Waktu Rehat

Ada waktunya kita harus berhenti sejenak, menghela nafas, dan rehat.

Ada waktunya kita harus berhenti mengejar, berhenti mencari,

Dan diam saja.

Hentikan semua pemikiran,

Hilangkan semua pengharapan,

Hapuskan semua kecemasan,

Dan rehat.

Mungkin memang ada waktunya bagi kita untuk diam, dan mencoba mendengar yang selama ini tak terdengar.

Mungkin Tuhan sedang mencoba membisikkan sesuatu:

Bahwa mungkin yang selama ini kita inginkan sudah ada di depan mata,

Bahwa mungkin selama ini kita salah menginginkan,

Bahkan bahwa mungkin memang sebenarnya kita sedang tak butuh apapun.

"Istirahatlah sejenak," mungkin itu yang sedang semesta katakan.

"Istirahatlah, dan biarkan yang akan datang untuk datang, biarkan yang akan pergi untuk pergi, biarkan yang akan tinggal untuk tinggal," lanjutnya.

Sudahlah, sepertinya memang ada waktu rehat untuk semua hal.

Untuk aku,

Untuk kamu,

Untuk jam pelajaran,

Untuk pertandingan,

Juga untuk semua pencarian.

Selamat istirahat sejenak, selamat liburan. Selamat natal dan selamat tahun baru! :-)

Fall in love, even for the hundredth time.

Fall in love, for all the good reasons, for all the impulsive ones, or for no reasons at all.

Fall in love, just to take a chance on new things.

Fall in love, because even when it doesn't work out, you'll still get something.

Because even when things don't go as you wish, you still get a chance to learn.

To realize what you're worth.

To see what you want in a companion, or at least what you don't want.

And to finally be able to understand what Madonna means by "don't go for second best, baby."

Because even if you end up with your unrequited feeling in the end, you know that it's not a total loss at all.

Because you might've found other kinds of love.

A love for a new set of people.

A love for a dream job.

A passion that you've never regarded as a real thing.

A new perspective to see the world.

Because if it's not for falling in love,

You might forget what it feels like to want something,

What it feels like to have butterflies in your tummy,

What it feels like to try,

What it feels like to be able to let go.

Because if it's not for falling in love,

You might forget to appreciate the happiness simple things can bring,

Like a short call just to make sure that you're safe and sound,

Like a good luck shout out when you're going crazy with approaching deadlines,

Like a simple 'good job' on your work.

Fall in love, even if it's for the hundredth time,

Or for the very first time.

Because who knows,

Maybe it's another life lesson to make you wiser.

Maybe it's just another journey you have to take

Or maybe, just maybe,

Somehow things will turn out great this time.

(Et pour toi, oui toi avec les lunettes très chic, je te remercie. À la prochaine!)

The Gratitude List

Back in March and April, I went through a stupid depression. Well you know, the feeling that nothing goes right, that you cant do anything at all to fix your gloomy mood, and the loneliness even though you do have friends around you. I was just back from an amazing semester and I came back to a boring one in Depok; the lessons in here were not interesting at all; I faced a rejection from a program; and above all, I felt that skipping a semester finally took its toll: I was no longer one of the top notch in class - I didn't even understand how to compose a research proposal while the other kids already did a complete research.

That was a bad time. I cried from time to time over small things, even things that didnt make sense like not being able to get a cake for a friend's birthday on time. I knew i needed help, but going to a shrink was not an option.

One day, I stumbled upon Diana Rikasari's blog and found her notes on listing the simple things to be grateful for as a reminder that there's always something to be thankful for. And so I made one myself.

And boy did it work.

I started my monthly gratitude list in April and I'm still making it until now. I list the small good things to the big ones on my agenda and by the end of the month, the blank page is full of happiness. Looking at the list of good things makes me realize that life isn't as bad as it seems; that there are still things to be grateful for, even in the worst times. And that, my friends, has successfully brought me out of the stupid depression. I am a much happier person, I can think clearer, and I'm back to living in the bright side.

