Maraming Filipinos pag nasa ibang bansa, sumusunod batas, pero pag nasa Pinas hindi. Bakit ganon? Sa ibang bansa especially Canada and UK, pag bumababa ang mga bata school bus, lahat ng sasakyan nakahinto yan. Kahit mga bibe (ducks) lang ang tatawid sa kalsada, hihinto ang mga sasakyan. Sa Pinas hindi ito nangyayari. Yung mga asong nasa tabi na ng daan ay talagang hahagipin pa ng mga driver para maipulutan.

We have to change the way we think so that we all enjoy the benefit of it. I believe in the saying:

If you can change your mind, you can change your life.

Kaya dapat ang tao handang makinig at kung kelangan ay handang baguhin ang mga maling kaisipan kung may nalaman na sya at natuklasan na ang bagong idea ay mas magaling at mas kapaki-pakinabang. Marami ka isip ng iba:

candado, cerado (Spanish)

When we know something, it opens up new doors of opportunities.  Pero minsan mahirap ng baguhin ang naunang kaalaman. Kaya madalas kung sinong naunang nagsumbong doon ka na kampi. Pero ang isang tao matalino at may mas mataas na karunungan, handa kang ipa-challenge yung information na nauna mong nalaman. You must keep changing your mind, lalo na kung nauna ay passé na or kelangan ng baguhin dahil baka mali or hindi na angkop sa new way of life. Dito mo makikilala ang mga tao na umuunlad sa buhay – sila yung mga kumilala sa mga superior and better understanding and surrendered their old way of thinking. We must change the way we think.

In Romans 12:2 it says: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Do not habitually conform to old ideas. Just because something is old does not always mean better. Do not always conform with those which are conservative. Bihira na nakabubuti yung conservative thoughts. Conservative came from the word: “to conserve, to preserve.” Kaya kung ano na yung nakasanayan, gusto mo i-conserve or i-preserve. Yan ang conservative.

I was watching a TV documentary of those Aetas from Mindoro. Dahil may crew ang GMA7, kase yung anak ng Aeta eh mataas ang lagnat. Pag dating sa bayan, sabi ng doktor na kelangan magamot ang bata kaagad kase nangaganib ang buhay. Kelangan turukan para hindi lumala. Aba, sabi ng amang Aeta, hindi na po. Ibalik ko na lang ang anak ko sa bundok dahil doon may arbularyo na magtatapal ng mga dahon at pauusukan lang daw nila ang bata para gumaling. But the medical expert disagreed that by going back to the mountain which will take them  another 15 hours by foot, the child may die along the way! Old ways of thinking are difficult to die.

Kahit sa conservation of our cultural heritage, sa Batangas, Cavite, Tarlac, Laguna, Maynila – nagko-conserve tayo ng mga ilang bahay for us to appreciate the past culture of our ancestors and for reference purposes only.  Pero hindi naman pwede i-conserve lahat at lahat na lang historical houses na lang ang buong bayan. We must change from past to the present and the future. Due to growing population and housing demands, we must build new developments, real estates and high-rise buildings that conserve energy and those that maximise space.

Ganoon din sa pag-iisip, it is not always good to be conservative. Keep changing with your religious mind. Kase ang Diyos malaki at malawak. Hindi Sya kasya sa isang simbahan lang. Yung nalaman mo noong nasa Sunday school ka pa, kelangan na ma-improve. Yung alam mong biblical interpretation 10 years ago, dapat ma improve na din yan at lumalawak yan. Ang pagkakakilala mo sa Diyos 20 years ago, umaasenso, lumalalim at tumataas. It is not always good to be conservative – there will always be room for growth, for change or for development.

Being a conservative is not always a virtue. Kaya tingnan mo kung sino yung mahihirap kasama sa buhay, yung mga conservative, yung mga manang at matatandang binata or matatandang dalaga or kaya yung mga sarado ang isip – usually over-protective to the point na nawalan na ng kalayaan ang buhay. Kelangan nilang ipako ka sa old lifestyle , style of dressing, life and thinking, na tapos na noong araw at hindi na epektibo ngayon.

