Salam jumpa dalam blog pribadi, ya, catatan pribadi saya. Kiranya Tuhan mencerahkan hati dan pikiran setelah berkunjung ke blog ini, sehingga kita sama-sama memahami pilihan-pilihan yang telah saya ambil untuk hidup. Dengan berbagai resiko, hidup yang kita miliki sekali ini, telah saya persembahkan untuk membela "kebenaran" mutlak milik Allah.

Pilihan kita menentukan nasib kita, baik masakini maupun masadepan baik nasib pribadi maupun nasib kelompok (keluarga, marga, suku, bangsa), baik untuk hidup ini maupun kehidupan setelah kematian.

Kita yang hanya mengejar keuntungan sementara yang duniawi dari pilihan kita, pasti akan menyesal. Akan tetapi penyesalan itu akan sia-sia, karena pilihan harus dibuat saat ini, saat kita hidup di dunia ini, dalam tubuh fisik ini, sekarang juga.

Kiranya dengan membaca blog ini, dan blog saya yang lain, Anda dapat dicerahkan untuk membuat pilihan-pilihan yang jelas, khususnya dalam kaitannya dengan pergumulan dan perjuangan bangsa Papua menentang dusta dan segala dampak ikutannya atas bangsa Papua dan wilayah West Papua, yang dilakukan oleh bangsa Indonesia, negara republik Indonesia.

Selamat membaca! Tuhan Yesus Kristus memberkati!

Saturday, July 12, 2025

The Republic by Plato

There are books that speak plainly, others that argue, and then there are books that echo. The Republic by Plato does more than echo, it rings like a bell through the centuries, with each generation hearing its own questions and worries in the sound. To read it is to converse with one of the greatest minds to ever walk the earth. But more than that, it is to sit in a timeless court where the soul is on trial, where justice is not merely debated, but stripped naked, examined, reassembled, and exalted.

At first glance, it is a dialogue about justice. But justice here is not limited to law or punishment; Plato is after something deeper. What is justice in a person? In a society? How do we structure a life, or a state, that honors the good, the noble, the true? Socrates, Plato’s enduring voice and hero, pulls us along with questions, always questions: unrelenting, precise, frustrating in their clarity. And through this relentless questioning, the reader begins to sense a shift within: a quiet invitation to doubt what we thought we knew.

What makes this book so enduring is not that it gives answers, but that it forces the reader to confront their own assumptions. As Socrates debates with Glaucon, Adeimantus, and others, the city-state they build: the kallipolis becomes a mirror. Every structure, every class, every policy is built with a purpose: to reflect a well-ordered soul. The city is not just a metaphor. It is a map of the inner world. Plato is, quite literally, designing a republic inside you.

In this imagined city, people are divided into producers, auxiliaries, and guardians. The rulers, philosopher-kings, are chosen not for wealth or popularity, but for wisdom, discipline, and their capacity to love the truth. It is here that Plato makes one of his most provocative claims, that only philosophers, those who see beyond appearances, who love the Form of the Good, should rule. To the modern ear, this may sound elitist. But what Plato offers is not tyranny by scholars, but governance by those least likely to be corrupted by power.

Perhaps the most haunting section is the Allegory of the Cave, a philosophical parable that feels more like poetry. It speaks to anyone who has ever struggled to free themselves from ignorance or confronted uncomfortable truths. We are the prisoners, Plato says, chained to the wall, mistaking shadows for reality. The philosopher is the one who breaks free, sees the sun, and returns to rescue others. But the tragedy? The prisoners may kill him for it. This single allegory is enough to make The Republic worth reading.

But Plato does not just speak to the mind, he stirs the conscience. He warns of what happens when society prizes appearance over substance, pleasure over discipline, or individual desire over communal good. Democracies, he says, can decay into chaos if freedom is misunderstood as the right to indulge every whim. Tyrannies are born not from strength, but from the collapse of self-control. These warnings feel eerily modern. Our politics, media, and even personal lives often mirror the decline Plato describes.

And yet, despite its austere architecture, The Republic holds surprising tenderness. It touches on music, on education, on the role of women, even on the immortality of the soul. Plato insists that the soul’s health matters more than wealth or pleasure. He likens the unjust person to a city at war with itself: noisy, divided, exhausted. The just person, however, is like a well-tuned instrument: harmonious, steady, at peace. Is that not what we all seek? Not just to do right, but to be right, inwardly ordered, grounded in meaning?

As the dialogue winds down, Plato offers the Myth of Er, a strange tale of souls choosing their next lives after death. It feels mythological, yes, but also deeply psychological. The choices we make today, Plato suggests, echo beyond death. We shape our souls with every act of justice or injustice. Even now, in a world obsessed with speed and surface, that message lands with quiet power: you are crafting who you are becoming.

For all its seriousness, The Republic is not a cold book. It is rigorous, yes, but it burns with longing: for wisdom, for order, for a life that is not wasted. There is beauty in its ambition. Plato is not content to describe the world. He dares to reimagine it. And in doing so, he asks us to do the same.

