Chipping in

How to Find Leaders

A simple copy and paste from the toastmaster website.

Want to find leaders for your organization?

John Maxwell, Ph.D., is an expert on leadership and author of more than 30 books on that topic. In his monthly e-newsletter, Leadership Wired, he answers the question, “How can I be sure to hire the right person?”

To accomplish anything of significance, you must have the right people by your side. Finding a great hire often goes hand in hand with identifying potential leaders. Maxwell credits his friend Fred Smith with helping him arrive at these 11 questions to ask when looking for a leader:
* Does the person question existing systems and push for improvements?
* Do they offer practical ideas?
* When they speak, who listens?
* Do others respect them?
* Can they create or catch a vision?
* Do they show a willingness to take responsibility?
* Do they finish the job?
* Are they emotionally strong?
* Do they possess strong people skills?
* Will they lead others with a servant’s heart?
* Can they make things happen?

Good one.

Lesson learned from the funeral

[Bahasa Indonesia]
Last night I went to friend’s family funeral.

I was amazed by the condolence flowers his family has received and the number of people attending the funeral. I did not realize that his family was that popular and part of that ‘it’ society.

My respect grew tremendously for him last night. Not because I now I realize how well off his family is. But because how grounded he is despite of his family status.

It takes a lot of maturity, self confidence, and awareness to be as humble as he is. I am honoured to be his friend.

Thank you for the lessons learned. Peace and love for your family always.

Job: Homepage and News Country Editor for MSN

Homepage and News Country Editor (3x)
Reports to the Executive Producer

We're looking for someone who is passionate about their local audience, can pick out and follow a good story, and can meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

An MSN Homepage and News Country Editor will have the following responsibilities:

Editorial Management. Identify the best stories to feature on the most highly-trafficked areas of the MSN Network; primarily on the homepage but also within Windows Live Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger. Ensure this content is timely, accurate and locally relevant. They must be passionate about local, regional and global news and current affairs;
Content updating and integration. Aside from the above, other Editorial areas need to be updated and kept fresh & relevant in order to engage the audience. Other duties help to ensure our pages are easily crawled by search engines. Duties can include updating news polls, maintaining a professional blog, updating search metadata, picking out and publishing editorial search highlights, selecting and publishing News Special Reports, and updating cross network assets;
Establish, protect and put forth the Editorial Voice. The MSN Editorial Voice is to inform and also be provocative. It is important everything that we do editorially on the homepage and News channel is aligned with that Voice. We do not cover stories normally; we find a different way to approach a story that is captivating to our users. As we relaunch new media channels for MSN it is important that the editorial team can take this Voice and implement and extend this across many categories.
Analysis & continual improvement. Part of our philosophy is to analyse the data we receive to continuously improve our message to our audience. We take advantage of the near-time nature of our medium so we are constantly reviewing how our editorial content performs so we don’t repeat mistakes, we can learn more about our users, and so we can build on the success of our “big-clicking” content.A Homepage and News Country Editor will scan the web for news that is relevant for their users with the objective of attempting to find content that will keep users on our homepage and channels as long as possible.

As the Editorial team needs to ensure content is at its ‘freshest’ and most relevant during peak traffic times for the MSN network, extended operating hours are the norm. Some shift work may be expected. A night-shift team will be maintained during the weekday so it is the responsibility of the Homepage and News Country Editor to ensure that team is properly briefed as to what are the key editorial stories to look out for overnight, what editorial content needs to be updated and that the transitions go smoothly.

We are looking for three News & Homepage Country Editors. One editor each will be assigned to Singapore and Malaysia individually. The remaining editor will cover both Indonesia and the Philippines. All will be initially based in Singapore but should be very familiar with their respective markets.

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor's Degree ideally in Journalism;
Fluent in English and Bahasa
2-3 years editorial web experience in a large portal or media web site where display advertising is the main source of revenue;
Passion for the Web, digital content, and customers;
Strong communications skills;
Comfortable with working with numbers, analytics & measurement;
Self-directed with excellent organizational skills;
Knowledge of and interest in local, regional and global news and current affairs;
A true multi-tasker;
Ability to set and maintain deadlines;
Must possess excellent computer skills including proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word.
Understanding of Web development technologies (i.e. HTML, XML, AJAX, JavaScript, …) is an advantage;
Comfortable with image editing tools such as Photoshop

Desired Qualifications:

Experience working with 3rd party content providers;
Strong work ethic and a high level of professionalism;
Creativity, intelligence, and integrity;

Interested? Email me at general.online@mac.com.