Ganoon din sa relihiyon or sekta.  E wala naman religion na perfect. God is so big and He cannot be contained in one dogma or doctrine. Hindi Sya pwedeng solohin ng isang relihiyon lamang otherwise ang isang tao ay magiging dogmatic because of the doctrine being followed by the religion. Marami nagsasabi sila ang tama at ang iba ay mali. Sila lang daw ang pupunta sa heaven at ang iba sa impyerno lahat. Magiging judgmental ka na tuloy dahil mali sila ikaw lang ang tama. Magkakaroon ka ng self-righteousness dahil banal sila lahat demonyo. May mga relihiyon at sekta na hindi pwedeng maghawak ng Bible ang mga members…dapat ministro at pastor lamang ang pwede para walang makaalam ng totoo. Pero how do you know the truth if we are to deprive people of having access to the truth? Kaya marami ang blinded by the doctrines but some did not come from the very teaching of Jesus. We must use God’s given gift of brain to change the way we think, baka we are following a wrong path. Baka yong sinasabing ‘tamang daan’ ay hindi naman pala tama, kundi maling daan. Kelangan tini test din ang lahat ng bagay so we know that we are on the right tract. Don’t practice blind obedience.

Maraming mga oligarchs and elites and even the ‘people in the high places’ in the religion would like the people to be ignorant so they can manipulate them. Even though religion can and may bring people closer to God but the German economist and philosopher, Karl Marx, said:

Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.

Minsan kahit maling pananampalataya sinusunod na rin ng mga tao dahil yun na ang kanilang nakagisnan. Kung saan daw sila pinanganak, doon na sila mamamatay. They did not change the way they think because they did not have the opportunity to know the truth. In John 8:32

You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free

The word ‘free’ is there which means that somewhere somehow, there is something which is imprisoned. That can be the way we think, our thought. When a concept or idea is confined in a container, it is in prison…but the truth must be known so the wrong thought can be freed.

Kaya minsan pag tiningnan mo sa Pilipinas ang daming dapat nating baguhin. Gusto ng mga pulitiko na maraming mahirap, maraming pobre kase jan nila kukuhanin ang mga boto. Yan daw ang demokrasya. Pero marami sa mahihirap walang pinag aralan kaya their judgment is also poor. Hindi na nila alam kung sino ang magaling at may kakayahang mag govern ng bansa. Yung iba basta kilala, at maganda ang asawa, artista or sport personality, iboboto na kahit wala namang abilidad na magpatakbo sa gobyerno.  Paano tayo uunlad nyan kung yung mga nasa show business na lang palagi na -elect natin. Hindi na magwagi ang mga deserving but poor candidates. Tingnan mo sa UK, wala tayong mga tarheta masyado na nakakabit sa mga puno, walang mga banners na naglalakihan sa panahon ng eleksyon, walang trapik dahil yung mga pulitiko nagpapasikat sa paghuhukay ng mga daan. Filipinos must change the way they think. Kelangan natin alamin sino talaga ang mga karapat-dapat na opisyal ng bansa.

We must change the way we think because it also affects our behavior, it impacts our actions. Pag nag-isip ka ng masama sa kapwa, mag-iiba ang trato mo sa kanya. Iba ang pananaw mo sa kanya. For example:

Lahat ng negro maiiitim, maitim din ang budhi.

Ang asawa ko, bungangera!

Ang asawa ko hindi na magbabago!

Parang masama pakiramdam ko, mukhang hindi ako makakarating sa church.

Wala naman ako alam, kaya wala akong gagawin sa church ministry.

Wala akong pinag-aralan kaya hanggang ganito na lang ako sa pagiging domestic worker.

How we think determine our future kaya sinasabi ng Diyos na we have to change the way we think by the ‘renewing’ of the mind because it will transform our behavior. Minsan maling paniniwala na hindi tayo magtatagumpay. I always encourage many Filipinos to change the way foreigners see us. Mag-aral kayo, magsikap kayo upang mabago ang paningin ng mundo sa Pinoy.

As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.

He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto an old belief that we cannot do something, simply because we think we will fail  and we won’t make it?

It’s time to break free. Change the way you think!

