Nothing Random Here

Everything I do is intentional.

To some, my life might look spontaneous. Like I do whatever I want, whenever I want. They see the changes I make, the things I post, the words I choose, and maybe they assume I’m just trying things out without direction. But if you know me well, you’ll know: I rarely do things without a reason. There’s always a thread connecting my decisions. Everything I do is by design. Even the smallest things carry intention. It may not be obvious, but I promise you: there’s always a reason underneath.

“Why do you write in English?” some people asked.

A fair question. To them, it might seem I could reach more Indonesian audience if I wrote in Bahasa Indonesia (after all, that’s what most of my audience speaks). But again, it’s intentional. I write in English to sort my readers. Not by status, but by mindset. I choose more educated audience. By “educated,” I don’t mean fancy degrees or academic achievements. I simply mean: those who are willing to learn. Those who don’t get intimidated by unfamiliar words but instead are curious about them. People who are open, eager, and constantly growing. That’s who I want to speak to.

Writing in English keeps the door open to the world.

Honestly, I don’t mind if only ten people read what I write. Or even just one. But I choose to publish it online because I want my words to have the chance to fly. Across borders, across cultures. To know that someone in another part of the world could stumble upon your thoughts and feel less alone, is fulfilling.

Writing in English is my way of keeping my windows open. It reminds me that I’m part of something bigger. That I don’t want to live like a katak dalam tempurung: small-minded, sheltered, or only loud in my little circle. I want to grow wider, not just deeper.

English simply feels more expressive for me.

It’s a language that lets me play, explore, feel, and express things in ways I sometimes struggle to do in Indonesian. Just like preferring hotdog over gudeg, choosing English doesn’t make someone any less Indonesian. Some words carry emotions better in English. Some ideas feel fuller. For someone like me, who relies so much on language to navigate the world, this choice is not superficial. It’s survival. It’s truth-telling.

I’ve been doing this for a while: making quiet, intentional moves.

Back in 2017, when Jakarta was buzzing with political tension and identity politics, I made a conscious decision to post a Bible verse every morning on my Instagram story. Not to preach. Not to provoke. But to filter. I knew it would irritate those who were too caught up in religious fanaticism or narrow-minded agendas. I wanted them to unfollow me, to leave by themselves. And they did. What’s left now are the ones who can accept differences, who can live side by side with someone who thinks differently. I didn’t say anything publicly about this back then. I didn’t need to. But it was never random. It was deliberate. It was personal strategy.

There are many things like that.

Quiet decisions. Silent strategies. Things I do with meaning, even if nobody notices. From who I follow online, to which topics I post about, to why I left socmed and back to blog, and why I changed the blog layout totally and not using the previous, more informative layout. I’m always observing, sensing, adjusting. If something feels off, I ask myself why. If something feels right, I do more of it.

I don't always explain it, I don't have to anyway. But if you ever wonder about something I do, just ask. I can explain. I’ll probably have a story behind it. Because this is not a messy experiment. It’s a journey, and I’m walking it on purpose.

We’re all curating our lives in some way.

Maybe the difference is just how conscious we are about it. Maybe this is also your sign to check in with yourself:

Are your actions reflecting your values?

Are your words aligned with your vision?

Are you growing where you want to grow, or just going with the flow?

Be intentional. Even if no one notices. Especially then.

Let’s not live accidentally. Let’s live on purpose.

Comments

Meeting Myself

Today was one of those Saturdays that felt full in the best way. I joined the Alphasmart Training Session as a Player, hosted by BWI , from 9 AM to 2 PM. Ten trainers and coaches were specially invited as VIP participants, and lucky me, I was one of them. Some of the participants were blogger friends I’ve known since the early days of blogging more than a decade ago, while others I met for the very first time. Every single one radiated positive vibes and genuinely good energy. The mission of the day was simple but huge: to meet the most important person in our lives: ourselves. Sounds a bit dramatic, right? But oh, it worked. For two and a half hours, we laughed, we cried, and sometimes we did both at the same time. My big “aha” moment came during my very first card draw: wisdom. At first, I was drawn to the picture of a library (because books, duh), but what I got was a conversation with myself about the meaning of wisdom itself. How reading other people’s thoughts in their book...