The Anahata Villa and Spa Resort

[Bahasa Indonesia]
I went to Ubud last weekend for the healing power of ikhlas program, co-managed by True Nature Healing and Kata Hati Institute.

I want to tell you more about the program but I am waiting for the handout to be distributed by e-mail. I want to be as exact as I should be. So for the time being, I will share with you the beautiful place that I stayed in: Anahata Villa & Spa Resort.

This is the first paragraph the resort uses to describe itself.

“Nestled in the lush landscape of the Petanu River bank, Anahata is a world class Bali hotel villa. Surrounded by verdant tropical forest and restful waters, visitors to these Bali vacation villas experience the tranquility of a pristine environment with all the amenities of luxurious living.”

You can read more about the resort on its website. But I want to tell you something that is not written in the website or the brochure.

The name. According to the ever-dependable Wikipedia, the Anahata chakra is physically positioned at the heart region. Anahata is associated with the ability to make decisions outside of the realm of karma.

In Anahata, one is making decisions, 'following your heart', based upon one's higher self, and not from the unfulfilled emotions and desires of lower nature.

The wish-fulfilling tree, kalpa taru, resides here, symbolising the ability to manifest whatever you wish to happen in the world.

It is also associated with love and compassion, charity to others, and forms of psychic healing.

Wow what a great choice of name.

The people. I had the pleasure to meet Onie Djatmiko, the owner of Anahata resorts. She—and all her staff, and I do mean all—are so into servicing the guests. And if you know me in person, you know this is a huge compliment.

Can I have hair dryer? Certainly. How do you make this soup? Oh we do this and that. Would you like the recipe?

I left my empty bottle of mineral water on the bar table because I wanted to go the toilet nearby. When I returned, the bottle was already filled in with fresh water.

“Your shuttle to the airport would not leave for another hour. Why don’t you have another cup of tea? On the house.” Enough said.

The river. Oh the river. The resort sits by the junction of two clean clear fresh rivers. The Balinese believes such junction to be a pure and powerful place, an abundance of energy. You have to be there, really be there, to believe it.

My favorite place, the river bank. Early in the morning (or all day, I don’t care). Alone (or with somebody else, does not matter).

Onie, you have one great place. Thank you for sharing.

Pics courtesy of the Anahata resorts.

I am.

[Bahasa Indonesia]
I am my parents' child. I am my siblings' little sister. I am my profession. I am my friends' friend. I am a follower of my religion. I am a citizen of my nation.

Multiple definitions for a single object. Strange.

I try defining me through my problems. But suddenly the problems feel unimportant. Insignificant. Not relevant. Not applicable.

I am nothing but blessed. And loved. And love.

I am you. You are me.Then the I, me, you, we, us, they, them, he, him, she, her, and it get confusing. It does not seem to make sense. Perhaps it is no longer relevant.

Why differentiate?

I am asked to imagine a room, the definition of "me", and to widen it. I imagine breaking the wall and see a green meadow under a bright blue sky.

I feel free until I realize my world is still limited by the ground that I walk on. I still put myself within a boundary. True freedom is still an illusion.

I spoke too soon. I am satisfied prematurely. The ego speaks yet again.

I picture the world only to see that I am the universe, the nature.
I step back to see me more clearly. But no matter how far back I go I still cannot see me. I am nothing.

I wonder.

I am grand but I too am a mere spec.

The duality concept gets confusing. It does not make sense. It is no longer relevant. There is no need to differentiate. No reason to.

There is no plurality. Pick a pronoun and stick with it. One is enough. We do not need more. There is never a need to have more.

I exaggerate, as always.

I want to travel through time. Then it dawn to me there is nowhere to travel through. I cannot see any other destination or dimension.

Present is the only time there is. One tense is enough.

I sit by the river and have an urge to play with the water. I put my feet in the water and move them around. Then I stop and realize that my feet are still moving without me moving them. The river does it for me. Now it makes sense. I smile without wanting to smile.

Let nature take it course. Surrender. Watch wonder unfold.
Live from this on, he smiles and says.

The soul knows. The rest needs to digest.

JakartaDoYoga opens!

[Bahasa Indonesia]
I am so happy for my friend, Yusni. She’s just opened her yoga studio, Jakartadoyoga, in the heart of Jakarta, a life-long dream of hers.

I went there last Saturday during its soft launch titled “Walking meditation and yoga all day long,” in which she held a walking meditation to a near-by park, held a yoga session in the park and five other yoga classes at her studio during that day. A neat and appropriate way of launching a yoga studio.

