Practice vs. Mystique

Have you ever wondered why Western civilization has reached its greatest glory in almost all aspects in life? This question lingers in my head up to now and who knows it is for you too.

In this writing, I do not want to intentionally criticize the way of my upbringing. I have lived in a modest family in a developing country. I see since my childhood that everything happens in my life is because of the “prayer” power. Pure luck. You get something because somehow the universe is giving it to you.

This notion somehow tickles my mind. I start to realize that how I am as a human being is incapable to write the destiny of my own. How should I pray everyday just to make everything work? It puts me on a constant endless yet disappointing situation. One is because when you rely on “prayer” only. You have surrendered yourself in an uncertainty, of course, unless if you make an attempt to reach your goal along with it. The second is this surrendering practice indeed makes you peaceful given that there is beyond our total control. So what is meant for you is for you.

Nevertheless, I may if we continue like this again and again. We may not make any progress. As I contemplate this, how western people in the Netherlands put their ideas into a practice, I realize that what distinguishes them from my back home community is the way of exercising the idea.What I mean by that they in my general reflection is they always put their motivation and vision in reality. They break down their vision into small yet reliable steps to achieve their big dreams. For instance, a friend of mine is thinking about designing aquaponic startup. Since the get go this western friend has channeled his energy to aquaponic activity. He took aquaculture courses. Joined in plant and fish farm internship. All to support and realize his dream to be the aquaponic expert. Then we see the risk element in it. He takes a long the risk. He lives his life in a reality using all his strength, inner power, and ambition to make his goal materialized.

This perseverance is what I have been so sad so far because my life has been seeing my community so helplessly begging for “miracle” with prayers. However, we forget that we carry our miracle. We have our talent, ambition, thought and creativity. I like that one Indonesian film maker, called Joko Anwar. He said, “I cannot let myself to creatively die.” He is of the Indonesian role models that believes in himself.

The issue of mystique like going to Dukun (“witchraft”) or Pak Kyai (“Priest”) asking for blessing is that we forget that we have been blessed so much. We have our intelligence. We just need to put our visions into small doable plans. Do it steps by steps. We articulate them in a practice. Sooner or later we can live life where we do not need any magic to make our life better because we carry it within ourselves.