We should be grateful to be blessed with adequacy and an abundance of fortune or capability, because we are among the few among so many of our brothers and sisters who are still in need.
Kalimat itu mungkin terdengar berat. Tapi coba renungkan sejenak: jika hari ini kamu bisa membaca tulisan ini dari perangkat yang terkoneksi internet, jika hari ini kamu makan setidaknya sekali, jika hari ini kamu tidur di tempat yang beratap maka kamu sudah berada di posisi yang, bagi sebagian orang lain di dunia ini, adalah sebuah kemewahan.
| Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need. — Kahlil Gibran |
I was not born rich. But life's journey has taught me that fortune is not just about the numbers in a bank account. Fortune is the ability to see. The ability to walk. Enough health to get through the day. A family that accompanies us. Friends who pray for us.
And when we start counting the blessings that are not money, we suddenly realize: we are much richer than we think.
Generosity, interestingly, is not only proof of our gratitude to God. It also, scientifically and experientially, becomes a source of happiness. Haven't you ever felt happiness when you are able to give?
Ada sesuatu yang terjadi di dalam diri ketika kita mengulurkan tangan untuk orang lain. Ada rasa yang tidak bisa dibeli rasa bahwa hidup kita punya arti melampaui diri sendiri.
| Generosity, it turns out, is not measured by the size of the material things we give, but is measured relative to the capabilities we have. |
Ini bukan tentang seberapa besar yang kita berikan. Ini tentang proporsi. Tentang kesediaan untuk membagi, apapun yang kita punya waktu, perhatian, ilmu, senyuman kepada mereka yang membutuhkan.
This is not about how much we give. It is about proportion. About the willingness to share whatever we have — time, attention, knowledge, a smile — with those in need.
Perhaps Kahlil Gibran's words are worth keeping in mind: give more than you can, and take less than you need. There, in my opinion, lies one of the true secrets of happiness.
— Eko Pratomo