What I love about Yusni, her studio, and all other events she holds is the fact that you feel like coming to your friend’s event,. You don’t really feel like there is any distance between the organizer and the participants.

And you can feel Yusni’s enthusiasm towards yoga. I come to the studio and feel that the owner of the place has put her heart and soul into preparing and managing the studio.

So, here’s to Yusni, her studio and all the yoga enthusiasts in Jakarta or anywhere else in the world. Kuddos.

For further information, visit www.jakartadoyoga.com, email studio@jakartadoyoga.com, or just drop by Jl Sunda No 7, 3rd Floor, Menteng.

Over one billion rups for ICT innovators

[Bahasa Indonesia]
Microsoft Indonesia and USAID-financed competitiveness project SENADA today launch iMULAI, a national competition and awards program for innovative solutions for business.

The program aims to promote the spirit and importance of innovation among Indonesian business entrepreneurs and support the establishment of Indonesia as a competitive, knowledge-based economy.

The competition, which will run until December 31st, 2007, is open for all Indonesian businesses (both start-up and established) and non-government organizations.

iMULAI will select three winners whose proposals show the most promising innovations and which promise the greatest potential impact on the information technology and communications industry in Indonesia.

Each successful innovation will receive over Rp145,000,000 in hardware and software business technology from Microsoft and Rp220,000,000 in grant financing from SENADA for innovation costs.

For more information, visit the iMULAI website.

Veggie lunch

I over indulged during the weekend. So now it is pay back time.

Here's today's lunch menu.

Nils, you would be proud to know that no animal has been harmed during the production or the consumption process.

Splinters of the universe

[Bahasa Indonesia]
[Once upon a time, my friend Hanny and I had our writer's block. Then we decided to write in each other's blogs instead.

So, ladies and gents, I present you Hanny as my very first guest blogger, whose blog is probably the only site I visit regularly.]

Dear Eva,

I know nothing about spirituality, meditation, or yoga, or those wonderful things that close to your heart. However, as agreed, let’s play Athena in The Witch of Portobello, and I’ll try to start talking about things I know nothing about.

About a year ago, out of nowhere, I decided to use the word ‘splinters’ when I’d like to go anonymous with my writings. I fell in love with the word in high school, when I found it inside a poem by Edith Sodergran, The Stars.

Edith is a poet who introduced Finland-Swedish modernism with free rhythm in her poems, and didn’t receive much recognition in her lifetime, but is now regarded one of Finland’s foremost poets…

Do you think Edith was ahead of her time?
Do you think she resembles Coelho’s Athena—The Witch of Portobello?

Anyway, I don’t want to think of it as a coincidence, but if you look up for the word ‘splinter’ in the dictionary, it means “a small, thin, sharp piece of wood, glass, or similar material broken off from a larger piece”.

What if the larger piece is the universe, Eva? What if I’m a splinter of the universe? What if we’re all splinters of the universe? We are, aren’t we?

So now it’s not that hard to imagine that we’re connected to each other in some way; that we’re capable of doing noble things; that our minds are magnetic and able to draw things we cherish closer to us; that we’re capable of revealing the secrets of the universe, one at a time.

And this, Eva, this is what I called spirituality.

Something that we’ve already had inside of us since birth, running through our veins and pumping our heart; but we kept on searching for it in those long and tiring journeys, only to find out that we’ve never losing it at the first place.

H.

[I didn't change a single letter, Han. I did not need to.

Beautiful, as always.]

One month to go

[Bahasa Indonesia]
Remember that “a significant change in my life in the near future” I spoke about a while ago? Here goes.

I have decided to return to my natural habitat of freelancing. To become a freelance communications specialist (that is the title I give myself in my business card) once again.

And to be honest, actually, this time it is even more than that.

I have two passions in life at the moment (three if you include my family). One is communications. The other is natural healing and all that come along with it (meditation, yoga, spiritualism, etc).

In 2006, I concluded that I still love communications for communications sake. It would still be a thrill to work in the industry. BUT it has to be for a greater good. So I decided to focus on corporate social responsibility issues or development projects.

When the opportunity to be a full-time communications manager in a development project (which is my current job at the moment), I welcomed it with an open arm.

A year has passed. I have come to a different conclusion. It still does not feel 100% right. The soul is tired. The body is too. The brain is puzzled, struggling to find the reasons why.

Along came the Witch of Portobello. The book put me on the contemplative road whose existence was long forgotten. I knew I had to make a choice between the two passions.