Moreover, making the list also brings me hope of what I want to write on next month's list. Having hopes, targets, and dreams is exciting, and excitement is exactly what we (or at least, I) need to get by, day by day.

Make yourself one, and feel the difference it brings.

Laters, baby.

Another Buzzfeed's Genius Attempt to Decipher Life Phenomenon

"Elementary, my dear Frodo. Sometimes, something makes so much sense that you can't believe it hadn't happened before."

Yes, indeed.

Hold On To Sixteen

Hold on to sixteen,
Where dreams and hopes can go as high and as wild as you can imagine,
Where falling in love is not a calculated move but rather an inevitable act,
Where we laugh and giggle all day long,
Where making mistakes is inevitable yet forgettable and forgivable,
Where numbers cant define who you are or what you're gonna be,
Where sparks of life are everywhere,
Where we're so young we cant even imagine being old and lame.

Hold on to sixteen.
Remember how it feels to gossip in the school hallways with your best friends,
Remember how it feels to have a crush on someone who is out of your league,
Remember how it feels to go through puberty, or in some cases, your mum's second one,
Remember how it feels to survive all the mess,
Remember how courageous you once were to get whatever you want.
Remember how great you felt when you were sixteen.

Hold on to sixteen
We are so busy growing up and growing up,
We forget how it feels like  to be free
To worry about almost nothing,
To not take mundane things for granted,
To appreciate the simple joys in life.

Hold on to sixteen
Whether you're nineteen, twenty two, twenty six, or forty.
Hold on to sixteen for at least a moment.
We have all of our life to catch up.

Jakarta, 8.45 pm.
As stupid as it may sound, thank you, Glee.

Butterflies In Your Stomach And Uncontrollable Giggles.

Yesterday I went to see (another) Yovie Widianto's gig in Social Media Festival 2013. That was the third Yovie's gig I went to in the past two months. I'm a big fan, of course, but seeing three gigs in less than 6 weeks is quite a lot. I still love the lovey dovey songs, the amazing vocals, the show off session on the piano (jealousy overload, sir!), and other things from the performance. But yesterday, instead of singing along to the songs -which I shamelessly admit to know every word by heart, I wandered away with my thoughts.

Wouldn't it be great if those songs actually mean something?

Yes, at some point, I do miss falling in love; going gaga for a particular person, or at least just feeling the butterflies inside my tummy and not being able to control my giggles.

In the same evening, I told my buddy that I actually enjoy being single and my weekends do feel much more interesting than they had been when I was with someone. "Yeah, but at times we just cant help but missing having someone to share some moments, right?" he asked. And boy was he right.

Don't get me wrong, I am happy and content. Believe me, hearing that from someone who bitches at almost everything is something big. I finally understand the "I just don't want a bf/gf at the moment' cliche and I can laugh at miserable people moaning about being single and bored on Saturday nights (seriously, people, how can you? don't you have TV series to binge watch or friends to hang with?); but I cant stop myself from wanting the flowery experience all over again. I mean, being head over heels for someone -even your idol- is pretty awesome, right?

Maybe I (and some of you) should just wait for the magical moments to come and for the unreasonable good feelings to knock. And yes, I do know waiting sucks, but hey, maybe the waiting time will make everything worth it. Who knows?

In the mean time, lets just eat puddings and spend times with our loved ones.

Toodles xx

I went total jigglypuff on Oct 13, 2013! 

Refleksi Akhir Musim Panas

Seperti kebanyakan manusia, saya jatuh cinta pelan-pelan dan diam-diam, kemudian terlambat sadar kalau semua hal pasti berakhir. 

Dan mungkin, memang tak ada kata terlambat untuk menyadari apa yang kita inginkan dalam hidup, termasuk tentang pekerjaan, impian, ataupun lingkungan sosial.

Terima kasih untuk dua bulannya, Jakarta Globe ❤