Killing an elephant is unbelievably insane. But…, how about eat it? Eat an elephant? “Come on, man! How can I eat an elephant?” you may say that. But, I meant it. Do you really know how to eat an elephant?

Elephant could be the only giant living creature remaining in the world. Nonetheless, in Africa I heard, many of black hunters took nothing from the animal but the ivory. They killed it. Cut the ivory. And left the dead body on the ground. They just left it. Can you imagine? Experts believe that if we could not protect them from such brutal hunting and killing; we may loose the cute animal within only few decades. And make it nothing but only history.

Now, let’s get back to our key question; how to eat an elephant? Do you have any idea to answer it? Didn’t you hear some body ask you that crazy question?

When I was at the first time hearing that question, I reacted like you did. To me, it was not just because an elephant is too big to be eaten. But also the absurdity the question brought to me. “How can I eat an elephant?” Ha! As if I do not have anything else to consume. I have beef burger. French-fries. Salad. And Tuna. Crab meat and Lobsters are even better. Then how can I eat an elephant! What kind of question was that?

But, wait. Let’s think over the question once again. And let’s pretend you don’t have any conflicting issue to eat an elephant. Still, can’t you find the answer for the question? And yes, if you get the right answer for the question, you will discover the reason behind; why some body asked you that silly query. Well, congratulation! Now you got the answer. That’s right. How to eat an elephant is “to eat it bite by bite”.

As I promised, if you get the right answer; you will discover the reason behind. The beauty of ‘eating an elephant’ technique. Now, let’s discover the lesson. Elephant. The giant animal. Representing something you have to accomplish. It could be a big project. Ambitious aim. Sky rocketing purpose. Anything. You name it. The big thing; that’s an elephant.

Like ‘eating an elephant’; you sometimes think that it is impossible for you to accomplish that biiiiiig project. You have exactly the same objection there in your heart; loudly yelling you a deadly word of ‘impossible’. It is impossible for you to eat an elephant. Therefore, it is no way for you to accomplish the BIG task. You see what I mean?

Alright. Now let’s see your answer on the question. Eat it bite by bite. Your elephant? Yes. Your elephant. Can you eat the elephant by only swallow it once? No. Now, can you eat it bite by bite? Yes, you can. Alright then; can you eat your giant mission bite by bite? I am sure you know the answer. Don’t tell me that. Just go trough it. And believe me. You. Can. Accomplish it. Successfully.

Now, let’s eat the elephant!

Yee-Haw,
What A New Day!

Footnote:

1. I don’t know the person who for the very first time asked the question. The brilliant originator, of course. But, indeed, it’s a really great question ones ever made. And if the person read this article, I do hope he or she knows that this is inspired by his or her question. And let me thank you, so much.
2. Eating an elephant means you intake huge energy into your body. It makes you stronger then.

It’s my life. That is your life. You take control of your life, and I take mine; that’s the rule of the game. Excuse me; would you give up your life to me? Of course not! Then why not you give it to your fellow citizen? For the god sake; you, will not do that!

I knew that you know John Francis Bongiovi, for sure. At least you have once listened to the great songs he sang, even more. You might hear songs on the radio while you were driving the way home. Sometimes, you enjoyed the songs a lot, but you did not really realize who sang it. Well, even if you might not listen to songs, but; you have heard his name, at least once in your life time. If you have never; you need to worry nothing. Why? Because, reading this, makes you now know his name anyway…

Let’s pretend a friend of yours got a brand new car. What do you think he will do to his car? He will protect the car; take care of it with all his heartfelt. Make it shines. Take it into the service station for regular services. Making sure to use only the best oil he can buy. Best quality gasoline he can find. He will do anything it takes, wouldn’t he? We know he will do anything for his brand new vehicle. Anything.

Do you know what actually Mr Bongiovi said about the best thing of his belongings? Yes. His own life. ”It’s my life!” he said. And I can do nothing more than agree with him. Yes. It’s my life. The best thing I ever have. It’s my life.