Despite all the lessons learned, the social/professional network built, and the so-called impact made over the last year, communications is no longer fun for communications’ sake. For me.

I pictured myself marching on the career path of communications and I am not that fond of what I see. I do not foresee peace. (Granted, perhaps it is just my limited capability and subjectivity to see).

The choice is now clear(er). I will move into healing. I will for the thousandth time push myself into a new area beyond my comfort zone. To become a student one more time. I have met several teachers. I have signed up for two meditation courses in December. It is a start.

Like writing, communications should just be a medium for something greater, or, pragmatically speaking, a way to make a living for me. The focus will be on healing.

The choice is clear but not the road ahead. But that is OK. It is a process. I shall take it one step at a time. With guidance from Him. Or Her. Or something within.

I am counting down for the ship to set sail. Approximately one month from now. Deep breath.

Change of point of view

[Bahasa Indonesia]
It was late at the office. The room was getting dark. I kept staring at my computer’s monitor until it was time for me to go.

I turned around to look at the window, just to see how the traffic was. And I was in awe with what I saw.

An orange sky above the darkened skyscrapers of Jakarta.

The view had always been there to entertain, yet the only thing I stared at until that moment was my computer.

Things we are able to see if only we change our point of view.

Teachers

[Bahasa Indonesia]
This month I have been blessed with encounters with two teachers. People whom I believe have earned their rights to be called teachers. People with such ample amount of knowledge and skills but still manage to be so humble, ordinary and willing to reach out.

Pak Budi. A craniosacral therapist. I was introduced by a friend. I went to his house one night where he held his meditation session. You could not really tell which is him because he just blended with others. The (about) 10 of us chatted for a bit and meditated. Pak Budi then answered all questions asked and even treated one participant.

Pak Irmansyah Effendi. Founder of Reiki Tummo. I took several classes of Reiki Tummo several years back but never really got into it much. A friend YM me one day and said that there will be an alumni gathering with Pak Irmansyah as the speaker. Interesting.

I sat at the first row. The speaker had not arrived yet. Then this rather young guy with untidy hairs and blue-white Hawaiian shirt came and started to set up the notebook and laptop. A lady next to me said “Pak Irmansyah?” and he smiled. My god, that’s Pak Irmansyah? Wow. How come he is so 'ordinary'?

I thoroughly enjoyed both session held by Pak Budi and Pak Irmansyah.

On a 'sadder' note, I have “lost” another teacher this month. Pak Pujo who passed away late last month. I only met him once but he has left such a deep impression to me. His passing made me think about that only time we met. I am sad that I do not have the opportunity to meet him again but thankful for that one time we have met.

People with great wisdom and such humility. Those people have earned the rights to be called “teachers”. And I am thankful for the opportunity to meet them.

Judging by the number of teachers I have met in such a short time, I supposed it is school time again. I look forward to become a student.

For mom and dad

[Bahasa Indonesia]
God, forgive me and forgive my mom and dad.

Love and care for them the way they have loved and cared for me while I was little. Cross that. the way the have loved and cared for me SINCE I was little.

*hugz*

Job op: Public Relations Manager in SENADA

SENADA, a USAID-financed Indonesian competitiveness project, is currently recruiting for a senior Public Relations Manager (Code: PRM).

He or she will develop and lead the implementation of communications strategy for SENADA. The strategy will consist of a master plan to communicate with SENADA’s stakeholders, including the business sectors, the industry or business associations, the government and the general public.

If you meet the above criteria, please send your CV and three professional references (with phone numbers and email addresses) via email to SENADA@dai.com (to be considered position code must be included in the subject of the email) or fax to 021-579-32578 by Wednesday, 24 October 2007. No phone calls will be entertained.

To learn more about the position, you can download this document. For more information about SENADA please visit: www.senada.or.id.

Note: I'tikaf (By A. Chodjim)

[Bahasa Indonesia]
The Arabic word "i’tikaf" gets popular especially towards the end of the fasting month of Ramadhan. People go to mosques, conduct the prayer, read the Qur'an, and spend the whole night (or more) in the mosque.

What is the essence of i'tikaf?

I’tikaf is about contemplation to achieve spiritual transformation. To contemplate on our conduct thus far, to contemplate on our relations with other beings and the whole universe (not just among human).

Al Qur’an does not specify how to conduct the i'tikaf. Thus the imams of the muslim provide the explanation, with some differences in the details.

Whatever the name may be, to me, contemplation is an important thing to do. Contemplation does not mean we think of a certain issue with specific objectives or achievements in mind.

