On Being Financially and Mentally Independent

So, my friend Budi Putra has decided to be a full time blogger which means he makes his blogging activities as the only way to make a living. It also means he quits his good position as an online managing editor at Tempo magazine and Koran Tempo (Tempo newspaper). Many Indonesian bloggers stunned. Non-blogger Indonesian are shocked and wondered even more as to why and how come. I am not.

I am not stunned with the decision nor shocked. At the same time I am so glad to know the news. After more than two weeks I hardly sign-in to blogger.com, this news is a good news for reasons that might be different with you, Komunitas Blogger Indonesia.

First, Budi Putra’s step symbolizes a departure from mainstream mindset. Many educated Indonesians want to get a job in a good company or to be a civil servant after finishing their study. The bigger and higher the job and the position the better. This is the standard of success among many Indonesians. When an Indonesian parent proudly tells you that he/she has been successful in educating his/her children to be what they are now, be rest assured that the children must have been getting a job as a civil servant or in a big company (MNCs is more preferable). Being an enterpreneur becomes a second choice.

Second, learning from Budi Putra’s step one who already has a good career gotta think from now that being an employee is ok as far as it’s a transit destination to learn from many more experienced persons in workplace; not a sole and main goal of life.

Being a forever employee of another person called big-boss for me is in no way a success story. That’s a clearly failed story of high educated or skilled person with a very small heart.

I dont blame those with minimum skill and capability to work with somebody else. But I never understand those whose qualifications and capabilities are eligible to be a CEO of his own, yet feel so proud to be under someone else armpit. There’s something hidden beneath called “gut” that most Indonesian skillful human resouces don’t have. The gut to try, gut to take a risk to be on his own.

Budi Putra has started this risk-taking effort for his own future and hopefully will be followed by others. It’s for this reason that I want to congratulate him. That he chooses blogging as a stepping stone is just a coincidence; one tool among many other means available to be financilly, personally and mentally independent.

Success is not about how much your monthly salary as an employee in whatever company is. It’s about how brave you are in creating opportunity for yourself and thus hopefully for others as well.