I will not waste my brand new car for whatsoever reasons. For w.h.a.t.s.o.e.v.e.r reasons. The question would be: will I waste my priceless life of my own then? Of course I won’t. But sometimes we did not realize that we wasted our life without realizing it. If you disagree with this, then you have two possibilities. First, you disagree with me because you really did not waste your life. And the second possibility would be – think about this – you did not realize you did it.

I am happy for you if you fall on the first one. Congratulation! You are the hard to find kind of person. And I believe that sooner or later you will be the most perfect personality in the world ever. You will be able to actualize all your potentials to benefit your life; people around you. And to the whole world. Why? Because – this is a very important because – you were born with a more than enough potentials to make everything possible. Especially good things.

But, if you are not falling into the first category, then it means that you have less awareness on ‘what did you do to your life’. Don’t you think it is weird if we do not really know what have we done to our belongings? You will be very sorry if you did something wrong to your brand new car. Say, you forgot to feed it with gasoline. Your auto machines would refuse to be started. Say, you forgot to take it to the service station for regular checking. And you just realized it when you had a trouble when you were on the very long travel.
The next question would be: What if you forgot to do the right things for you life? Of course you will not immediately die just because you did not feed yourself with positive attitude. You will not find your self ‘out of order’ simply because you did not care to your own life. But, you let the best things you can get gone with the wind.

“It’s my life!”, said Bongiovi.
“It’s my life!” I echo him.
And…..
“It’s my life!” you may also follow.
By this, we – you and me – dare to take all the responsibilities of our own life.

And, by this, I hope you break the mystery of ‘who the John Francis Bongiovi’ really is.
You got it? Yes.
Jon Bon Jovi.
Like him?
I do.

Yee-Haw,
What A New Day!

Foot note:
Jon Bon Jovi is one of my favorite artists. If he read this article, I hope he understands that this article is inspired by his great song; It’s My Life. Thank you for bringing us the spirits!

Team work. Sounds familiar. Your bosses, your colleagues, your business consultants; every body talks about team work. They provided you so many models of building an effective teamwork. However, has any one told you how universe teaches us about it?

Have you considered of being able to live alone? Normally, no one wishes to live to stand apart. Unless you do have a phobia to meet others, surely you would agree that we need other people to be our companions. We need at least a friend to live with. In fact, it is true that there is not even a single human being who can live comfortably, without the existence of other people.

The simple fact indicates that, human being interrelation is not limited to certain people exploitation conducted by other people. It also depicts that; the relationship corresponds to a mutual contract of providing each other amenity and life fulfillment. A contract whereby both of the parties benefiting one to another. So that we can help each other to attain our life perfection.

Nature has elegantly taught us the importance of others through phenomena we call ‘pollination’. If in the farm, there are no butterflies, hence a farmer will never harvest any result. Without butterflies, we have never enjoyed the taste of watermelon or honeydew. Because, through the hard works and efforts conducted by butterflies the pollination processes can be took place. And pollination process is the only ways for flowers to turn into ovaries, and finally expand again become mature fruits and ready to be harvested. Without pollination process, there will be no fruits, at all.

What a smart deed the nature conducted to face its circumstance. When plants cannot fulfill their own requirement, hence they give butterflies opportunity to enjoy the sugar – nectar – stored in the flowers.

And for that kindness they get a very beneficial impact when their pollens patched butterflies feet, and finally succeed to come arrive to other flowers. Only after these processes, the plants can finally produce some fruits.

Let’s once again pay attention to the pollination process. All the processes of pollination are not only performed by butterflies. The plant also builds such collaboration with beetles or bees. Even with the wind. Together, they develop a wonderful harmony, so that the nature can give optimal benefit to all live-beings in the system.

What kind of lesson we may obtain from these natural phenomena? Like the plants need other beings to assist them produce the fruits, we also need others to assist us bestow a masterpiece.

