GRATITUDE JOURNAL



One day I watched an Indonesian talk show called 'Just Alvin' that I intentionally downloaded from youtube, knowing that the guest star is Dian Sastro - who is an Indonesian sweetheart. She has always been a person that I adore very much. Not only because she is an accomplished person, but also because of her passionate in pursuing her dreams. By the way I know all of that from talk shows that she happened to be invited to. You may say that I have been stalking her all these times.

One of the informations that I get about her is that she already knew what she wanted to do from the very young age. Her mother is an educated woman who knows how to educate her daughter. Every mom does! It's just the degree of 'knowing' is somehow different from one mom to another, depending on their live background. She taught her to make short term plan, and she has started doing that from a very young age.

One of her ambitions is to study abroad. Knowing that living abroad needs a lot of money she tried to gather informations on how to get as much money as possible, so that she can continue her university education abroad. While her mother is a single mother, which is impossible to give her another burden, she thought. I think she could afford sending her to study abroad, judging from her aristocratic name. But that little girl has another and more matured thoughts.

She had that thought when she was still in middle school, if I am not mistaken. And, according to the research she made being an artist is one of the ways that can realize her dream - to get the money. Her research went on to from which place is most the artists come from, she found out that most famous people were coming from a beauty contest called - Gadis. She didn't stop there. She also went on researching on what criterias are needed to be a winner of that competition. I don't remember the exact number, but one of the informations she gathered is that about the average age of the previous winners. Almost all of those who won the contest are girls of age 15. She was 13, If I am not mistaken, and she waits until she turns 15 and she won. Of course there were other things that she mentioned, the fact that she won, I don't feel the need to talk about it anymore. She won that competition, not because it's just happened. It happened because she has done all the requirements to become a winner.
Although she didn't get the chance to study abroad - due to her successful career in Indonesian film industry - it doesn't stop her to become an inspiring woman. Of course everybody has shortcomings, as someone who lusts for inspiration we have no right to see at that corner. Let's just focus on the bright sight of the person, if we want to be inspired. Her inspiring accomplishments are the movies she was in, almost all of them gained a good critique, and won many awards both notional and international. Recently she just got her master degree from University of Indonesia, cum laude. It's quite shocking though, looking at the fact that she is now no longer alone. She is married and have babies to take care of. But she managed to finish her master degree and cum laude. Let me type it this way CUM LAUDE. Isn't it inspiring? And she happens to be invited to the talk show I mentioned earlier partly to talk about her graduation and her new coming movie.

I don't want talk about the movie. I just want to talk about one thing that she mentioned on that talk show - it's about gratitude journal. She says she can be that happy because she learnt how to be gratitude, when the host says she looks so happy. It's her friend who introduced her to a book that I don't remember the title. The point that the book makes is that, try to write down 10 things that you are very greatful for everyday. Dian claims that it makes her life better, because - she says - when we write that we are greatful to have our mom, it makes our relationship with our mom better. It's about what we attract to come. If we always complain, then what our complain will be doubled. Oppositely, if we try to get the positive side of every single thing that happens, our greafulness will be doubled. Meaning we are going to be made happy all the time.

Today, I happen to watch a video of Oprah giving a speech in Stanford University. I like watching a video of people who have done something. People who have suffered but came out as winners. I find that sort of thing very inspiring. It helps me to be brave again in my vurnarable situation.

I don't know about the event. I just think I need motivation at the moment. So, I just download the video. Previously I have watched her video addressing a graduation speech in Harvard. It was working for me to build up my spirit again. And, this time I thought if she gives a speech in university it must be a motivational speech again. So I downloaded it. Turns out it's about spirituality. The place used for the event is a church but I decided to go on watching it nonetheless. The good thing is she doesn't try to convert. In fact, she doesn't seem to talk in a represention of any system belief at all. She did quote some words from bible but she's quite herself. One thing that surprises me again is about the gratitude journal. She also talks about it. But she puts 5 as the number. Write five things that make you grateful everyday, she says.


To be continued.....
Things That Happened To Me This One Year
And, My Own Gratitude Journal - Annual Note

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