There is no denying that the text can be dense. It requires patience, especially for readers new to philosophy. But the rewards are immense. You emerge from it changed, like someone who has traveled through a difficult country only to find themselves stronger, clearer, and strangely more whole.

It is not a book to be read once. It is a companion for life, one you return to at different seasons, hearing new wisdom each time. It challenges, yes. It even offends. But it also heals, confronts, and uplifts. It demands that you think not just about what kind of world you want to live in, but what kind of soul you want to inhabit.

To read The Republic is to face yourself. It is to sit in judgment not of others, but of your own integrity. And in that judgment, to find a quiet call toward betterment, toward justice not as law, but as harmony between what you know, what you believe, and how you live.

In our fractured world, full of distractions and dissonance, this book reminds us that clarity is possible. That justice is not dead. That philosophy, when rightly practiced, is not distant or dry, but deeply human.

Plato’s The Republic may have been written over two thousand years ago, but its questions are still ours. It is not just a work of philosophy. It is a work of the heart. Read it not to agree, but to awaken. And once awakened, let it disturb you, humble you, and draw you closer to the life that is truly worth living.

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Leading With People

Leading With People isn’t your typical leadership book. It doesn’t throw buzzwords at you or promise overnight transformation. Instead, it invites you into the quiet, courageous, and often uncomfortable truth about what it means to lead—not from a podium, but from the heart. This book is about presence over power, connection over control, and listening over lecturing. It’s a call to show up as a person before you show up as a leader. 
Reading it felt like being gently but firmly reminded that titles mean nothing if people don’t feel seen, safe, and supported in your presence. It’s not about leading perfectly—it’s about leading personally, and with purpose. Here are 8 lessons that moved me and changed how I think about influence, empathy, and impact.

8 Lessons I Learned from Leading With People:
  
1. People don't follow titles—they follow trust.  
You can have authority on paper, but if people don’t feel you genuinely care about them, they won’t be moved by you. Real leadership is earned through consistency, humility, and connection.

2. Listening is leadership.  
Not the kind of listening that waits for its turn to talk, but the kind that leans in without an agenda. When people feel truly heard, they give you their best—not just their compliance, but their creativity.

3. Vulnerability builds bridges.  
Letting people see your humanity doesn’t make you weak—it makes you real. People are more likely to trust a leader who admits mistakes than one who pretends to have all the answers.

4. Empathy isn’t soft—it’s strategic.  
Understanding what your people are going through isn’t just kind—it’s wise. Empathy helps you lead in a way that aligns with people’s needs, motivations, and emotional realities.

5. The best leaders create space, not pressure. 
They foster environments where people feel safe to speak up, take risks, and be fully themselves. Leadership is about cultivating conditions where others can thrive, not just survive.

6. Your presence is your power.  
It’s not always what you say—it’s how you *show up. Are you rushed, distracted, reactive? Or are you grounded, present, and responsive? People don’t forget how a leader made them feel.

7. Leading others starts with leading yourself.  
You can’t pour from an empty cup. Self-awareness, emotional regulation, and personal integrity aren’t just “nice to have”—they’re essential leadership tools.

8. People are not problems to be solved—they are partners to be understood.  
Leadership isn’t about fixing people—it’s about walking alongside them. Every person you lead has a story, a strength, and a struggle. Great leaders take time to see all three.

Leading With People reminded me that leadership is a human art before it is a business skill. If we want to build lasting influence, we don’t need more control—we need more compassion. And it starts, always, with choosing people over ego.

Monday, July 7, 2025

Three Circles of Influence

"Three Circles of Influence," a concept popularized by Stephen Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This framework helps individuals to focus their energy and efforts on areas where they can have the most impact. 
The three circles are:

1. Circle of Concern (Outer Circle):
This circle encompasses all concerns that one has little or no control or influence over.

Examples include global events like climate change or political instability, economic conditions, natural disasters, or the behavior of others.

Dwelling on these issues can lead to stress, anxiety, and a feeling of powerlessness. 

2. Circle of Influence (Middle Circle):
This circle contains the things one cannot directly control but can influence through actions and decisions.

It's an area where individuals can try to effect change without guaranteeing success.

Examples include personal habits (e.g., diet, exercise), relationships with others, work performance, and personal development.

Focusing on the Circle of Influence allows positive changes and increases a sense of control. 

3. Circle of Control (Innermost Circle):
This circle represents things one has direct control over.

These are the areas where actions and decisions can directly affect the outcome.

Examples include attitudes, actions, responses to challenges, personal goals, time management, and communication skills.

Concentrating on what can be controlled reduces feelings of helplessness and increases empowerment. 

The Importance of Focusing on the Circles of Control and Influence:
Reduces Stress: By letting go of worries about uncontrollable factors, anxiety and frustration can be reduced.

Increases Effectiveness: Focusing on areas of impact makes efforts more productive.

Promotes Proactivity: This framework encourages a proactive mindset, taking initiative and seeking solutions within one's influence rather than focusing on problems outside of control.

Enhances Personal Growth: By developing skills and building relationships, one can expand the Circle of Influence and create a more fulfilling life. 

In essence, the framework suggests that by focusing energy on what can be controlled and influenced, individuals become more effective, productive, and empowered.