Darjat Selipar 2

Pemerhatian teliti akan membolehkan kita mengenalpasti darjat-darjat selipar. Apabila dikatakan sebagai darjat, maka ianya bermakna memang selipar ada mempunyai tahap kemuliaan tertentu. Memang agak tidak munasabah kerana selipar yang biasanya hanya terhimpit antara tapak kaki dan lantai atau tanah lebih mudah dipandang sebagai hina.

Untuk melihat darjat selipar, pemerhatian perlu dibuat di tempat=tempat yang mana terdapat banyak selipar. Mungkin tempat pertama yang terlintas adalah kedai tempat menjual banyak selipar. Memang terdapat banyak selipar di kedai selipar. Selipar yang ada pun pelbagai jenis dan bentuk. Harganya juga berlainan bergantung dengan kepandaian peniaga yang mengusahakan kedai tesebut. Ada juga kemungkinan harganya berpadanan dengan tahap mutu selipar itu sendiri.

Di sinikah tempat yang sesuai untuk kita membuat pemerhatian tentang darjat selipar? Harga berlainan. Tahap mutu berlainan. Mungkin tidak sesuai kerana selipar-selipar yang ada di kedai merupakan selipar yang belum digunakan. Selipar yang belum digunakan belum pernah berkhidmat lalu bagaimana darjatnya mahu diukur. Kalau setakat dengan harga dan mutu, belum membuktikan akan keberkesanan khidmatnya. Lagipun belum pasti yang berharga mahal itu tinggi mutunya dan tahan lama. Belum juga dapat dipastikan samaada yang murah selesa dipakai atau sebaliknya.

Satu lagi tempat di mana terdapat banyak selipar adalah masjid. Masa yang paling banyak selipar di masjid pula ialah pada waktu solat Jumaat. Bagi masjid-masjid yang agak kecil , terdapat ratusan pasang selipar. Bagi masjid-masjid yang besar pula, terdapat ribuan pasang selipar. Selipar yang berada di masjid juga merupakan selipar-selipar yang sudah berkhidmat. Selipar-selipar ini sudah merasai kehinaan sebagaimana kehinaan yang sering dikaitkan dengan sepasang selipar.

Maka di sinilah tempat yang sesuai untuk pemerhatian teliti dibuat bagi mengenalpasti darjat-darjat selipar. Namun apakah kayu pengukur yang patut digunakan untuk mengenalpasti darjat selipar-selipar di masjid? Adakah menurut harga ianya dibeli oleh pemiliknya? Adakah dengan tahap mutu selipar tersebut? Adakah dengan tahap ketahanan selipar tersebut? Adakah dengan tahap keselesaan yang dirasai oleh pemilik selipar semasa memakainya? Adakah dengan ukuran peri cantiknya rupa selipar tersebut?

Bukankah selipar tetap selipar, yang digunakan untuk mengalas kaki pemiliknya. Tempatnya terhimpit antara tapak kaki dengan lantai atau tanah di mana pemiliknya berjalan. Lantai dan tanah di mana ia digunakan pula sering tercemar dengan kotoran. Kotoran-kotoran ini pula pelbagai. Dari sekadar kotoran yang biasa sehingga najis. Dari najis ringan sehingga najis berat yang hanya boleh disucikan dengan proses yang teliti, berperingkat dan pelbagai. Tidak kiralah berapa harganya, tahap mutu serta ketahanannya, keselesaannya dipakai dan secantik mana pun rupanya, selipar tetap selipar.

Darjatnya hanya boleh diukur apabila ia sedang berehat. Ketika ia tidak terhimpit antara tapak kaki pemakainya dan lantai serta tanah. Pada masa inilah ukuran darjat boleh dilakukan. Kayu ukur harga, mutu dan rupa merupakan kayu ukur yang tidak jitu.

Yang mahal tidak semestinya bermutu. Yang bermutu tidak semestinya cantik. Yang cantik pula mungkin kurang selesa. Yang selesa dan cantik pula mungkin sukar dibersihkan. Kepelbagaian kemungkinan ini menyukarkan dan menyebabkan sifat-sifat tersebut tidak sesuai untuk menjadi kayu pengukur yang baik bagi menilai darjat-darjat selipar.

