Open Our Mind

First of all I would like to apologise for not updating my blog in these past few days. Having lot of problems and with all the stresses, there’s really no time for me to sit down and writing.

With all the problems that persist, it really brings a headache. This morning I sat down and think thoroughly. And suddenly one name comes to my mind. Kylie Tanti. Does this name ring the bell?

Well if don’t, let me remind u back. In past couple of week, the headlines in local paper stated that Kylie Tanti, an Australian Base jumper fell to her death when her parachute failed to open during a training stint from a communication tower in Alor Setar.

Tragic news right? Coz I thought parachuting was a relatively safe sport.

Then it comes to my mind one famous quote by Frank Zappa, an America composer and musician, who said: “The mind is like a parachute, it works only when it is open.”

Yes, I do realise while most of us not going to take Base jumping or skydiving anytime soon, it is likely all of us need to open our minds to survive the stresses of today’s lifestyle.

Did we realise for all this time we tend to having fight with our friends, parents, bosses, lecturers, spouses, neighbours and etc. over a small matter, small matter that should not be a problem at all at the first place, but it becoming bigger and worst just because of our narrow minded.

Plus in a multiracial country like ours, we can no longer afford to be selfish and ignore each other. If we are serious about moving forward together, we have to stop kicking each other ass, and u and me, need to work together, and listen to one another, with no prejudice.

Whether we realised or not, many of us may claimed that we are open minded enough, but trust me, only few moments of discussion over something, one would quickly conclude that their minds are far from open.

We refuse to listen to the other side. We will come up with the excuses and retorts that are prejudiced and full of misconceptions. We may appear to listen but our minds and hearts are somewhere else.

As our action learn and work based from the command of our minds and hearts, it is our responsibility to ensure that our ‘parachutes’ remain functional at all times.

Basically, parachutes just like any other equipment, which should be checked and maintained regularly. We can do so by having a simple self-check to ourselves.

The simple self-check that I mean here is we should ask ourselves these kinds of question:

Am I really an open minded person or not?

Can I listen to other people’s opinion?

Is it my heart full with hatred over someone or something?

Am I good enough to scorn other people?

Can I accept if people reject me?

Should I give up if I keep failing doing something?

By asking ourselves these kinds of question, it will bring us back to the basic. It will remind us back of our initial plan and the reason why we live in this world.

By asking ourselves these questions, I really believed many wars can be stopped, many social problems can be prevented, and many souls can be saved.

Mature people should commit themselves to keeping an open mind at all times. We must pledge to listen first and act later. We cannot just act based on our emotion. We should think thoroughly before making any decision so that we can make a quality decision and won’t regret with our decision later on.

And like usual, one of the way how to make us an open minded person is by reading more and more. The more u read, the more u widen ur mind, and that is something money can’t buy. It takes a lot of knowledge to be a person that can cope with all the problems and the stresses.

And one of the reasons why people have a narrow minded is because of the hatred that they keep in themselves. Please stop the hatred. There is already too much hatred in the world. Ask any psychologist and he will agree that hatred is consuming to the mind in the long term. A consumed mind has a much lesser chance of being open. So if we happen to hate somebody right now, just forgive them, and move on.

We should choose to focus on the future rather than dwell too much on the past. Stop taking part in spreading negative energies through gossiping and endless complaining. Instead, try to appreciate and spend time with what we have, like our loved ones, visit new places and make new friends.

Embrace ourselves with love and accept ourselves for who we are. Love is the formula in happiness. Love is also the answer to many of the problems in today’s world. Like the Black Eyed Pead, we are also asking, “where is the love?”.

A life that is full of love, understanding and positive values cannot be anything but happy. We want to be happy so that we can pass the happiness to others around us. Remembered, life is meant to be enjoyed, not endured. We can achieve this once we free our mind from all the negative energy surrounding us. 

So back to Kylie Tanti, thanks to her she really makes me think. She sent us a powerful message through her death. Her friend described her as fearless and larger than life. Tragically she may have died happy pursuing her dreams. As for the rest of us, it is time to check our ‘parachute’ to ensure it functions properly.