We’re All Have that Friend, or Maybe it’s You?

Human has a lot of different potential in many different areas, maybe you have discovered yours, maybe your friends has discovered theirs too. Sometimes, you wonder why your friend who is really good at playing soccer does not become a professional soccer player instead of working as an officer, “what a waste of talent” you think. On the other hand, your friend keep asking you “what are you doing here? If I were you, I should’ve become a pianist and join an orchestra” because they have discovered your piano skills, which you think you just do it for fun. (or, actually, your mother might kill you if you become one, instead of becoming a businessman)

There are a lot of people out there that actually have potential in the certain area, let’s say photography, you think that all those pictures that your friend takes using a smartphone camera are amazing. You can’t believe why this guy hasn’t become a photographer already. Sadly, one of the most crucial thing that prevents him from becoming one is because he doesn’t have a camera (I mean, real one). Even sad, he can’t afford to buy a camera or join a photography class to improve his skill. Another waste of talent.

Or, we can’t even discover what our talent is (yet), I know this is sad, but let’s admit it, it’s because we have no chance to discover it. It’s the common case. Who knows if actually, I’m good at programming? who knows if only my parent let me take a course about programming, I might have already become a big developer instead of a content writer? who knows? But still, it never too late to learn.

Soft skill is important, but many people is still unaware or just unlucky.

In Indonesia, we have many talented people, but they got trapped in “bad circumstances” that make them difficult to grow and develop their talent. Many parents in Indonesia isn’t allowing his children to do things other than study or school-related-things. “What do you want to be?”, “Just study!” and blah blah blah. Not to mention with an education system that still kinda find the “right ingredients”. Recently they changed the system to a full day school, so student practically only has a little time outside the school. Seems like school is “indirectly ignore” activity other than study. Focus on your study, don’t do the other things, it’s not THAT important. Don’t deny it, my school was one of them. Maybe still is. No wonder, the diversity of potential slowly become dead. Now they just become either: Science student, Social student, or Language student. Imagine, how hard to stand out among those only 3 categories. The diversity of potential has to be forced into uniformity.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid” – Albert Einstein

No matter how good your musical talent, sport or anything else, if you are bad at your studies, it’s unacceptable. You better focus more on the study and quit. Still wonder why we are bad in Olympic or startup development? still wonder why every single year, fresh graduate desperately have to “fight” to be accepted in this small area: government, bank, and police?

It’s really different to the education system in Japan. In Japan, the student is not only studying, but they join the club activity or called “bhukatsu“. Sometimes I wonder, they’re all already busy with school, but how they still have time to do club activity (and take it seriously) and sometimes still have to do a part time job? It’s become like culture. Embodies with the society. No wonder, Japan is getting advance in many areas, not only study, but also in another area like sports, technology, media, and et cetera

Because the whole system is supporting the “gem” to be discovered and developed.

That’s why, I can say, regeneration is just a matter of time for the country.

So how if we are not lucky enough to live in a country like Japan?

We have to do it ourselves.

We have to stop this sad pattern. Ourselves.

As I mentioned above, we should underline two things: to Discover and to Develop.

Let’s dig deeper;

To discover means, we still not really know what we are good at, maybe we just have an interest in that area. We still kinda try for fun. But trying and letting us or other people try is still a good thing.

To develop means, we already know the potential, and we have to let them grow. It may take an effort and cost a lot since we have to prepare many kinds of tools and facility to build the right environment. Again, the cost would vary, but this is the crucial part. Because many potential has to be killed because of this.

But we have to believe it would be “paid off” eventually. Now that’s the way to our success.

Or we would keep saying “what a waste of talent” again and again.

VP