Jauh lebih mudah sekiranya darjat selipar dinilai melalui kedudukan atau tempat ia diletakkan apabila tidak digunakan. Apabila pemilik selipar-selipar sampai di masjid, selipar akan dibuka dan ditempatkan di ruang luar masjid. Pemiliknya sudah tentu tidak membawa masuk selipar yang kotor masuk ke dalam masjid kerana kekotoran selipar akan mencemarkan kesucian masjid. Selipar-selipar akan di tinggalkan di ruang luar masjid sehingga pemiliknya selesai solat. Selipar ditinggalkan sehingga ia diperlukan semula untuk dipakai ketika pemiliknya berjalan pulang ke rumah masing-masing.

Pada ketika selipar-selipar ini ditingggalkan sebegini merupaka masa yang paling sesuai untuk penilaian dibuat akan tahap darjat selipar-selipar ini. Ada yang diletakkan di tempat-tempat atau rak-rak selipar yang memang disediakan oleh pihak pengurusan masjid, untuk meletakkan selipar ketika pemiliknya solat. Ada yang sekadar ditinggalkan di hadapan tangga. Ada yang diselitkan di sebalik tiang atau pasu. Ada pula yang diletakkan di atas tangga masjid. Di sinilah penilaian dapat dibuat bagi menentukan darjat-darjat selipar. 

Sudah pasti, inilah masa dan keadaan yang sesuai kerana kecantikan selipar, sebagaimana kecantikan paras manusia tidak menunjukkan darjatnya. Kalau sekadar cantik rupa paras tetapi rendah akhlaknya, maka rendahlah darjatnya. Selipar yang mahal mungkin boleh dikaitkan dengan manusia yang kaya dan kekayaan semata-mata tidak menunjukkan darjat manusia. Apalah mulianya seorang yang kaya sekiranya kekayaan yang dimilikinya datangnya dari punca yang tidak halal.

Begitu jugalah kiranya sepasang selipar yang selesa dipakai jika dikaitkan dengan tahap keselesaan kehidupan manusia, tidak tepat dijadikan kayu ukur nilai darjat kerana kemungkinan keselesaan yang dikecapi merupakan hasil penganiayaan terhadap orang lain. Selipar-selipar yang tahan lama boleh dibandingkan dengan manusia yang panjang umurnya. Apalah darjat manusia yang hidup lama tetapi kehidupannya bergelumang maksiat hingga ke penghujungnya.

Darjat Selipar

Selipar, mana ada darjat. Bukankah kita sering mendengar bagaimana ramai orang menggunakan perkataan selipar untuk menunjukkan keburukan sesuatu perkara.

"Muka macam selipar buruk, nak berlagak"

"Aku baling dengan selipar aku ni kang"

"Baling jangan sebarang baling, benda lain aku tak kisah, selipar jangan main-main, hina oo..."

"Engkau jangan buat malu, pakailah kasut. Takkan dengan selipar jamban tu engkau nak berjalan dengan aku?"

Hina. Begitulah darjat selipar. Memang boleh dikatakan tiada darjat kerana darjat itu kita gunakan untuk menunjukkan kemuliaan seseorang atau sesuatu. Kalau benda yang hina, maka tiadalah darjatnya.

Apa tidaknya, selipar sentiasa berada di tempat paling bawah antara banyak-banyak pakaian lain. Sudahlah tempatnya di bawah tapak kaki, tapaknya pula mengadap ke tanah. Kalau setakat ke tanah mungkin ada ampun juga.

Sudahlah terhimpit antara tapak kaki dan tanah atau lantai, tanah atau lantainya pula lebih banyak yang kotor dari yang bersih. Kalau yang bersih, tak sebersih mana pun tetapi tempat yang kotor boleh jadi teramat kotornya.

Kalau didalam rumah, selipar biasanya di tempatkan dan digunakan dalam tandas. Tahu sajalah, kalau dah namanya tandas, sebersih mana pun ianya, ia tetap tempat manusia membuang kekotoran yang terhasil dari dalam badan. Kemungkinan besar, selipar digunakan dalam tandas kerana tuan punya tapak kaki yang memakainya tidak sanggup memijak lantai tandas tersebut tanpa berlapik. Walaupun bukan kerana ianya kotor tetapi tidak cukup yakin akan kebersihannya. Di sini dapat dilihat bertapa hinanya selipar sehingga sering dianggap lebih hina dari kasut walaupun kedua-dua benda ini digunakan untuk mengalas kaki.