Treat your partner (or spouse) better than your friends. Your partner must feel valued, loved and respected. Pag ginawa mo yan, tatagal at hahaba ang pagsasama ninyo, at hindi kayo palagi mag-aaway. Madalas kase mas nahihiya tayo sa iba pero bastos tayo sa mga partner (or asawa) natin. Mali iyon.

Ginagawa mo ba ito:

• hinihiya mo sila sa harap ng maraming tao?
• pinaparamdam mo na wala silang kwenta?
• pinapaalala palagi ang mga failures nila noon?

We must treat our partners better than anybody else because we know them very well more than anybody else. Mas kilala natin sila, alam natin ang strengths at galing nila, kaya dapat mas may loyalty tayo sa kanila. We should treat our partners better than our friends dahil sila din ang ating lovers and basically should be our best friend too.

Kung hindi mo feel na itrato ang partner na pinaka mahalaga sa buhay mo, sino pa? Ano ba ang purpose nila sa iyo?

When you treat your partner as your best friend, it means, you respect them because there are times that you may not agree with them but respect them anyway. You do not have to agree all the time in everything, but when there is respect, there will not be much argument, criticisms and back-stabbing. Mas mababawasan ang gusot at away sa bahay dahil nandoon ang respeto at pagkilala sa bawat isa. Hindi naman ito parang korte na pagalingan na lang sa debate where the intention is just to win the argument but forget that the bottom line is to make things better.

The Bible is clear:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 New International Version (NIV)

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

#1 Everything you do will leave a mark.

Ecclesiastes 10:12
The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.

Minsan ang akala nating mga walang saysay na salita na ating binigkas ay walang bisa, ngunit yon pala ay nakapagbigay ng lakas at sigla sa iba o di kaya naman ay sumira sa buhay or pananaw ng iba.

Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Kaya nga sa ating pagsasalita ay dapat laging masarap ang lasa at matamis na alalahanin.

Lahat ng gagawin mo dito sa lupa ay magiging alaala mo pag nawala ka na.

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness is laid up for me… -2 Timothy 4:7

Maganda na sa ating buhay ay maalala natin na tayo ay lumaban sa buhay, tinapos ang karera at nanatiling nananalig at naniniwala sa Diyos.

Are you bitter or a winner?

Are you a quitter or a champion?

Ano ba ang gusto mong maalala ka?

I want to be remembered as a fighter who did not quit but kept my dreams alive. I may not always succeed and get all that I wanted for, but I know that I am leaving this world with my mark, with my signature, I will be signing off but will be remembered as a fighter, who never quit until I win.

 

#2 You can always correct the mistakes you make

Mistakes are forgiveable, if one has the courage to admit them. – Bruce Lee

I would agree that for us to correct our mistakes, we must admit (no matter how painful it would be) that we have made them. No one has ever done 100% perfect all the time, we are all susceptible to commit errors.

But let’s not just ‘accept’ it, one must also ‘learn’ from those mistakes and grow. You cannot just say, I admit I made those mistakes but it would be non-sense without learning from it and consequently grow from it.

Taking responsibility is one of the hardest things to do. Marami ang ayaw tanggapin ang pagkakamali: either they will deny it or will find someone to blame.

In the Bible, natukso si Eva, pero sa halip na humingi ng tawad at magpakababa, ay humanap ng damay at sinisi si Adan. Ganoon din naman si Adan, sinisi ang ahas.

Like a Pencil, we must be strong to correct our mistakes. After all, we know that we have made them in the first place. We can always make an alibi or excuse that what we did is ok, but deep inside we know that things could have been better done.

In my profession as a new lawyer, I normally go to the Court of Law and will sometimes make mistakes, I will be quick to say: “Judge, I have made this or that error, and I am taking responsibility on that…please allow my client to be heard and not punished for the wrongdoing I have made as his lawyer…”

A good and sensible judge usually forgives me and allows me to do whatever I have requested, simply because I admit, I took responsibility and I am willing to learn and grow.

Madalas ang mga taong ayaw magbago, yan yong talunan sa buhay.

