Self-Transcendence

Iswahyudi

Abraham Maslow (1954) in his Hierarchy of Needs used the term self-actualization as the highest need and achievement of a human being. Why? Because self-actualization involves the awareness and empowerment of one's potential to the fullest extent, enabling them to realize their life goals. At a certain point, Maslow was intrigued by two questions: (1) What motivates individuals who have already achieved self-actualization? (2) Why do some successful individuals who have actualized themselves still exhibit negative behavior? Maslow found the answer that these individuals were still trapped in self-centered goals, without reaching out to others, society, the universe, higher entities, or serving and being loyal to God, for example. A fitting term for this is self-transcendence. Maslow identified self-transcendence as the highest stage of personal development. In self-transcendence, there is a high consciousness of transcending material concerns and focusing on spiritual and holistic development.

There are four distinctive characteristics of someone who has reached the stage of self-transcendence: First, there is a shift of focus from oneself to others, with the ego set aside for common interests. Second, there is a shift in values. Individuals who have achieved self-transcendence are no longer driven by material desires, positions, awards, and external demands, but rather by internal motivations that bring them satisfaction in everything they do. Third, an increase in moral concern. Fourth, there is emotional development triggered by previous characteristics such as admiration, joy, peace, and others. You may encounter someone who selflessly strives, works, and endeavors for the benefit of others, society, the environment, the nation, and the country, regardless of recognition or reward. These are the transcendent individuals.

Stories of Transcendent Individuals

The Maker of Prosthetic Legs, the Motivator of Life

Sugeng, a resident of Mojosari-Mojokerto in East Java Indonesia once experienced an accident that resulted in the amputation of his right leg. This reality instantly left him devastated and almost devoid of the will to live. He had aspirations of becoming a soldier, but this condition forced him to bury that dream deeply within himself. For several months, he used crutches to support his movement, and eventually, he obtained a prosthetic leg as a replacement for his amputated one, priced at IDR 1 million. However, the prosthetic leg only lasted six months. This was because, despite having only one leg, he continued to be a rebellious and naughty teenager. He eventually received a replacement prosthetic leg, funded by contributions from his relatives, costing IDR 2,500,000. In his youth, that amount of money could buy a new motorcycle of a well-known brand. Unfortunately, this prosthetic leg did not last long either. Feeling uncomfortable burdening his relatives, Sugeng decided to tackle the issue on his own. For three weeks in secret, he dismantled his prosthetic leg and experimented in creating one himself. He successfully crafted a prosthetic leg at a cost of only IDR 150,000, earned from his hard work as a milk seller. Since then, he felt a calling to create affordable prosthetic legs with a guarantee of lifelong maintenance. This was because he experienced the difficulty and costliness of buying prosthetic legs, especially those made abroad. From that point on, his self-made prosthetic legs were sought after by people with disabilities. Eventually, Sugeng won a competition in Jakarta for creating prosthetic legs, securing the second position. The advantage of Sugeng's prosthetic legs lies in their precise fit to the user's leg, as he always customizes them for each customer. Sugeng's prosthetic legs are ten times cheaper than those produced abroad. Despite obtaining patents for several models of his prosthetic legs, Sugeng admitted that he did not pay much attention to commercializing them. He allowed others to replicate or imitate his prosthetic legs, as long as it served the needs of those who required them and was not excessively commercialized. At this point, what Sugeng is doing is a form of self-transcendence. Sugiarto from the Kick Andy Foundation, who played a role in launching the program "Movement for 1,000 Free Prosthetic Legs," said, "There are rarely people like Sugeng Prosthetic Leg, who are totally dedicated to those in need of prosthetic legs."

