Positif.

I'm not a fan of Prof Dr Muhaya nor any motivational speaker for that matter. I believe that if we need someone else to motivate us to do something good for ourselves then whatever we need to do will not really worth it for us. It might benefit us or someone else if we do it anyway but it is not sustainable.

I believe that we are responsible for our own motivation and destiny. I learnt this lesson a very long time ago - 19 years to be exact - in one of the modules of Kemahiran Hidup Bersepadu under Kemahiran Kendiri. You look in a ‘magical box’ where it will show you the most important person in your life. There’s a mirror in that box.

The thing is, we are fed with so much negativity and false information nowadays that even positive messages are viewed negatively. What Prof Dr Muhaya said, which has now become the subject of criticism from most rakyat - is actually very practical and might be the truth pill that we don't want to swallow. We prefer to react negatively – condemning and complaining – instead of taking positive actions by actually doing something to change the negative situation in a positive one.

If we listen carefully to what she actually said entirely instead of pick and choose what we only want to hear, what she said makes perfect sense.

“Orang yang bijak, dia menyelesaikan masalah. Sebelum berlaku dia dah prepare”
 “Betulkan diri sebelum betulkan orang”
“Orang yang berjaya buat pilihan. Orang yang tak berjaya mencari alasan”

Let’s talk politics in the context of these words.

We failed to change the government. We knew that it was not a level playing field back then, yet did we do something about the situation? Yes, demonstration here and there, Bersih and what not, but did that changes the situation? Slightly perhaps. What else can we do? More demo? Doing the same thing all over again? This is what Einstein said about crazy people. Doing same thing again and again but expecting different result.

We claimed the electoral role is not clean, gerrymandering etc. We complained and whined. Pointing out what is wrong but doing nothing effective to change the situation. Did we organize a team to help SPR to clean the role? Did we send more people to campaign at the ‘hardcore’ areas? No. It is not our job to do so. Again, excuses. The mechanism and process is there for us to use and for them to exploit. Unfortunately, we did not use and they did exploit. We lose, they win. What did we do afterward? More demo. Einstein pon geleng kepala.

Anyway, this thing is in the past but five years from now it will bound to happen again. So, are we doing something now? Or  should we wait again to demo and demo and demo with no result except bruising here and there, a bad reputation for the Country, negative effect to the fence-sitters and exploitation opportunity from the other side?

Yes, this Country is run by idiots. We already established that. Can we change it now? No. Can we do something to change it in the future? Yes. So, start doing it!

Now, back to our situation.

We are faced with this negative situation of increasing cost of living, increase fuel price, increase toll, increase electricity tariff etc. What we need to do now is take positive actions. How can we change the situation positively? Now, listen back to what Prof Dr Muhaya said and tell me if she’s wrong or are you going to start blaming others again?

Let me share this fomula which I learned in school: DUIT. I’ve enhanced it to DUITSS.

• First thing, DOA. We need to do is change our mindsets, specifically, the victimized mindset. Be positive. Take charge. Praying is a good tool to reinforce positive mindset.
• Second, USAHA. Take effective action. Do something productive. Put effort to it. 
• Third, ISTIQAMAH. Be consistent and steadfast. If we want others to change, we first need to change. If the rules apply to others it should apply to us all. 
• Fourth, TAWAKAL. Now that we’ve change our mindset, take effective action and become consistent and steadfast, we should leave the rest to Allah or to whichever God you believe if you are not a Muslim. To Nature or whatever if you are an atheist. There are things that we can control and there are things that we can’t. This is the fact that we need to accept in order to move forward.
• Fifth, SABAR. Be patient if the things did not turn out the way we expected. If we are a Muslim, this is what Allah said: “Mintalah pertolongan dengan cara sabar dan solat” (Quran 2:45)
• Sixth, SYUKUR. Be thankful for what we get and what we already have and also for the things we don't have yet as it will give us something to look forward to. “Sesungguhnya jika kamu bersyukur, pasti Kami akan menambah (nikmat) kepadamu” (Quran 14:7) 

Being positive doesn’t mean we accept the situation. Being positive is about changing a negative situation positively.  Look at problems as opportunities. I believe this is what all the people in power that we hate so much have been doing and look where it gets them. And we, the rakyat who complained and whined, what do we get? Yes, them.

So, instead of criticizing a person who is basically have more brain than most of us, who is basically correct in what she said, go look in a mirror. That is the person we should be criticizing instead for not doing enough.