Focus on Your Strengths

The proud news came from the All England arena. The oldest badminton tournament, held in Birmingham, Great Britain, witnessed Indonesia's achievement of two titles: men's doubles and mixed doubles. Congratulations are due to the men's doubles pair Hendra Setiawan - Muhammad Ahsan, and the mixed doubles pair Tontowi Ahmad - Liliyana Natsir. Especially for the latter two, this achievement is even more special because this year's title is their third in a row at the All England since 2012. This achievement reminds us that if we focus on our strengths, success will soon follow. Historically, Indonesia has had brilliant achievements in badminton. Great names have been recognized globally and brought honor to the nation. Think of Rudi Hartono, Christian Hadinata, Susi Susanti, Taufik Hidayat, and now new generations like Hendra-Ahsan, Tontowi-Liliyana, Tommy Sugiarto, Simon Santoso, and many more. Although the performance of Indonesian badminton players has somewhat declined in recent years, Indonesia's name has never been absent from international competition. This proves that badminton is a sport that is a typical strength of the Indonesian nation. Firstly, this sport does not require large capital. It only needs a medium-sized court, a pair of rackets, a shuttlecock, and a net. Much cheaper than football facilities. In addition, this game is also suitable for the average Indonesian physique, which is not too tall but agile. Compare this to football, where our national team rarely competes with teams from Arab or European countries. Physically or technically, we are still far behind them. It is natural that the high hopes of the Indonesian people for the national team are always dashed, leading to disappointment. The current trend is that we are busy with something that is a weakness, and forgetting what once was and still is a strength. The proliferation of European league broadcasts indirectly makes our children dream of becoming professional players like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, with high skills and fantastic salaries. Football is also touted by the media and government as a parameter of national dignity. Remember again when the Indonesian national team played against Malaysia. It was no longer just about winning or losing the match, but national dignity was at stake. When the national team lost, it was as if sports in Indonesia had collapsed. Even though there are many other sports that also bring achievements. This lesson can also be taken to heart by those of us who have been fixated on trying to fix our shortcomings. Indeed, there is nothing wrong with this, because everyone certainly wants to be as good as possible. But when we focus more on our strengths, those shortcomings will gradually be covered up or can even improve. There is a story about two children who, upon receiving their report cards, had good grades in all subjects except mathematics. The parents of the first child gave him extra math lessons. Meanwhile, the parents of the second child gave lessons for subjects where the child already had good grades and enjoyed them. In the next report card, the first child who received math lessons did show some improvement in math, but his grades in other subjects declined. Whereas for the second child, his grades improved even further, including in mathematics. It can be seen that the first child focused on studying something he disliked. The effect was that his enthusiasm for learning decreased and impacted other subjects he previously enjoyed. Meanwhile, for the second child, because he focused on what he enjoyed, his enthusiasm grew higher and his ability to understand lessons also improved. Let's look at ourselves, is what we are doing now correct? Are we focusing on our strengths and what we enjoy? This often happens to people with disabilities. Someone who only thinks about their shortcomings and what they cannot do will live in fear and be unable to rise. They will forever be in fear and not dare to try new things. Because there is a possibility that they will like these new things and they can become their strengths. Take our friend Habibie Afsyah as an example. He cannot move freely and only sits in a wheelchair. But because he loves the internet, he runs an online business and succeeded. Currently, he is able to own a car and have others drive for him. Imagine if he only focused on the fact that he cannot move freely and cannot drive a car himself. Such mental blocks are experienced by many friends with disabilities. The lack of support from family and close ones further exacerbates this condition. Generally, they do not have high self-confidence. This is understandable due to the societal stigma that views people with disabilities as weak individuals who only deserve pity. Therefore, only the motivation and support of close ones can help break through these mental blocks. They need to be encouraged to explore their strengths and learn to disregard their shortcomings. Hopefully, this reflection can be a lesson for all of us, especially for the author personally. No human is born perfect; our task is only to utilize the strengths given to us with gratitude, and to cover up existing shortcomings with gratitude as well. The belief that God is just and perfect must not be shaken. Because that is the very fundamental internal motivation to make us rise and soar. Let us focus on our strengths, not our weaknesses.(DPM)