Teamwork, become one of the hottest topic conversed at present day business nature. And the nature has been providing us almost the most perfect model; hence in fact, we can learn such elegant natural phenomenon of teamwork of pollination.

If you pay sufficient attention to, you will find that; the trees allow their pollen and sugar essence to be enjoyed by butterflies, beetles, or bees. On the other hand, the bees, that butterflies and the beetles do not solely exploit the flowers. They do not rob them. Nor each other bamboozle. They work together, and pleased one to another. Then each of them lives happily, peacefully, and wealthily.

If you unilaterally expect other’s contribution to you, without willingness to benefit them, hence in fact, you are not only disobeying the nature rule, but also you have grown a destroying characteristic within you. If so, you cannot expect your life disembarks to its perfection. You surely will be experiencing an unevenness life. And you will never turn up to what you conceive as heart peacefulness nor the real bliss.

By contrast, if you are able to follow the nature when each element cooperates, in fact, you are not only succeeded to try to live in harmony with natural rule itself, but also succeeded to inculcate the sense of fairness within you.

Fairness yields satisfactions. Always. There is no satisfaction without fairness. And if you own the fairness, hence you would succeed to satisfy yourself as well as people around you.

And, if you possess that character, is there any chance for you complaining your life, ever? If you have such evenhandedness, will you still be hunted by guilty feelings? And if you succeed to assemble such enormous atmosphere, do you still worry not to reach anything you really wish?

Like the plants cannot conduct pollination themselves, we cannot always get what we wish by bootstraps. We need other people. We need their contributions. The same as they need us also. In consequence, let’s behave openly. Let’s behave fairly too. Fair to ourselves. And to others. Because, only by that way, you would be able to arrive at any kind you wish.

If I may say it again: you would be able to arrive at any kind you wish. And you even also will live in the truly peaceful feeling.

Hore,
Hari Baru!

Footnote:
1. The complete version of this article can be found in the book titled “Yee-Haw! What A New Day!!!”.
2. As individual, you may have high qualification on everything. But, without strong spirit of team working; you wouldn’t be able to maximize your capabilities. Build your team working skill, and you will see people want to partner with you.
3. This article can also be viewed at ezine-article.

What is the meaning of a job for you? Do you feel that this company placing you on a wrong level in regards to your leadership capabilities? Do you think that you can only practice your leadership talent if you place higher level of employment? Or you may think that to do it, you need to move to another company? This article will help you to get a better point of view on what you should do in order to cultivate your leadership characteristics, since the very early of your career development.

When I was young, I met a farmer in his farmland. He pointed one of his workers and told me that this person would be a supervisor in the future. I asked him: why? He showed me the difference between this worker compared to others. Few years later, that person was promoted as the farmer said.

Later in my life, I comprehend the heart of the message the farmer submitted to me. It was actually not to simply proving a prediction, but to find distinguishing factors about; what causing someone become a supervisor, while other people still become ordinary workers for years long, so that they never get any better positions, or higher payments.

The questions would be: why there are so many workers who have never been promoted to be a supervisor? What about being a supervisor of supervisors? Isn’t it true that the higher the position is, the more people to be led under its leadership path? Means that, if you want to be a top executive, there is no other way than to be able to lead other leaders. The higher the position you aim, the stronger your leadership must be. For that reason, you must continuously sharpen your leadership strength more and more, again and again. Consistently. But before you jump up to that huge project, first you must comprehend-well to the foundation of the leadership itself. So read, digest and crystallize this in your mind: “The very first foundation of leadership is: Self-reliant”.

Means that if you really want to cultivate a strong leadership characteristic within you, in order to take you to be a future leader, then you must be first have a good self-reliant. Someone who has willingness to do his job, even if there is no superior observing and showing it, oftentimes become a big boss later on. A leader does not require others to race his performance consistently up and productive. A leader surely is not the one who handles his task well only if there is someone observe or supervise him, nor the one who must be taught about this and that by his superior. A leader, is the one who always be ready to climb to the peak of his performance, without concerning whether there is other ordering him to do that, or not.