Source: www.sugengkakipalsu.com

Even though his name became well-known and resulted in orders for 400 prosthetic legs from Iraq, he refused them because he believed that there were still many people in his own country who needed prosthetic legs and had not been fulfilled. Sugeng did not take advantage of the situation, and his economic life remained ordinary. Despite the potential for substantial profits if he commercialized his prosthetic legs, Sugeng maintained that prosthetic legs were not just accessories but symbols of independence, confidence, and rising above adversity. Not only does Sugeng provide affordable prosthetic leg services, but he also serves as a life motivator for those who share his fate. Despite his straightforward tone, his methods have proven effective in helping people overcome their struggles. Sugeng hopes that those he scolds can rise above their challenges, prove themselves, and not be disheartened. "I scold and make them feel hurt; that's my hope. Hurt feelings indicate normalcy, and with those hurt feelings, I believe they can prove themselves or at least overturn the perception that people without legs are weak," said the man named Sugeng Siswoyudhono. Sugeng is an example of a disabled person who can transcend himself for those who share his fate. Sugeng can teach anyone who wants to make prosthetic legs. "Everyone who comes can see how to make them from start to finish. We are not afraid of being copied; in fact, we are happy if someone can make their own prosthetic legs, so those who far away don't need to come here. We never sell prosthetic legs. If there is a value to be paid for a piece of prosthetic leg, it is only to cover the material and labor costs we incurred," he added. At this point, Sugeng has successfully transcended the misfortune of losing his leg by creating affordable prosthetic legs, along with a lifetime warranty and motivational bonuses. Losing one leg has led to the creation of thousands of legs.

Source : www.sugengkakipalsu.com

The Story of a Doctor who Transcended During the Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic was a disaster for many people, but it cannot be denied that this moment became a lucrative opportunity for health professionals, especially those involved in PCR testing, as the movement of people always required freedom from Covid. The PCR testing business seemed to strike gold. However, this did not apply to Dr. Andani Ekaputra, who served as a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, Andalas University (Unand) also as the Director of Unand University Hospital and Head of the Diagnostic and Research Center for Infectious Diseases at the Faculty of Medicine, Andalas University West Sumatra Indonesia. With the support of around 50 laboratory workers who were also students, Andani achieved remarkable success in terms of sample testing capacity to detect the Covid virus. While other laboratories in the country could only complete the examination of 100 to 200 samples per day, the FK Unand laboratory could average 800 to 3000 samples every day. This achievement surpassed the results of three major laboratories in Indonesia owned by the Ministry of Health, the Jakarta Provincial Government, and the Eijkman Molecular Biology Institute. Dr. Andani could have become wealthy instantly during this pandemic, but he chose not to.

"... We work for the people, work for the community. So there are no complaints, nothing. It's unclear how much we get paid. This is all work done willingly, with a sincere heart. But for you, what matters is that you gain a lot of knowledge from it. You will become good at it, good at RNA extraction, good at PCR. That's rare to find. Now, do good, and believe that God will repay you in ways you do not know," was Dr. Andani's message to his laboratory team.

The commitment and total dedication of Andani and his team deserve appreciation. When the country is attacked by an invisible enemy, a sense of responsibility for the fate of this nation needs to be prioritized. As Andani stated, from the beginning, he explicitly told the lab members that what they were doing was solely for the sake of the nation and the country, in the name of humanity. Regardless of the issue of honor, and even disregarding how they could sustain themselves daily, Andani firmly emphasized,

"Even for our daily meals, we are assisted by donors. I always motivate to work sincerely. Whether there is or isn't compensation, never think about it. This is the time to fight," said Andani with enthusiasm.

For those who have not transcended and are focused on material gains, the pandemic may be an opportunity, but not for Andani. In an interview on padangTV, Andani stated, "... I want something to be beneficial because the highest happiness for someone is how they can give their best to others. That's the most important thing... It means we have principles. Our life has principles. What I do now is not just for today. All by process, since I was in college. My life principle is clear. I don't want to get what is not rightfully mine. I don't want to get more than what I should receive. I don't want to receive comforts without hard work. If I get something less than my due, it's not a problem for me. Because life is not measured by money. Frankly, since I graduated as a doctor, I always thought I would never be rich from being a doctor."

Once, Andani and his team were asked to swab test at a pesantren (Islamic boarding school) and did not charge any fees. "The pesantren called me to ask about the cost. There's no cost; it's free. (There were plans to test a thousand people), I asked, Is the pesantren a modern one with expensive fees? If the parents cannot afford it, it's free. But if the parents can afford it and the pesantren is wealthy, I told them we're not in the business. I gave them my bank account number. Please transfer money, it's a donation. I don't look at how much. The service is the same. Whether you want to give IDR 500,000, IDR 1,000,000, 2,000,000, 500,000,000, it's up to you," Andani revealed. "If we calculate, I could be rich. Once we commercialize it, wow. Even 1 million every person is a lot of money. I said that. But no. I don't want to get rich in that way," Andani concluded.

From these two stories of transcendent individuals, we can conclude that happiness is not solely based on what we can gain materially when we give back to society, but on the immeasurable spiritual satisfaction. These two individuals have transcended; next is you, and those who follow."