Another Self Reflection of Age Increment

var jon = {name: "Jon", age: 27}
jon.age++
console.log(jon.age)

Birthday is a special reminder. It will make us recall that few years back we had born to this world and one day we also need to depart. We do not live forever. There are two important things we could do for this special occasion. First, to do self reflection and second, to pray for our wish and dream. No wonder that most common birthday greeting is "wish you all the best".

Start from reflection, I still not satisfy with myself. I still quite often wasting time instead of doing something useful. I still procrastinate too much. Time management is still the most important skill that I have to improve. 

Regarding wish and dream, like usual I have so many those things in my head and heart. Likely I am blessed to be a super dreamer person. However I won't blabbing it here at the moment. I just would like to restate a personal note that I had written last year. In this age increment, I want "To be more grateful and more humble". There are to many things that need to thank for, like for example this simple but so touching present from my wife. Red tiny MP3 player with my name on it. Maybe wifey have realized how much I addicted to trance music although she said that she prefer me to listen Quran recitation :).

Nonetheless, there is on important wish that likely could be worth to be elaborate. I want to be a person that can give positive impact in social contribution. I have one friend. He is few years younger than me. Yet, I see he has done so many positive contribution in social life surround him. He often arranges and involves in many social activities. Like teaching children from street, arrange blood donation event, collect donation for neglected old person and event recently he managed to arrange some support to develop Islamic school for elementary student. He made me feel so ashamed. In this 28 years of life, I never had done things like he did.

Relate to previous paragraph, since I was studying in high school I always want to be a teacher. Might be not a school teacher but more to be a lecturer or just general speaker. I love to share the things that I know. I have one dream to be a great and inspiring speaker. Maybe one day I could speak in one of TEDex event or some software development conference. Teaching is not only the matter of transferring knowledge but also transferring passion. That's why teacher must be an inspiring person. I am hoping I can make this dream come true. This year is my third year pursuing some scholarship for master study. I have received countless rejection letter. I am hoping can start to study again soon. After that then maybe I could start teaching, inspiring and give positive social impact to my surrounding. For now, let I start by giving this very small contribution by pouring idea through simple writing and push myself to learn how to speak and share better by preparing my next project toastmaster speech for next week.

Life is too precious if just to be ordinary. Let's live life at the fullest.

Cascading Dream: How to Find and Adjust Passion

There are two problems relate to human passion. First, problem of person who cannot find their passion. Second, person who know his passion but restricted to reach it.

Passion is the most important thing that drive us in life. It is our fuel that make sure we can keep moving and also our GPS for our direction guidance. According to summary of talk Tim Ferris talk that I took from Arman Sulamanov tumblr, Tim had shared about the way to find our passion. We can find it by ask these two simple questions, what did you do when you were 12 and what would you do event if you weren't paid. 

How to find passion

Let me remember what I would like to be when I was 12. I don't remember exactly whether it was at 12 but there is one of my child "want to be" dream. I want to be an astronaut. It was triggered by some astro scince book that I read when I was stay with my uncle during my elementary school time. I read about NASA space shuttle, international space station and US Apollo project, especially Apollo 11. I dream to be the next Neil Armstrong. 

As my age increased, sometime our dream and passion also evolved. Evolved because we find something that we interest more or could be also because constraint around us that make we adjust our passion. One day around my high school time, I went to bank to save my small saving. I had small talk with the bank teller. He asked me what major that I plan to take in university. I answered that I haven't think about that yet. The teller reply me again, be a computer programmer, he said. That job currently in high demand so that much company will offers good income. I immediately imaging going to office with nice laptop in my backpack (at that time laptop is something that still super duper luxurious) and spent whole time coding in front of computer. Not long after that I ended up taking electrical engineering major in university. Interestingly, after finishing my study, instead of being electrical engineer or teacher (my degree has minor in Education) I became programmer.

It has been 5 years plus I work professionally in that job. Periodically sometime I ask myself, am I drive in correct direction? Every time I answer myself, should be yes. I enjoy most of the time I work. I like to write code even how dizzy is it. I like to play with software development tools, exploring new technology, learning new programming language and dreaming to build my own startups. Even though it will sound naive, but definitely I can state I will happily coding even though I will not get paid. According of previous characteristic description it seems that I already found my passion.

How to adjust passion

Few days back suddenly I found interesting enlightenment. Suddenly I want to be a pilot. Pilot is something that quite related to my childhood astronaut dream. I understand this might be simple twisted thinking that could be not too serious but also could be serious. That willing is triggered by hackernews link that point me to interesting blog of ex programmer that became pilot. Also triggered with GTA V game that I play recently. However this finding arise some interesting discourse. 

Some person lucky enough could be anything they want since beginning. They are capable financially to reach their dream. Many people want to be a doctor but only some that could pay the tuition. Many children want to be a pilot but also not all can afford the expenses. Regarding those facts, I found the answer about adjusting passion.

It is never late to chase your dream. Few years back I was listening radio talk in Jakarta that invite interesting guy name Alexander Lay. He had worked in oil and gas company for few years with very descent income. He said that time, his savings will suffice him with very descent life for 7-10 years without working. We could imagine how large his income. However he found that his job is not his passion. He actually interest with law. Then at one point of time he decide to stop from his job and take law under graduate study for some years and became a lawyer. If you cannot afford to be something in past time, chase your passion at the time you can afford it. Like I have written about Matt Dearden, he was programmer but realize that his passion in flying. After have sufficient saving, he stop work and take flying course for few years and start career as commercial pilot.

Conclusion

After having some experience in finding our passion in life we should inherit this experience to the others. The closest one could be our children. I haven't had any children yet, but not long from now I want to give one luxury that I don't have when I was child: guidance to find a passion. I want to be a consultant of my children for chasing their dream. I also really want to be supporter of their passion chasing, either financially or motivationally. They will be free to chase any of their dream as long as always maintain good deeds in their life. I called this action as cascading the dream. Next generation must be better than current one.