Maganda din sa tao yong marunong humingi ng pasensya at paumanhin.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9

The Bible is clear to ‘confess’ our sins or mistakes. Confession is synonymous with an admission of guilt. At maitatama mo lang ang mali kung tinatanggap mo na mali at willing kang maitama ang pagkakamali.

Life is too short to make so many mistakes. Grow up to admit it, correct it and learn from it.

#3 What is important is what is inside of you.

People see you as who you are, will label as you were before but God sees you that Jesus Christ is in you.

When Christ is in you, slowly there will be a transformation (of course, it will not always be as fast as you may think because it is according to God’s timing).

and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. – Galatians 2:20

People may think you are a disgrace, but you were saved because of God’s grace. Dahil sa biyaya ng Diyos, tayo ay pinalaya at pinatawad.

When Christ lives in you, you have that inner strength to fight because you’re not alone. Kakampi mo ang langit at kasama mo ang Diyos.

Then Moses replied, “If you aren’t going with us, please don’t make us leave this place.  – Exodus 33:15

From the beginning of time, Moses understood that principle that when God comes with us, we have the confidence to win.

Children, you belong to God, and you have defeated these enemies. God’s Spirit is in you and is more powerful than the one who is in the world. – 1 John 4:4

Romans 8:31 “…If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Tama yung awit: “Dumaan man tayo sa apoy di ako masusunog…Dumaan man ako sa bangin, di ako mahuhulog…Dumaan man ako sa tubig di ako malulunod…”

This is only possible when we appreciate the power within us.

 

#4 In life you will undergo painful sharpenings which will make you better.

Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.  – Revelations 3:20

 

Marami ang ayaw mapagsabihan or mapalo, but it is God who says that He rebukes and disciplines those He loves.

So know in your heart that just as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you. Deuteronomy 8:5

We get better and stronger after every big blow. Just like the bamboo, we dance in the rain, we bow because of the strong winds, but a bamboo will always bounce back.

Tama si Lord, kase kung wala tayong kwenta sa Kanya, bakit nya pa tayo itutuwid? Because He loves us so much not to be wrong and suffer the consequences of being wrong, it is His joy to see us succeed and win by telling we are heading for a disaster and unless we rectify the errors we are doing now, we will remain wrong.

Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. – Revelations 2:5

God is a God of second chances. He said, “if” you do not repent…you will suffer the penalty…

Sharpening, or pruning, is necessary to become better looking into the eyes of Gardener. Kesa constructive or destructive criticism, but let us take other’s correction as a gift, especially if the person telling us is someone we respect and trust that they are doing it for our benefit.

#5 To be the best pencil, you must allow yourself to be guided by the hand that holds you.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:5

We can only be the best that we can be if we have God on our side and we are led by the Holy Spirit.

We must allow God to be in the driver seat of our lives. We must allow Him to drive the car not us.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie downin greenpastures;He leadsme besidequietwaters.He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name…Psalms 23:2

God knows what’s best for us. We can ever be useful if we will allow God to use for His purpose.

Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. – Isaiah 64:8

Tayo ay mga palayok lamang at Diyos ang manlililok. Let us God use us mightily for whatever purpose He wants us to be. Be sure to grow wherever God puts you in.

Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” – John 13:7

Let us allow God to hold us because He is the Almighty, Absolute, and All-Power God. He sees the bigger picture, we don’t. We may not all understand what He is doing, but maybe someday we will see that “all things worked together for good.”

 

 

 

 

One of the most difficult things to do is to change a person to become the person we wanted them to be. Madalas ito ay nauuwi sa away, sigalot at gulo. In the first place, we have to ask ourselves that we fell in love with the person because of who they are. Noong hindi pa kayo, nabubuhay na siya mag-isa ng wala ka, bakit ngayon na naging kayo na, kelangan mong baguhin sya?

Hindi dahil hindi kayo pareho ng opinyon ay mali sya at tama ka. Magkaiba lang kayo. Accept the differences and don’t assume that others are wrong simply because they do not agree with you.

When we accept and acknowledge that not all are the same, and realise that differences exist, mas magkakaroon ka ng kaluwagan sa paghinga. Hindi stressful at walang masyadong disagreements sa buhay dahil tanggap mo sa sarili mo na iba talaga sya.

