I was watching when US president, Barack Obama, gave a speech at Cairo University, Egypt. I just realized that he's really good at speeching. I mean, his body language told people that he was confident, strong, yet warm at the same time. I think he'd really gotten people's attention and sympathy by showing them appreciation.



He greeted them by saying 'assalamu'alaikum'. That word let the audience know that he respected Muslims and he knew them well not to say 'warrahmatullahi wabarakatu' for he's Christian anyway. Also, he showed them deep knowledge about Islamic history and kept saying that American and Islam were not enemies. He said things like Morocco was the first country who recognized US independence, first Muslim's congressman in US, Thomas Jefferson kept Quran in his study, similarities of Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, and so on.

I really like the way he spoke, as if he really believed that eventually we could live at peace together. He did not focus of what we must prevent or fight against, he focused of doing what we can to get what we want. He's sooooo like people in book The Secret. I remember a quote Mother Theresa said, "If you want me to march against war, that I will not do. But if you ask me to march for peace, then count me in." That, I think, what the world really needs.

It's easier to have in mind what we don't want. Like, I don't want to study, I don't want to get fat, I don't want him, I don't want bla-bla-bla... But if you don't want to study then what you want? If you don't want to get fat then what you want? And what's the definition of fat anyway?

For me, it's better to set a goal I want to achieve, rather than to be frightened by absurd things. I want to be able to play Beethoven's Pathetique, that I do even if I have to beat myself out by playing piano 3-4 hours a day. Kept repeating the same partition and those fingers-exercises over and over again. The problem is, sometimes we just don't know what we want.

Perhaps, once in while, we need to stop doing what we were doing. Really take a good look on things we have done, really feel the rightness, passion, and compassion. Then maybe, we can really learn from yesterday, hope for tomorrow, and live for today.

Happy morning, Everyone.