It also indicates that leadership is a very personal attitude. Because, we know that no one can grow this attitude within you, except you, yourself. The only one who can develop leadership characters in you is, you.

Does a “leader” always occupy important position in the company?
CEO is important position. Middle Management is also important. Say anyone having a high-level of position you know in your workplace: they are altogether important. But, they cannot do anything without front liner staffs executing their business concepts. They will not be able to yield anything without people like you. They need you. You – no matter what the position you hold this time is – are the most important element for the company where you work.

Therefore, leadership is not in a direct correlation to one’s job level. Because, managerial title or position is “not the other word for leadership.” Hence, no matter what your position or employment level is, you are now on the right position to show your leadership capabilities. And you, may be the future leader!

Hore,
Hari Baru!

Footnote:
1. The complete version of this article can be found on the book titled “Yee-Haw! What A New Day!!!”
2. I am an ordinary worker. My bosses used to be ordinary workers. All the CEOs, were ordinary worker. I mean, when they were occupying very first job. Indeed, every one has to be an ordinary worker, before he moves up to the next level of role.
3. Today, you may be serving your bosses; but, if you work well, you may learn from them; how they paved their way before arriving to their positions.
4. Your bosses will retire, sooner or later. This is the question: who will take over their places? It could be you. So get ready.

You will only successfully build your career or business with a good reputation. As you only like to do business with the one who has a good reputation, you will also be required to possess a good reputation yourself. Without integrity, it is impossible for you to build such a good reputation. The question would be: how to help yourself build a strong integrity inside you? Find the secret, on this natural phenomena based story.

Reputation is everything. Surprisingly, an eggshell can instruct us how to protect our reputation. Really? Yes it can.

Chickens are everyday livestock in the farmstead. The Farmer placed the hencoop in the backyard of his house. There were seven hens producing eggs. At one particular afternoon, The Farmer asked me to take an egg from its nest. And when I returned back to him with the egg in my hand, I found him holding a sharp needle.

“Please assure that thou can remember this egg!” said The Farmer as great as taking that chicken’s egg from my hand. And lifted it rather high till it position as high as my eyes.

“What will you do?” I enquired.
“Watch this,”

Then he jabbed of the egg with the needle. Slow and tender. I understood that he did not wish that eggshell to be destroyed or broke hence.

“Why are you doing that?” I insisted on.
“Thou will understand. Just be patience and wait,” The Farmer said.

Afterwards, The Farmer returned the egg back to me. I checked it precisely on the place where the small needle jabbed. Nothing I found but a very small dot of the sharp needle on the surface of the eggshell.

“Make sure thou can remember this egg!” The Farmer repeated his word.
“I don’t think so,“ my word. ”For me, all the chicken eggs just seen to be the same.”
“Just wait. And thou will understand….” He reciprocated, “Now return this egg back to the den. ” I can do nothing but listened to and obeyed his word.

In the next three days, The Farmer preceded and asked me to take the egg back to him. “That is impossible, Sir, “ I evaded. “For me, all the eggs are seen to be the same. What if I take a wrong egg?”

”Just try!” he said. He forced me to do it anyway. So that I didn’t have any choice but went to the nest.

When a few moment later I returned back with an egg on my right hand, whereas my left hand closed my nose, The Farmer enquired: ”What an easy task, isn’t it?”
“I do not know, whether this is the right egg,” I replied.
“Surely the egg, Son”
“How can you be so confident?”
“Because, this is the egg we jabbed its shell three days ago,”

Do you know, why the egg with a damage shell will immediately become a rotten egg and reek? You are correct. Because, the eggshell function is to protect the entire substance inside it. The Farmer told me that the eggshell is similar to what we call as integrity. It has equal function with ‘your integrity’, which is taking care of your reputation.