Di luar rumah pula selipar digunakan untuk mengalas kaki apabila tuannya berjalan ke sana ke mari. Berapa bersihlah lantai dan tanah yang dipijak. Kalau setakat tanah dan lantai, mungkin tidaklah selipar dipandang sebegitu hina. Apa yang dipijak di luar rumah boleh jadi begitu kotor malah najis. Dari najis kucing yang boleh disucikan hanya dengan membasuh menggunakan air bersih kepada najis-najis yang memerlukan pembersihan dan penyucian dengan cara yang lebih terperinci.

Maka sahlah perbincangan berhubung dengan tajuk Darjat Selipar ini merupakan satu perbincangan yang tidak wajar kerana selipar memang jelas tidak mempunyai darjat. Ia hanya boleh dijelaskan sebagai satu benda yang hina kerana ia sentiasa terletak dan terhimpit antara tapak kaki dan lantai serta tanah yang sifatnya sering dikotorkan oleh najis.

Walaubagaimanapun, sekiranya pemerhatian teliti dan kajian terperinci dibuat terhadap selipar dan sifatnya, kita memang boleh meletakkan selipar-selipar yang kita kaji dalam golongan darjat-darjat tertentu. Ya, darjat-darjat tertentu dan bukan tahap-tahap kehinaan sebagaimana kita biasa lihat.

Focus 2

What is Focus?

Focus (fố kủs) n (plfocuses, foci fố ki) 1 the point at which rays of light, heat etc meet 2 the centre of interest the focus of the argument v 1 to adjust the eyes or a camera etc so that a clear image is seen 2 to concentrate  He focused his attention on the map focal adj

That's just one of the many definitions of Focus. A simple and accurate definition if we are talking about the English language. Are we discussing about English language here? You are welcome if you are but no, we are talking about something much more than just that simple definition.

As illustrated earlier, many-many people talk about Focus. Many people from many different professions and on many different occasions. The word Focus must have meant much more than just the definition extracted from a dictionary. Yet the dictionary definition is not without merit and it is very relevant in the study of Focus.

We could use the first definition, 'the point at which rays of light, heat etc meet', to illustrate the power of Focus. Sunlight, especially morning sunlight can be quite pleasing to the skin. Warm and the doctors say it is good for our health. As the sun continue rising, the heat intensifies and changes from warm and pleasing to hot but bearable and sometime to hot and unbearable. This change from warm and pleasing to unbearably hot will take several hours. Gradual.

Focus can intensify this change. From gradual changes that take a few hours to rapid changes that takes just a few seconds. From pleasant warmth to scalding heat in just a few seconds, just by focusing the sunlight. Without changing the intensity of the source, in just a few seconds, we can change the intensity of the heat.

Just by placing a magnifying glass at the right distance from the skin, between the source of light and the skin, we could almost immediately feel the heat intensify rapidly. From pleasant warmth to scalding heat.

The rapidity of changes is not the only thing here. The ultimate intensity of the result also changes. Even the hottest sun that we consider as unbearable would not spark a fire. Hot it may be that it causes our skin to burn, water to vapour and leave lakes to dry and leaves on trees to dry and withers, the sunlight, without interference would not start a fire. The intensity would not be great enough to spark a fire.

Yet with a simple interference using magnifying glass, fire can start in a few second and if the fire started amidst a dry surrounding, the fire could soon be uncontrollable. 

Such is the power of Focus. No wonder so many people are talking about it. No wonder so many people regards Focus as such an important determinant of success.

Focus

People always say that we must focus for us to achieve success.

They may be teachers telling their pupil, whom are gathered, standing or sitting, in a hall or in open spaces, with or without air conditioning or even fans.

'You must focus in your studies in order to be successful or in order to score excellent marks in your examination'.

They may be the school principal in yet another school, saying 'Focus is important. You must focus if you want to achieve academic excellence', to his students in a weekly school general assembly.

They maybe a vice-chancellor of a big university, addressing hundreds or even thousands of new  students, during a gathering to welcome the students to the university. 'Your situation is now different from what you experienced in secondary school. For most of you, this may be the very first time you live away from your parents. If you are not careful, you could get easily distracted. You may lose focus and if that happen, your study would suffer. You would be left behind and your parent would be disappointed.'

They may be a personnel manager of a business organisation, saying to his troubled staff 'This is why we discourage our staff from being involve in a business. Look what happen to you. How can you focus on your official work when your personal business matters keeps bothering you'.

