  Jangan percaya anyone!"  Eeeeh, ternyata ibu polisi Gibson udah kembali!  & Ternyata Madam Gibson kenal sama Nick the driver ini!!  Hatiku jadi damai tentram.

Akhirnya setelah semua urusan tetek bengek kelar,  kita smua berpisah dan pulang ke rumah masing2x.  Phew!

Pelajaran berhargaku:
1. Asuransi mobil langsung harus ditambah dengan feature Roadside Assistance!  Supaya lain kali nggak makan waktu lama kayak gini dei...
2. Jangan percaya sama orang asing yang pura2 baek.  Selalu percaya insting!  Always count on it!
3. Pulang ya jangan malem2... *kalo bisa*

Ya gitu deh cerita kali ini.  Semoga bermanfaat.

3 Persona

Did you know that you have 3 personality types?  It applies to everyone.  What are they?

1. Past Self
Past Self is your self in the past.  It's history.  What's done is done.  This is your collections of your success, failures, and all activities leading to it.  Past Self could bolster your next steps into the right direction, and vice versa.  Past Self could imprisoned you if you don't let go of guilt and dwell too much on "mistakes".  Instead, look at it as a practice field to refine your skill.  After all, practice makes perfect.  The good news is, by reconnecting with Past Self, you can always look back at how determined you were to achieve your goal in time of trial and tribulations.  Look at it as a rear view mirror.  Just occasionally check to see how far you've grown!

2. Present Self
Present Self is your self in the present.  In the now.  If life is illustrated as a journey going from point A to point B, this is your point A. Be in the present. Be aware of your surrounding.  You never know when opportunity knocks.  Although discipline in daily grind is important, but "stop-and-smell-the-roses" attitude will help you appreciate your condition right now.  Present Self is also the busy bee. Present Self do things that must be done, or lack of thereof. So?  Get it done.

3. Future Self
Future Self is your self in the future.  You're not there yet, but eventually will be there.  This is your point B.  This is your finish line and/or multiple checkpoints.  Future Self will often time caught being thankful to the Past Self and Present Self, when the Present Self finally arrive in their destination and hitting their goal.  Future Self eventually become Present Self on the destination day.

So which one is important?

The truth is, all of them are important.

You need your Past Self to remind you your history,  to not repeat the same mistake twice (Mistake is okay, but don't repeat it again.  Learn from it!)

You need your Present Self to do things that have been planned by your Past Self.  And prepare your next stop for the sake of your future.

You need your Future Self to constantly draw you to the better place.  Keep going.  Eyes on target.

All these 3 personality types work cohesively together and form the most important thing that matter. YOU.

1st Violin Lesson

Here we go!

Now I can mark this off from my bucket list! :)

3 Points of Success

1. Success is not a birthright
Nobody born as a successful person right away.  I've never heard of "successful baby".  Success is not something to be inherited.  And definitely not genetic.  I found in my studies that success is a trait.  A skill.  Successful people came from various background: rich and poor, school-smart and street-smart, young and old, any type of gender, race, and all other types of diversity.   Because it's a skill, that means it is something that can be learn, practiced, and refined with time and experiences.

2. Success is not exclusive
It is not mutually exclusive to certain trades, profession, or socioeconomic status.  I used to think of terms "successful businessman" as something to aim for.  Like if you have your own business (versus working in a company), then you must be successful.  But in reality, it doesn't work that way.  There are unsuccessful businessman too.  There are successful employee too.  With that term in mind, that means success is not really belong to a special elite club.  It is a condition where a person able to reach their goals in a strategic manner, applied to any status they hold.  And yes, that includes successful housewife and mother too!

3. Success is relative
Success is defined by your perspective.  It is not an absolute, it's a relative.  My success standards might be different than yours, and that's fine.  A success achievement for a musician is different than what success means for movie producers, or high school teacher, or a park ranger.  And the funny thing is, what we defined as success five years ago, could be evolving into something entirely different now.  Our environment may change, especially in this digital revolution age!  What seems important back then, might not be necessarily the same now.  We continuously adjust, adapt, and alter our success measurement as our condition changes.

For me, success means progressive actions to the betterment.  Keep moving towards the goal I set up, not just moving in motion towards nowhere.

Just what my dearest mama always said to me every morning before I go to work,"Sukses ya!" (Indonesian translation: Be successful, ok!), I will depart with you now with a wish: Have a successful day!

Divergent Professions

For the last fifteen years, I've been working in the financial industry.  I've done jobs that most people prefer to avoid, like sales or being a debt collector.  What I've imagined  back then when I was just a fresh grad from campus to my condition now, is somewhat different. I always want a career in banking industry, and I thought the ladder will be vertical, but instead I've gained various experiences in a divergent way.  Why?  Because it's all different experiences, and it's expanding.