Saya Nuniek Tirta, bukan ((hanya)) seorang Istri Direktur

Catatan penting: untuk mencapai pemahaman penuh, mohon klik dan baca setiap tautan. Awalnya adalah pertanyaan . Membuahkan suatu jawaban . Diposting di akun pribadi, seperti yang biasa saya lakukan sejak hampir 15 tahun lalu , bahkan sebelum Mark Zuckerberg membuat Facebook. Jawaban yang juga autopost ke facebook itu menjadi viral, ketika direshare oleh lebih dari 20ribu orang, dengan emoticon lebih dari 38ribu, dan mengundang 700++ komentar. Kemudian menjalar liar, ketika portal-portal media online mengcopas ditambah clickbaits. Tidak ada media yang mewawancara saya terlebih dahulu ke saya kecuali satu media yang menghasilkan tulisan berkelas dengan data komprehensif ini . Well, ada juga yang sempat email ke saya untuk meminta wawancara, tapi belum sempat saya jawab, sudah menurunkan berita duluan selang sejam setelah saya posting foto di bustrans Jakarta . Selebihnya... Tidak ada yang konfirmasi terlebih d...

Industri Fashion dan Harga Jujur

Saat tulisan viral “Istri Direktur” sedang hangat2nya, di antara ratusan pesan yang masuk, saya menerima sebuah pesan pribadi dari follower Instagram . Tulisan panjang dalam Bahasa Inggris itu intinya mengatakan, bahwa dia juga seorang yang hemat namun tidak akan mau beli baju seharga 50ribu karena itu berarti tidak menghargai pekerja garmen lokal. Dia menyarankan saya meluangkan waktu untuk survey berapa upah para pekerja konveksi rumahan. Industri Fashion Kira2 begini deh ekspresi saya saat membaca pesan dan sarannya. Poker face. Ehehehe. Saya katakan terima kasih atas concernnya. Tapi tidak perlu mengajari saya berapa upah pekerja garmen lokal, sebab mama saya pernah menjadi bagian dari mereka. Ya, waktu saya kecil, mama saya adalah penjahit konveksi rumahan, sampai sakit maag karena lupa makan demi mengejar target borongan. Upahnya memang kecil, tapi cukuplah untuk membantu perekonomian keluarga. Tahun 2008 hingga 2010 saya juga sempat terjun ke industri fas...

Perawatan wajah dan cerita masa muda

Andaikata blog dan social media saya punya semacam FAQ (Frequently Asked Question, alias pertanyaan yang paling sering ditanyakan), sudah pasti di urutan pertama akan bertengger pertanyaan: "Pakai produk perawatan wajah apa?" Banyaaaakkk banget follower instagram / facebook / twitter saya yang nanya gitu, dan minta saya mengulasnya. Saya bilang sabar, tunggu tanggal mainnya. Tapi sebelum saya jawab pertanyaan itu, saya mau mengenang masa muda dulu ah.. Jadi begini cucuku... Waktu pertama kali ngeblog 15 tahun lalu , usia saya masih 21 (yak silakan dihitung usia saya sekarang berapa, pinterrrr). Jadi jangan heran kalo gaya bahasanya masih 4I_aY 4b3zzz.. (eh ga separah itu juga sih, hehe). Tapi ekspresi nulisku di masa-masa itu masih pure banget, nyaris tanpa filter. Jadi kalo dibaca lagi sampai sekarang pun masih berasa seru sendiri. Kayak lagi nonton film dokumenter pribadi. Kadang bikin ketawa ketiwi sendiri, kadang bikin mikir, kadang bi...

Tekad Hidup Lebih Sehat

Sabtu 6 Juli lalu, kami sekeluarga sedang terjebak kemacetan di tol menuju Bandung, ketika tiba-tiba papa mertua menelpon: mama mertua terkena serangan jantung, dan sempat hilang nafas sampai harus dipompa jantungnya! Langsung kami cari jalan keluar tol, putar balik menuju Jakarta. Ketika tiba di rumah sakit, beliau masih diisolasi di ruang ICCU dan belum boleh dijenguk. Kami baru bisa menjenguk beberapa jam kemudian, itupun hanya keluarga inti yang boleh masuk. Di ruang ICCU yang dingin itu, beliau tidak diperbolehkan bicara terlalu banyak, supaya jantungnya tidak bekerja terlalu keras. Tangan kanannya menggenggam tangan suamiku, tangan kirinya menggenggam tanganku, lalu berkata… “Ampuni mama ya, Mas…” “Ampuni mama ya, Mbak…” “Jaga pernikahan, yang rukun...” Beliau menangis, suamiku menangis, aku menahan tangis… sambil mengusap kening beliau dan bilang, “Mama pasti sembuh.. banyak sekali yang mendoakan mama.. yang penting mama semangat ya”. ...