In modern business life of urban, you will only become a good executive and remain to be good, if you are able to take care of your integrity. Because, once you smirch your integrity, sooner or later people around you will smell it. Your reputation will be damaged, then. Through that egg, The Farmer taught me that our integrity protects our reputation as the eggshell does to the egg substance. The substance inside the egg is a symbol referring to your reputation.

Once you hurt your own integrity no matter how mild or severe it is, then it would be damaged. And it shall no longer protect your reputation. And like the egg we mentioned, once your reputation not to be protected by the shell of your integrity, sooner or later, you would become like such decaying egg. Stain. And Smell. And finally must be put aside from your community. And lose all the opportunities you should get. And then everything turns in to nothing.

It is no wonder if you oftentimes found a very bright person who is surprisingly lost his career by one wrong step. So that his integrity shell is broken, then destroy all the means he has built for years in his career life. In real life, you possibly have met someone who was very bright. And owned very high technical ability in his work place. But, this person has never been promoted for any important position just because his unfavorable integrity. No matter how good you are, with such bad integrity, you will not yield a ‘delicious omelet’. And only with a good integrity, you can enjoy its delicacy you wish in business or career, as well as in your personal life. There is only one way for you to assure that your reputation remains to be protected, which is to ensure that your integrity shell remains to be intact in place. Do not let it damage even for a very small wound. Though very skinny, the eggshell is a very important element to ascertain the egg entirety remains to be good.

That applies also to your integrity shell. It becomes a very important building block to take care off and ascertain your reputation to remain to be good too. Either in your colleague’s eyes. Your superior’s eyes. Your customer’s eyes. And last but not least, in the eyes of your own. Why? Because the first one to know whether you have a good integrity or not is: you.

You, yourself.

Hore,
Hari Baru!

Footnote:
1. Like my article “A Lesson From A Hume of A Bamboo Clump”, this article has also been translated to some world languages. Again, thank you for those who strived to make it more readable.
2. This article is taken from my book titled “Yee-Haw! What A New Day!!!”
3. Anyone can be a genius. But, without integrity, it’s likely he cannot make use such priceless gift for the wellness of human being. We can be ordinary people, but with integrity within us; we may devote even a small thing for our mankind.

Hari Baru!

Buddy.

Have you heard a nature hymn? For example, a whir of ting-a-ling-a-ling sound yielded by bamboo leaves when the wind blew to its clump? If you have an opportunity to visit a bamboo garden, try to listen to its hymn. The trees of a bamboo clump will sing along with the wind. When the wind blows blandly, bamboo leaves will play a beautiful symphony, so that it can sway your soul. And when the wind starts to blow lively, the bamboo leaves begin sounding a lilt of a quick song like Disco or Rock ’n Roll.

They sing while at the same time they dance. They dance in an amazing movement. There is no other living things can sing and dance beautifully like bamboo clump trees! While its leaves melodic voices singing a peaceful song, the bamboo trees bar wiggling to the right and to the left. Dancing, turning and winding. Swinging and swaying. As if they are singing homage hymn while performing their devotion dance. They sing. And dance joyfully. Bend, twisting.

You will almost never find even a single piece of bamboo tree uprooted by the wind, and then fallen down. You also almost have never found a bamboo clump wither. Though dry season is burning the entire surface of the earth severely. You will find bamboo clump trees as the only evergreen tree even in a terrible dry season. Whenever dry season force all trees to run dehydrated and fade away, surely bamboo clump trees chosen to stand firm. It makes them to be the last trees standing. Evergreen.

Do you have any idea of; why the bamboo clump can hold out such firm? What a mystery. And there must be a lesson inside it. Now, try to pay attention to this: those who sing a cheerful song, usually are the people who enjoying their wonderful life. Conversely, one who likes to sing a cheerless song usually is the one who has been experiencing a gloomy life. My questions would be: why the first people are long lastingly happy and full of joy? Whether they have never experienced a stormy life? Or may be they have never faced a life temptation like others?