I started my professional experience being a broker-trader for a commodity index exchange market. It was challenging and I truly learned a lot from it.  Then I became assistant manager, then junior manager, then back to business consultant again so I can finish my studies and get my degree.

Next, my journey brought me into the world of direct sales.  Cold-calls, door-to-door, canvasing business offices, you name it.  I've sold traditional and modern banking products, including investments and insurance.  I enjoyed it.  It's truly helped me getting rid the fear of talking with strangers, and enhanced my communication skills.

Then I became personal banker.  Maintained my customer's wealth portfolio for retail, premium, and priority banking.  I love this job.  I like visiting my clients and getting personal touch at their lives. Whenever there's new products or services, I can't wait to tell all my clients about it, because I want them to get the first dip of the benefit.  This one is my second most favorite career ever!  (Why second? Keep on reading, save the best for last!).  I get to meet hundreds and hundreds people with diverse backgrounds, as customers, peers, bosses, and beyond.  Great people with various experience. Truly a humbling experience for me.

Then, sales manager.  Sell! Sell! Sell!  But wait, there's more.  I have an army this time.  An army of outstanding goal-oriented people with high motivation and full spirit to achieve our target!  I love it!

My adventure did not stop there.  I moved to a new country, and start from the beginning again. I still stick with banking, so I decided to start as a teller.  I was very nervous before the job interview that I've made my husband trained me to test me the difference between the coins!

After that, I became a debt collector in a call center.  It's definitely a new environment for me, but I adapted.  It was a challenging job and I don't know how I survived back then.  But I did my time and get more experiences out of it.  My teams and managers were fun and great people.

Next stop, operations.  I got behind the screen and getting new experiences as business support. Some call it ops desk, some call it analyst, some call it auditor, some call it scheduling.  It does have many names.  I like to think that this is the all you can eat buffet type of job.  I like it!  Really really like it!

Moving on, I got deeper into the world of monitoring call center in a bigger scope.  I want to call this job:  "The Watcher".   The coolest job I've ever had. My favorite one by far!  Watching the universe. Everyday is new experience, can't be bored!  I also really like the company and believe in it's values. I trust the way this company is headed.  I like how they do business.  I admire my leaders.  This is not a lip service, but I'm just confessing the truth. Maybe I need a separate blog for this specific one! For sure, this job makes me believe again in banking business.  I definitely love it!

My career journey took me to places I've never imagined before, but I think it's more interesting this way.  There's more twist and turns than what I've expected.  I don't know what I will have in the future, but whatever it is, it will surely add more value to my experience.

Today's Question

Have you heard this question,"If you can go back in time, would you change anything?".  This question have been asked in magazine, newspapers, and any other online articles.  Most will answer,"No, I won't change a thing.  If I changed, then I won't become the person I am today."

But if you ask me, I will certainly without a doubt said,"YES!  YES I WILL CHANGE SOME THINGS!"

Not that I'm regretful or anything, but surely there could be something I can improve by changing things.  I probably would be more patient.  Or be more ambitious.  Or be more careful.

Then I just realized, I could simply apply these changes today.  I can still be more patient.  More ambitious.  More careful.  If I don't like something, I can simply change it.

While I know I can't go back in time and change things in the past, but I still can change something that I want to change right away, right now.  Then this question would not become "I-wish-I-can-go-back-in-time" thing.  This question will lead to "What-can-I-do-better-today-so-I-can-have-better-future?"

This is a deep question.  Take some moment to reflect and ponder on it.  Will you change anything?

Peggy's Special Chicken Vesuvio

I've been making Chicken Vesuvio for the last 10 years, and every time I made it, I always add something.  The celery, cauliflower, and some spices were not included in the original recipe, but somehow I think the above additions make this dish more flavorful and certainly delicious.

My husband really like it and even said that tonight's version was the most spectacular Chicken Vesuvio I've ever made!  So with that thought in mind, I'd better jot down this recipe in my blog before I forget.  I'm sharing this with you so you can try this wonderful dish too!  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

3 red potatoes, diced 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, diced 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 lemon, grated & juiced 2 stalk celery, diced

1 head cauliflower, cut in florets 4 cloves garlic, minced 2  green onions, chopped 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced Seasoning: salt, pepper, paprika, nutmeg, cloves, oregano, basil, sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Place potatoes, chicken, celery, cauliflower, and garlic in a casserole dish. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with the seasoning blend.  Mix together. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2.	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Sprinkle green onions over chicken.
3.	Bake, covered, in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, add mushrooms and season if needed. Return to oven, uncovered, and bake for 30 minutes.