Contemplation means opening self or heart so that the higher energy can infiltrate us, be present within.

The energy that can naturally and automatically guide us in navigating our lives, in harmony with our function and mission in life.

You can download the complete note (in Indonesian) here.

Are we really fasting?

[Bahasa Indonesia]
The traffic in Jakarta has been crazy (or crazier) these last several days. Not sure what this has anything to do with the fact that Idul Fitri is just about a week away.

I still do not see the connection, why the traffic has gone worse in the third week of Ramadhan compared with the first week of Ramadhan.

Anyway, here I was, stuck in the midst of this craziness. I looked around. I presumed most of the people on the road were fasting.

They say that fasting is to train us to be more patience. To better control ourselves. To refrain ourselves not just from food, drinks and sex, but also to "hunger" ourselves from all negative emotions.

Yet all I could see, could experience, at that time in the middle of the traffic jam was how aggressive people got when they were driving. The vehicles were barely inches from one another. Motorcycles going here and there, trying to find the narrow gap between cars for them to pass by.

Nobody wanted to give way to another. When somebody tried to move in front of the cars, you could see the sudden increased of intensity in the drivers’ face.

So I wonder, how many of us really fast. And I hope to God that towards the end of the month, we all can celebrate Idul Fitri --- the return to our pure-self.

The Witch of Portobello

[Bahasa Indonesia]
I wasn't that interested in Paulo Coelho's novels anymore. With all due respect to the gifted writer. It was just not my cup of tea.

So when the Witch of Portobello came out, I was not exactly running to the bookstore to get it.

That was, before a trusted friend recommended the book to me.

I was curious. I knew and trusted her preference in books.

On the same day she sms-ed me to recommend the book, I went to the bookstore, bought myself a cup of coffee, and sat at the coffee shop for hours reading that book.

I went home and continued reading it. I finished the book in one day. I could not put it down.

Then I told another friend about this book. Her response was unexpected. She said, "So what's the result?" An sharp and odd response to a story about reading a book. It was a good question though. What was the result?

The result was it got me thinking about something I had not thought about for quite some time. Threw me back into an introspective and retrospective mode.

So if there will be a significant change in my life in the near future, you can blame it on Coelho. Or thank him.

On being a student

[Bahasa Indonesia]
There was a long discussion about the poem I put in the previous entry. One friend was a teacher. He said sometimes he signs up for classes just to be a student again.

I have different opinion.

To me it is easy to be a student when you are actually a student. If I sign up for a class, of course I feel like a student because I am literally a student.

What would be more challenging is to be a student every single second of life. To have that humbleness that I can learn from the person in front of me because there is something he/she knows that I don't. To have that zeal, that eagerness to learn.

Be honest. When you are a manager, a director, a vice president, a senior at your office, and you are faced with an intern who barely graduates from college, can you feel like a student to this intern? Or would you roll your eyes and grumble every time he/she says or does something 'ridiculous'? Yes, I thought so.

I could not get the poem out of my head that evening. It was like a reminder (to not say slap me on the face) to this confident, arrogant, know-it-all person to learn from every single person or single incident that passes by in her life.

I threw myself to something completely new sometimes, intentionally or unintentionally. To be a first grade student one more time.

Perhaps it is time for me to do it again.

It is a pleasure to be a student

I am a student.
I have been a student as long as I remember
And it is a pleasure to be a student.

It is a pleasure to learn that I don't know.
It is a pleasure to learn that I already know.
It is a pleasure to learn that I was mistaken.

It is a joy to learn from Great Masters.
It is a joy to learn by sharing what I learnt.
It is a joy to learn how to be what I am.

I seek to learn about the world around me.
I seek to learn about what I actually am.
I seek to learn how to be a proper human being.

Clouds show me the nature of my world.
Rivers show me the nature of myself.
Babies show me how to be more human.

I am a student.
I will be a student as long as I live.
And it is a pleasure to be a student.

A poem by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche. Read during a Beshara gathering.

Quiet

[Bahasa Indonesia]
I have just realized it has been some time since I last wrote in my blogs. Any of my blogs. Not that I don't want to. Not that I don't have the time.

But I just don't know what to write.

I don't know what to write. That is a scary thought.

A friend once told me that she thought my writing while I was in Spain was good. She asked whether it was because of the ambiance, or the state of heart that I was in. It was both.

If I write well when my surrounding was conducive and the heart is in the right state, what does "don't know what to write" mean? That's a scary thought.

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