A captain of an international conglomerate during a press conference after the company's annual general meeting explains to reporters that the company he is leading will divest off all non-core business interest as the company need to focus its resources on strengthening its core business to survive the difficult economic situation.

Management, business and motivation gurus, addressing their captivated audience in a large international conference or penning their best selling book also emphasises 'Focus, Focus, Focus'.

Focus. it must be a very important word. Everybody that is anybody talk of it. Everybody else are listening and nodding their heads, focus on grasping the importance of being focus in their endeavour towards success.

Focus. Not just a word. It is a word with meaning. Must be important meaning. Everebody talk about it with that sense of importance. Highlights the importance and the negative effect of it's lacking on enyone's journey towards success.

What is focus then. Why is it so important. Where do you focus on. When must you be focused. And most importantly, how to focus.

Small Change

Small change. We normally have some. Some in our pockets, some in our wallet, some in the car, some in some drawer at the office and at home.

We dip into our pockets when someone approach us with hands in the position of asking. We dip into our pocket when a certain box is presented in front of us. Perculiar box with small slot on it. A slot just nice to slip in some small change.

That's exactly what we NORMALLY do. Dip into our pocket, take out some small change and slip it into the small slot. Anyway, the slot is asking for exactly that. Small change. So the slot is getting exactly what it is asking for.

Is that wrong. How can it be wrong. It must be right. At least that's what we NORMALLY think. Everybody is doing that. Not exactly everybody, as some would just walk or look away in such situation. Yes, almost everybody who gave some, gave some small change.

Doing things that most other people do is NORMALLY right anyway. What is wrong with the picture is actually the fact that we don't want to be normal people. We don't want to be average people. Yes, normal is just that, average. Or do we? Do we want to be just average?

Do you want to be just average? Just like so many other people? Don't you want to be better than average? Don't you want to be exceptional? Do you want to be exceptionally good? Do you want to be special?

The answers to these questions are simple. Of course I can give the answers. But my answers are not important to you, just as your answers are not important to me.

My answers are only important to me as your answers are only important to you. But again, that statement holds true only if I am concern only about myself and you are concern only about yourself. Again, a normal situation for normal, average people.

Collectively, our answers are important to us as a commmunity, if we want our community to progress and live in successful environment. Not just average environment.

Successful people are exceptional people. They don't just do things average people do. They do things average people don't like to do. Exceptional people don't do things the way other average people do. Exceptional people do different things different ways.

So, what does small change has to do with all this. 

Most of us are average people. That's exactly why it's called average, because it involve most people.

How do you differentiate yourself from the average? How do you transform yourself and be exceptional? What exceptional things would you do to achieve success?

The first change may have something to do with small change. Remember the last time someone asked for a donation from you. Do you act as an average person, dip into your pocket, get some small change out and happily, you give away the small change?

Right thing to do. Normal thing to do.

Next time an opportunity to donate is presented to you, do the exceptional. Dip into your pocket, take out some real money and happily give it away. 

I, Give Up

When did I first give up on something?

What was it that I give up on?

Why did I give up?

These questions crossed my mind recently. What prompted the thought?

Watching my youngest son taking his first few steps of his life, looking at him experiencing falls after falls certainly has something to do with this. He stand up after each fall and make more and more steps each time.

Some of the fall may be harder than the rest as he sometimes cry after a certain fall. Either me or anyone around would rush to comfort the little boy upon hearing his cry. The fall discourage him from making the next step. No, not at all. Pain is soon forgotten, he stand up again and he continue to make more and more steps.

Watching my youngest son went for the stairs, climb it and insist on staying on top of it, despite being discouraged by his brothers and sister whom are tired of baby-sitting.

Despite the discouragement, the small boy simply did'nt give up. He will head for the stairs, each time there are opportunity. Even when he is being held, he will struggle to free himself from the loving arms, just to head back to the stairs.

Each time, he will climb the stairs with vigour. Enjoying each and every steps. Enjoying every small successes. And not all the time the small boy experience success. He even falls as he climb the stairs.

But the next time, he still go for the stairs and climb again and again and again.

When did we, who are now adult, first percieve climbing up stairs as a challange or problem. When did we start giving up on things. Things that we want to achieve.

When did we first say to ourself, "Aah, that's too much of a trouble" and give up. Why, because we were once just like my little boy, never give up despite all the falls and discouragement.

The Beginning

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