Pelajaran dari Red Cliff 2 0

Fenomena global warming adalah salah satu 'warning' untuk manusia bahwa manusia tidak lagi bersahabat dengan alam, sehingga alam pun tidak bersahabat dengan manusia. Bisa jadi alam tidak akan lagi mendukung kehidupan manusia. Dan ini terjadi karena ketidakpedulian, atau karena ketidakbersahabatan manusia dengan alam. Bersahabat dengan alam seperti sudah dilupakan manusia modern, berbeda dengan generasi sebelumnya

Film Red Cliff memperlihatkan bagaimana ketika manusia bersahabat dengan alam, mengerti bahasa alam, maka alam pun akan mendukung manusia apapun itu bentuknya; hujan, panas terik, kabut, badai, malam, siang, bulan purnama, sebenarnya bisa disinergikan bagi kepentingan manusia.
Orang Jawa selama ini mengenal ilmu titen untuk membaca bahasa alam, maka kemudian muncul ilmu Pranata Mangsa (Ilmu tentang perhitungan musim yang ada sejak pra-Islam dengan kalender Saka, dan selanjutnya disesuaikan dengan kalender Gregorian oleh Sri Paduka Mangkunegara IV tahun 1855). Ada 12 musim - dari musim Kasa sampai Sadha. Dimana masing-masing musim memiliki sifat dan karakter yang didapat melalui proses panjang manusia dalam 'niteni' atau menandai bahasa alam.

Sehingga, tidak heran kalau orang Jawa tahu kapan musim hujan akan tiba, kapan musim tanam, kapan hujan dengan kilat akan terjadi, kapan pohon randu mulai berguguran, bahkan kapan musim kucing kawin datang. Itulah hebatnya ketika manusia bersahabat dengan alam.

China yang dikenal memiliki budaya yang lebih maju pun mengenal dan memahami bahasa alam ini. Paling tidak hal ini terlihat dalam film Red Clif 2 garapan sutradara Jhon Woo yang bersumber pada perang antara 3 negara di China sekitar tahun 208 akibat runtuhnya dinasti Han. Bagaimana manusia bisa memahami 'bahasa; dan karakter alam, terlihat dalam penentuan strategi perang yang dipergunakan.

An Olympic Lesson in Motivation 0

by Jason Gracia

The saying goes: The expert in anything was once a beginner in everything. Truer words were never spoken.

But this isn't what we see. This isn't what we feel when we watch these Olympians. It isn't what we think when we watch any expert or great success.

We see the finished product, shining brightly in designer packaging. We see triumph and achievement, not training. We see the riches, not the rags.

And this, as much as anything else, is why motivation - that inner drive that carries us toward all we desire - continues to escape us.

Today that comes to an end. Today I will open your eyes to a new way of viewing the changes you wish to carry out and the challenges that are attempting to stop you.

The Olympians we admire might possess unique physical talent and natural gifts, but that inner fire that compels them forward is within us all. It's time to set it free.

Authors Don't Write Books
Whether it's a a friend who lost forty pounds or a track star streaking across the screen, our eyes can only see what is in front of us.

And more often than not, that picture of success is daunting.

It's overwhelming, to see ourselves reaching those heights. No, it's more than that. It's unbelievable.

When we view success at its peak, we feel separated from it. We see ourselves as incapable of doing something similar.

Take a book, for instance.

Seeing a novel on a shelf leads to the same conclusion in the minds of anyone posed with the question: 'Oh, I could never write a book.'

This view is all wrong. The reason? Authors don't write books.

What Do Authors Write?
Authors don't write books; authors write words.

This is one of the most important ideas to understand. I know it sounds simple, but it separates those who progress from those who wish and wait.

We've already said that most see the finished product and feel overwhelmed by the prospect of achieving the same goal.

If this only occurred when watching an Olympic athlete, there would be little issue. But that's not how it works. We get that same sense of inability when viewing any worthwhile achievement.

Losing weight, finding a new career, starting a business or new relationship, overcoming personal debt - these are outcomes millions wish to pursue but don't believe they can achieve.

They can't see past the finished product.

To get motivated, to truly ignite your drive, you must see your goals as achievable. You must believe in yourself and your abilities. You must see success, not as a matter of unattainable greatness, but merely as a matter of time.

Losing weight begins with a single decision. Finding the job you love begins with a single Google search. And starting a new relationship begins with a single look.

The world is built upon blocks, not one massive stone.

One step, one movement, one decision, one action. These are the things that feed success. These are things that you can do today.

Where Do You Shine? 0

by Jason Gracia

Money is not the key to happiness. More ‘stuff' is not the key to happiness. Winning the lottery and spending the rest of your life on a tropical island - while intoxicating to the ear - is not the key to happiness.

What is, on the other hand, is exciting news.

Over the past few years, science and psychology have been experiencing quite a shift in focus, thanks to men such as Dr. Martin Seligman. It couldn't have come too soon.

The New Psychology
Through his work at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Seligman has created an entirely new branch of psychology. Instead of focusing solely on neuroses in life, he decided to study what makes us feel good.

Since the first days of his groundbreaking work, positive psychology has definitely caught on.

One of the focuses of this branch is - you guessed it - happiness. Through the work of countless positive psychologists, the path to such feelings has become more and more clear.

The Key to Happiness
They've discovered through their clinical investigations that happiness is tied tightly to your strengths - the things you're good at. People have been proven to be happiest when applying their unique skills toward a challenging project or goal.

You don't need millions of dollars or a personal island to be happy. All that you need is already within you. Discover your strengths, apply them to a challenging goal, and you'll see for yourself.