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8/12/2019 20140413 - JakPost - Inspiring Mind
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/20140413-jakpost-inspiring-mind 1/2
14 April 13, 2014 JPLUS
inspiring MIND
EVA MUCHTAR SHARES HER FASCINATING SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
TO FIND INNER PEACE IN A STRESSFUL WORLD.
The subject ofspirituality
and self-
fulfillment
can be, well,
complicated.
It is not a typical
conversation you would
expect to share with strangers,especially in a society where
ethereal practices like
meditation are only starting
to find acceptance among
urbanites.
But for Eva Muchtar, 41, who has devoted the last
nine years of her life to social work and spiritual
sanctity, there is nothing more worthwhile.“I am intrigued about helping people truly be
themselves,” she says over iced lattes. “And I believe
people can do it through any means that works for
them; through religious practices, or even ordinary
activities like writing.”
Before her internal transformation, however, Eva
was like any regular work-crazed member of urban
society. A PR executive at a consulting agency, she had
much to celebrate: a steady job, a tight-knit family andan extremely active social life. Everything seemed to
be in place. Yet, the successful businesswoman grew restless –
something was still missing.
So Eva did what most of us never dare to do: she
left her 9-to-5 job and took a year-long break in
search of answers.
Eva got became involved in social work andindulged in “me time” getaways abroad. But it was
hard to let go of her old ways.
“It felt the same. Everything was go, go, go. I was
still yearning for something more.”
Ironically, it took a bout of bad
luck and a missing ATM PIN num
during a six-month trip to Spain to
truly turn things around.
“I was stripped of everything tha
I prided myself on,” she says. “I had
no job, no money, no friends or anysuccinct communicating abilities. A
I had to manage my budget wisely
sometimes I would choose to walk
instead of taking the bus to save mo
– I was forced to take things easy. I
walked around town, watched passersby, wrote
was a sobering experience.”
When she came back from the trip, Eva decidedextend her one-year sabbatical indefinitely and ha
never looked back.
COME AS YOU ARE
The youngest of five children, Eva grew up in
family with strong Muslim values.Her parents – her father was a civil servant, h
mother a homemaker – enrolled their children i
public school, but they were instructed in impor
tenets of their faith, such as sholat (prayer) five t
a day and fasting during the Ramadhan holy mo
An increasing curiosity about faith and spiritudeveloped in her college years, where she regula
participated in pengajian (religious gatherings tostudy the Koran) organized by classmates.
As she matured, Eva grew to believe there wa
more to faith than upholding rigid practices.
“My parents are devout Muslims but they did
push extreme values on us,” Eva explains.
“We were taught to live by the essence of the
teachings, which is what is most important. I’ve h
PURSUITHAPPINESSof
Eva Muchtar
8/12/2019 20140413 - JakPost - Inspiring Mind
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/20140413-jakpost-inspiring-mind 2/2
Spreading Our Wings
Bali Daily now reaches our readers nationwidemore frequently with The Jakarta Post , Indonesia’s
best English-language media.
inspirinmany preach overtly-severe rules – which nobody can truly
validate – telling worshippers that abiding by those strict
rules is the only way to be accepted into the good graces of
God. Well, we are taught He is loving and compassionate, so,
personally, I don’t believe He would be so merciless.”
The self-proclaimed perfectionist now engages in
volunteer work for NGOs such as Taman Bacaan Pelangi
Anak (Children’s Rainbow Reading Garden) as an officialmember of the foundation, and Masyarakat Peduli Autis Indonesia (Society Cares for Autism).
She also partakes in “dialogues about life” held by
organizations or groups focused on inner-growth, suchas the Beshara School in Scotland. Eva attended the
alternative school for six months on a scholarship in 2008.
The avid yogi makes ends meet working as a freelance
copywriter for a slew of multinational companies mostlyfocused on social development.
Building a retreat for folks to take a much-needed
break from fast-paced modern life, which she claims is
of utmost importance, is a long-term dream she hopes to
realize some day.
Speaking candidly on faith, life and self-knowledge can
be a little daunting for those unfamiliar with the text, or
maybe even a little too uncomfortably frank for some.Eva shrugs off the notion and gives a light-hearted laugh.
“Everyone has their preferences. My friends and family
understand my passion and they have no issues with it. Yes, it
isn’t for everyone, but that’s OK. As I said, to each their own.”
She pours her most-inner musings eloquently on her
blogchippingin.wordpress.com and continues to practicean interesting balance between her religious beliefs and
spirituality, regarding them as equal parts of a whole – ormaybe even as one and the same – defying the common view
that, for the most part, regards both as separate factions with
belief in God as a defining line between them.
No matter how you spin it, this “spiritual journey”, at
least for Eva, is simply a woman living life.
As our conversation comes to a close, the question remains:
has she finally found that something she was searching for?
“Yes,” she replies with a smile.
Eva (far left ) at an autism training workshop.