I read an article today about the police in Indonesia. Over the last year, with the popularity of cell phones and social media, several videos have gone viral that display the corruptness of Indonesian Police. They were seen assaulting citizens, and using their physical force to intimidate them. Citizens have nearly lost all trust in the officers that are meant to protect them.
But one officer is beginning to change the tides.
His name is Bripka Seladi, and he works relentlessly to help eradicate the trash problem of Indonesia. Officers often mock him for his efforts, but Seladi doesn’t pay any heed to them. Whenever he is confronted, however, he simply says, “I can always be corrupt like you, but can you be like me?”
I’m not writing this to raise attention to the interworking of corruption in the Indonesian government, although it is important to bring attention to it so Indonesia can continue to evolve into a just and fair democratic government. No, what caught my eye about this article was that one saying: "I can always be like you, but can you be like me?"
Seladi faces adversity and ridicule every day from the men he works besides as a police officer, and yet he stays resilient and true to his personal values. I think everyone can take a moment and learn from this man.
Every single person in the world, no matter their color or gender, battles with adversity. Every single person in the world faces challenges. These challenges are the reason we say “life is hard,” but they are also the reason why life is worth it. It’s not easy to stay true to yourself and your morals. It’s not easy to stand up to people who ridicule you or tell you that you can’t do it. However, it is easy to take shortcuts. It’s easy to settle. It’s easy to say, “if you can’t beat them, join them.”
But the people who don’t believe in you, the people who want to see you fail, don’t win until you give up.
It’s all about the mindset you have.
Through psychology classes, I have learned that there are two different mindsets when it comes to facing any kind of challenge. The first is called a “closed mindset.” A closed mindset is seeing a challenge and backing down. Someone with a closed mindset will see how high that brick wall stands that he must climb over, and he or she decides to not even try. He or she thinks, “if I don’t try, I’ll never fail!” This mindset is easy to slip into. It’s easy for a person to not believe in themselves.
The second mindset is call an “open mindset.” An open mindset is seeing a challenge, and want to face it. A person with an open mindset want to defy the odds, and if they fail, they use the experience as a learning process. Thomas Edison (or anyone famous for innovation), for example, had an open mind set. He invented 10,000 ways to not make a light bulb, but he still found the one way to make it work. Someone with an open mindset is not afraid of failure. They aren’t afraid of ridicule or the opinions of the people around them.
When defying adversity, what kind of mindset do you have?
If you have a closed mindset, I challenge you to take the steps to change. I challenge you to not be afraid of failure and to get back up every time you fall. I challenge you to be like Bripka Seladi and go against the accepted ideals of whatever group you’re a part of.
You can always be like others, but can you be like you?