A song represents an expression of heart feeling. If you let your heart to sing the song along, you would be able to see the inmost feeling of the composer. And you will understand them. You can even feel them as it happened to you. A song can also connect you to any historical event. Because, a song preserves any story within it. If you have a memorable song, which is reminding you to a story of a past experience, hence whenever coincidentally you hear someone sings the song, you surely will be remembering the story behind the song. It indicates that a song has magical strengths to influence our feelings. In brief, a song has a hand in glove linkage with our soul.

Isn’t it true that you cannot sing a cheery song while you remain to let your mood mope? On the other hand, a sorrow song will by itself brings you to a gloomy atmosphere. No wonder if your doleful heart feeling can quickly change at a moment you hum a great song willingly. Vice versa.

Why the bamboo clump can hold out such firm? Because, it’s always singing such a full of bliss songs, to make it joyful, live happily, and at the same time bravely and strongly. That’s the secret of the strength of bamboo clump trees: they are eager to sing the songs of the beauty of life.

As you felt when you sang a happy song. In fact, every human being can make him or herself happy, joyful, and hopeful, by singing a great song. The songs as warbled by a bamboo clump. A song is like a lightning rod. It’s made to protect a high building from pouncing thunder in a stormy weather. It can disperse wild thunders. A song is also acting as an antibody, to dash down any diseases trying to infiltrate into our immune system. So, any time when you get a pleasant bliss, don’t forget to make your own song. And let it be your forever song. And when at one time you are feeling blue, neutralize that sorrow by the song. Consequently, you would be able to control your emotion, and return to a beautiful feeling. And you will always be able to enjoy your life. Promise? You will.

If you associate the wild wind rage in the bamboo clumps’s life to a ‘life temptation’ of human being. A heavy barricade. A life burden. Any difficulty. You may see that the bamboo clump trees chosen to sing, and dance with it, instead of being depressed with it. When there were so much big trees fallen down because of the wild wind knocked over, the bamboo clump trees chosen to gather with it, and composed it to become a melodic harmony composition. Bamboo clump trees chosen to sing it. And to danced with it. Lived with it happily. Forever. What the bamboo clump trees did was more than just survival. They were enjoying their daily life under the wind hegemony. No matter how hard the wind blows, it still there strongly up stand. Why? Because bamboo clumps trees, choose to croon cheerily with the storm. And dance with it joyfully.

The wind blow is our life temptation. The storm is our being hurricane. And the bamboo clump tree is you. Sing your song as the bamboo trees croon the hum. If you can sing the same hum, then you would be strong like the bamboo clump trees. No matter how hard life burden hits you; you would remain to be strong. You would linger to be able to sing. Sing your song. Voice out the hum. Dance with joy. And remain to be enthusiastic. Like the bamboo clump which remained to become green forever. And you, would be forever green.

Hore,

Hari Baru!

Footnote:

1. This article has been posted on several sources. Some of them put my name as the author, but some even not let the readers know who the author is. I thank everyone who has helped this article readable; but it would be great if the readers recognize the author.
2. The original version of this article has been translated and published in at least 8 (eight) languages (or may be more?), namely: English; Chinese (?); Korea (?) . French (?). Latino (?); Portuguese? ; Dutch (?); and Bahasa Indonesia. I put it on the Special Archive.
3. Thank you all for making this article readable in many world languages. Enabling people to enjoy and get the feel. Leveraging the spirit within. Sharing it…. I do appreciate it. If you think it is worth to translate it into other languages; please feel free to do so.
4. I remember in 2005, I was forwarded an email written by a blind lady that she was so inspired with this story. She did hope that some body can translate it into Braille, so that more blind people can read this. However, I cannot do things without any helps from others. Let’s give us hands…