Ang isang relasyon ay parang isang team – composed of different people with different characters and qualities. Sa basketball, kelangan may point guard, may sa rebound at defense. Hindi pwedeng lahat taga dala ng bola kelangan din mag gwardya at may point-shooter. Ganyan din ang isang samahan or even politics. Hindi pwedeng lahat ay sang-ayon sa administrasyon otherwise, the power could be abused by those incumbent because no one stands for the opposition party.

In our relationships, we must accept that differences exist. Like a team with different qualities, we must work together and put aside differences but with one mind and one goal to succeed. When we combine our talents in common, mas marami tayo na-achieve. Iwasan na natin ang bangayan at siraan, dahil hindi ito nagdudulot ng maganda. Better is we accept that there are difference and complexities, but our goal is to achieve the best thing more that we can achieve by ourselves. Totoo ang kasabihan, “walang sinuman ang nabubuhay para sa sarili lamang.” No man is an island. We all need someone’s strengths and inputs to validate if what we have in mind, is better or could be improved.

Minsan kapag naging conceited tayo na parang tayo lang ang mag exclusivity and monopoly ng mga ideas, we may fail to recognize the blind-spot, the weak points.

Folly is joy to one who lacks judgment, but a man of understanding walks a straight path. Plansfailfor lackof counsel,but with manyadvisersthey succeed. – Proverbs 15:22

Yung iba ayaw ng may kontra sa kanila. Pero panget ang pelikula na walang kontra-bida. Mas lalong gumaganda ang climax ng isang sine at lalong gumagaling ang leading actors/actresses dahil sa mga supporting roles -kontra bida.

Ganyan din sa buhay, may mga tao na iba ang pananaw kesa sa iyo. Pero hindi ibig sabihin ay mali sila at tama ka kaagad. Tanggapin mo na hindi lang kayo magka pareho. Smile and agree to disagree.

Most OFWs I know failed to make it in retirement because they lack financial independence. Wala silang naipon dahil yung mga kinita nila sa loob ng maraming taon ay naubos ng pamilya. Ok naman sana kung talaga kelangan dahil sa sakit or pagpapagamot or pagpapaaral ng mga anak. Pero kung ito napunta lang sa kapritsu, eto ang talakayin natin.

This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:39

Many OFWs forget themselves because of love to others. Nakalimot na sa kanilang obligasyon sa kanilang sarili. Kaya most of the time, when an OFW retires (will then be called an ex-ofw), nagkakaroon ng bitterness dahil si OFW hindi nakaipon at ang kanilang pamilya wala din naipon. Lahat sila mga purdoy at nakanganga na ngayon sa kawalan.

This is a sad turn of event – dating malakas ang kita, pero hindi namalayan ni OFW na tumanda na siya at lipas na sa panahon, kelangan na nilang mamahinga at mag retire. Hindi naman kase habang buhay nasa abroad eh. One piece of advise: an OFW while looking the welfare of others, must NOT forget herself too.

No one is responsible for yourself, except yourself alone.

Ang magandang gawin ay huwag ipadala lahat ang kinikita sa Pinas. Kelangan mag “subi” para sa kinabukasan at sa retirement. Alam nyo yung larong “sungka” noong araw. Sa larong ito ay natuturuan tayong mag subi sa bahay. Hindi ubos-ubos biyaya bukas nakatunganga.

the ants are not a strong species, yet they store up their food in the summer;

Ang buhay OFW habang nasa abroad ay tinataguriang “summer” dahil malakas kumita. But after the summer is rainy season, where all work must stop ‘metaphorically speaking’. Yong kanta na: “tatanda at lilipas din ako…” sa pagtanda ni OFW, lipas na sa panahon, may naipundar ba? May naipon ba o wala? Hindi mo ngayon pwedeng iasa sa mga anak mo ang pagtanda mo sa buhay. Mabuti sana kung ok sa pamilya mo na alagaan ka, paano kung hindi? Iba na ang takbo ng panahon. Habang OFW ka ngayon, may panahon pa para mag-pundar, mag-invest, mag-ipon para sa sarili.