Knowing our callings

Linda Sari

Elwin Tobing

But consider this. What if somebody can change that rule. What if we are not just cosmic accidents and that we are not here just to take chances, but have special callings in this world. What if we actually can cut off that vicious cycle? What if the truth we say do have power and can make impacts, no matter how long it'd take?

How we can start to realize this kind of world? In my opinion, first and foremost we must know our place in this world - to know our callings. Whatever it is, our job is to use this knowledge and talents we are blessed with to make impacts in our society, in our small world.

To make impacts is not merely to adapt with the situation, neither is this to just hope that things will get better naturally, nor to let 'nature takes its course'. These are people who choose to do nothing but just to go with the flow. There are actually more people who just waste their talents and potentials for the sake of insignificant ends or seek for life's banalities.

There are some stages of intellectual exercise and criticizing is only the first step of many others before one can actually produce breakthrough solutions. I believe that the world is already packed with too many people synthesizing world's problems. Most of the time the solutions to those problems are already given. But the solutions can come from different perspectives. There is no fixed and unique solution for everything. We are living a dynamic world and consequently, every problem needs to be solved with a dynamic perspective as well. The answers to the eradication of poverty which were given by experts and policy makers long time for example are no longer applicable to today's situation. That's why we need to continuously study, learn and grasp new perspectives.

Now we are already able to grasp that there is something very wrong with our society. But don't stop there. We need to keep going, doing something to make them right. No matter how small one's effort to improve the current situation, it's still a noble work. The problem now is people tend to be ashamed if they are doing noble works which would not produce them any fortune. Fortune becomes the driving factor how people interact with others and how people see the environment. 

For rent-seekers or opportunists people, today's situation in Indonesia perhaps is heaven for them to capitalize from the lack of law enforcement and many loopholes in the country and many. For some people, the ongoing crisis perhaps is good for them so they can continue acting like saints where in fact they have stolen so much of our national assets and resources. And for others, this ongoing crisis is the moment to hate others because others are wealthier than them.

Again, fortune can blind people from doing good works.

We agree with the perception that our country is already at the rock-bottom and there is no other direction to go than up. In fact some people suggest that the only solution is a total revolution including the breakdown of the country into several states. That's not the answer we agree with. Instead, we believe that by working together, we can be the drivers to make the changes that our country desperately needs. And the crucial changes are in the mind-set and the vision of people, especially the young people.

We are all instruments, you and I.

The question is, can we make beautiful music together?

Again it depends on how one recognizes her/his calling in this world. If one admits that her/his calling is to do everything for her/himself, while another one realizes that her/his calling is to do well with her/himself but at the same time also serve others then we will certainly have a bad music. To produce a wonderful music requires harmony and good collaboration.

Not too naive if we can say that the problem in Indonesia today is fundamentally due to the lack of harmony in our goals and the minimal cooperation in realizing our national's goals.

So, what is your calling in this world?

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