Family Holiday at Club Med Bintan - Premium All Inclusive Resort

I just had family holiday at Club Med Bintan, on 14-17 December 2017. To be frankly honest, it was way more fun than I expected as a short weekday getaway. Definitely one of the best vacation that we ever had! Photo of us in Club Med Bintan by Sweet Escape Transportation from Jakarta to Bintan Island We flew on Thursday morning, 14 December by Garuda Indonesia from Terminal 3 Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to Tanjung Pinang Raja Haji Fisabillah International Airport. It was scheduled to be boarding at 10:30 but unfortunately got delayed for about an hour, so we arrived at around 1pm. Transportation from Bintan airport to Bintan resort At Bintan airport, a driver was already waiting with a sign board "Club Med". We then continued the journey by car, an hour long road without traffic jam at all. Not much to see along the way, most of it was some kind of deserted areas. But when we entered Lagoi area, it is green everywhere I see. Arrival at ...

8 Tips Untuk Istri Agar Suami Tenang Bekerja

#nutsonduty Beberapa waktu lalu saya diundang sebagai pembicara untuk acara Penguatan Integritas Istri Pejabat dan Pegawai KPU Bea dan Cukai Tipe A Tanjung Priok, dengan topik "Istri Bersahaja, Suami Tenang Bekerja". Tim panitia yang diwakili oleh Mbak Umma mengatakan profil saya cocok untuk membahas topik tersebut, terlebih karena saya dikenal setelah konten viral "Istri Direktur" dengan ciri khas #SuperAffordableStyle :) Suami penasaran saya ngomong apa saja di sana. Setelah saya ceritakan, suami mendorong saya untuk menuangkan materi bicara saya tersebut ke dalam tulisan di blog, supaya bisa mencerahkan istri-istri lainnya :D Karena belum sempat, sudah beberapa kali ditagih nih :p Jadi, berikut inilah tulisannya ya... sekaligus dipersembahkan sebagai kado ulang tahun pernikahan kami akhir pekan lalu deh :) Terima kasih atas undangan berbicara di depan para istri pegawai KPU Bea dan Cukai Tipe A Tanjung Priok hari ini tentang "Istri Bers...

Year End Reflection Ritual : 2025 - 2026

I came across Mel Robbins’ year end reflection ritual, six questions she has been answering for the past twenty two years. Six questions sound harmless, almost cute. Like a magazine quiz that ends with “you are a sunflower.” But once I started answering them honestly, I realized this was not a personality test. This was an emotional audit. Let’s start with the hardest one. The low points of the year. There were some. Actually, quite plenty. I can say this without drama now, but 2025 has been my lowest year since 2013. That year taught me survival. This year tested endurance. One of the heaviest moments came quietly, from a place I never expected to reach our home. It felt like standing in the middle of a storm that wasn’t ours to begin with, yet somehow found us anyway. My husband chose to stay when it would have been easier to leave, to keep holding the bridge together so others could cross safely. Opportunities passed by, shiny and tempting, but he remained where he believed responsi...

What I Learned from Timothy Tiah - Founder of Nuffnang

Last Sunday when I entered VIP room at JWEF , I was introduced to this guy with his mini version boy on his lap, and his pretty wife with white top and red skirt. We had chit chat and he told me he’d be in Jakarta this Tuesday, and I told him that we’d have 57th #Startuplokal Monthly Meetup on Tuesday night. To be really honest, only a very few did I know about him until he shared his amazing story on JWEF stage a few minutes later, and get inspired that I took note and now share this with you all. Timothy Tiah founded Nuffnang with Cheo Ming Shen at 2006 when he was 22 years old, with 150k RM startup capital, partly borrowed from his father. He simply founded it because there’s nobody built it before, while the demand was actually there. The site was launched in February 2007. Sales ≠ cashflow On earlier years, although Nuffnang sales highrocketed, the cashflow was poor. At one point he only has 5k left in bank, while there were invoices need to be paid out urgently. He came to Hon...

Gathering Perdana Indonesia Lifestyle Digital Influencers

Apa sih influencers itu? Influencers adalah, menurut Thesaurus, orang-orang yang memiliki kemampuan mempengaruhi banyak orang, baik melalui media sosial maupun tradisional media. Dari sisi bisnis, seseorang dapat disebut influencer jika ia memiliki kemampuan untuk mempengaruhi keputusan seseorang dalam membeli sesuatu. Biasanya, influencer sering dimintai pendapat, arahan, ilmu, atau opini tentang suatu bidang. "True influence drives action, not just awareness". ~ Jay Baer ~ Tiga hari lalu, tulisan saya di Facebook pribadi menjadi viral dan dishare oleh lebih dari 18ribu orang, dengan lebih dari 33ribu emoticons. Tulisan itu lahir dari rasa tanggungjawab pribadi saya sebagai seorang lifestyle influencer (yang memang sering dibayar hanya untuk pamer), untuk mengedukasi para follower saya supaya tidak bergayahidup melampaui kemampuan (finansial) mereka, seperti yang telah saya tulis sebelumnya di sini . Beberapa portal mengcopy paste tulisan itu dan diber...

The Diary of a CEO's Wife

Search This Blog