When Hana first began her career as a young engineer, she thought happiness meant earning a good salary, buying nice clothes, and going on vacations once in a while. She worked hard at the palm oil mill, but every evening she felt a strange emptiness.
> “Why do I feel tired even when I have everything I thought I wanted?” she often asked herself.
She was living only in the Pleasant Life — chasing comfort, laughter, and leisure.
The Turning Point – Finding Flow
One evening, while reviewing machine breakdown logs, Hana realized something unusual. She was so absorbed in analyzing the data that hours passed without her noticing. The noise of the mill, the fatigue, even hunger disappeared.
That was her first taste of Engagement — being in flow, completely immersed in something meaningful. She discovered she loved problem-solving and improving systems.
From then on, she pushed herself to apply her skills more deeply. Preventive maintenance systems, safety SOPs, and energy-efficiency programs became her passion projects.
The Deeper Purpose – Beyond Herself
Years later, Hana noticed how her efforts in the mill created ripple effects. Accidents reduced. Workers’ lives became safer. Energy savings were redirected to support workers’ families, even helping children get school aid.
Watching a worker’s child proudly show her a scholarship letter, Hana felt tears in her eyes.
> “This is why I work. Not just for myself, but for something bigger.”
This was The Meaningful Life — using her strengths for a cause beyond her own comfort.
Optimism in Hardship
Not everything went smoothly. Projects failed. Floods damaged equipment. Colleagues doubted her leadership as a woman.
But Hana practiced optimism: she treated failures as temporary and challenges as lessons. Instead of saying, “I’m not good enough,” she told herself, “This is a chance to grow.”
The Gratitude Habit
Every night before bed, Hana wrote down three things she was grateful for:
1. A successful test run of the biogas plant.
2. A smile from her junior engineer who solved a problem.
3. Her mother’s voice on the phone reminding her to rest.
Over time, this small ritual filled her life with lightness and joy, even on stressful days.
Conclusion – The Authentic Happiness
Hana finally realized that true happiness isn’t just about pleasure. It is about:
Enjoying life’s simple joys (Pleasure),
Losing herself in meaningful work (Engagement), and
Serving a greater cause (Meaning).
Standing on the mill’s balcony one evening, watching Mount Kinabalu in the distance, Hana whispered to herself:
> “Happiness is not found. It is built — with gratitude, strength, and purpose.”
And in that moment, she knew she had discovered her own authentic happiness.
#blog #blogger #kembarainsan #happy #happiness #engineer #reflection
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