Inspiration 2: Allow Yourself to Love You (Part 2)

            “Love your neighbor as you love yourself”- Mt. 22:39

“Your task is not to seek for Love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” 
- Rumi, thirteenth century Sufi poet

An inspiring day!

How are you friend?

I give you peace.

Last time, I shared with you self-fullness: an energy that allows you to love your “self” well. We also said that it is a virtue that comes from God which helps us to become more of a God-focus person. 

Now, maybe you’re asking: Why is self-fullness important for being a pasahero?

Ok, let me answer you with a very simple yet clear and obvious truth: 
“You cannot give what you do not have!”

Meaning, you cannot be truly generous (pasahero) to others without being truly generous (pasahero) to yourself! You cannot give an apple if you don’t have an apple, right?

So, it’s the same with loving others. If you cannot give an unconditional love for yourself, how can you give an unconditional love for others? If you do not love yourself well, how can you love others well? 

The 2^nd Greatest Commandment

This is actually the truth that Jesus revealed to the man who asked him about the greatest commandment, Jesus answered:

        “…Love your neighbor as you love yourself” Mt. 22:39

Yes, Jesus really knows best!

He could simply answer “Ok, the second is this: Love your neighbor and yourself, period. But Jesus understands it well that:

….man can only love others as much as he loves himself,

 …man can only give according to what he has,

…loving others cannot be separated from loving oneself.

I never understand this before. So I thought that for me to love others better, I need to forget myself as much as possible. That the more I deprive myself, the more I become holy. That I love others because I’m a loving person. Yes, there were actually times that I starved myself to death just to treat my friends lavishly (para mukhang galante¹). That I insist paying others fare (yabang ko²) although I know that this will mean barrowing money from a friend later in the afternoon as I set for home (yun lang³).  

Now, I'm still doing these gestures of kindness but NOT anymore in the expense of kindness that I need to give to myself. I now realized that before I become generous to others, I need to be generous to myself first. That totally forgetting myself is not generosity, it’s a sin!

Self-Fullness vs. Selfishness

Bro Chad, are you telling me to love myself first? Are you teaching me to be selfish?

Yes, I’m telling you to love yourself first but I’m NOT telling you to be selfish. What I’m telling you is to be Self-full!

Let me be clear.

Self-fullness is heavenly while Selfishness is worldly.

Self-fullness is a virtue while Selfishness is a vice.

Self-fullness is Godliness while Selfishness is Satanic.

But I warn you my friend: Selfishness has the capacity to camouflage self-fullness. That sometimes, you may think you’re doing one thing but actually doing the other. And so, “discernment” is a must for you to escape unnecessary guilt, self-adoration and even carrying toxic burdens in your life that you do not deserve to carry. (I tell you a story about this later)

Now, let me give you one way on how to discern between self-fullness and selfishness. I call this technique “Fruit Picking” that was actually taught by Christ.

“You will know them by their fruit. Grapes aren't gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles, are they?” Mt. 7:16

This is what I believe: if you live with fake “selflessness” (or you’re not being self-full) you do more harm to yourself (and to others) than doing good. 

Because when you think yourself less; you tend not to achieve, not to pursue excellence, not to think decisively, not to act passionately, and not to live deliberately. You settle for less, you settle for mediocrity, and you settle for what is enough. You mislead than lead people, you expire than inspire people, and you observe than serve people. You stop creating, you stop taking care of yourself, you stop doing your hobbies, and you stop enjoying yourself. You begin to over work, you begin to accept all things, you begin to stress yourself and… you begin not to breath. (I need to mention that last entry just to cut short my list of 101 Curses of Toxic Selflessness to People. Yes, I have more than a hundred on my list.)  

But if you’re really self-full, meaning: you approve yourself well the same way God has approved you (2 Cor. 10: 18), then you (and others) will reap all the great blessings of self-fullness.

Look at these.

When you’re self-full (expect 1001 entries now) you’re inspired to achieve, you’re inspired to pursue excellence, you’re inspired to think decisively, you’re inspired to act passionately, and you’re inspired to live deliberately. You’re inspired for more, you’re inspired to win big, and you’re inspired to receive (and give) more than enough. You’re inspired to lead people, you’re inspired to inspire people, and you’re inspired to serve people. You’re inspired to develop your hobbies, you’re inspired to enjoy yourself, you’re inspired to take vacations, you’re inspired to prioritize things, you’re inspired to be calm, and… you inspired to live! 

Okay, it’s obvious that I’m just “waxing the cracks” here (changing negative into positive) but more than that, what I would like you to discover is that: all the 1001 Blessings of Self-fullness To People has the word “inspired” in it.  And being inspired means: you’re not doing it alone, YOU and GOD doing it together. (by the way, it’s not typographical error, it’s really 1001 blessings compared to 101 curses because when you’re with God- you can do more, you’re mistake CAN be overshadowed by His goodness)

The Kuya Tacio’s Story

Let me end with a true story.

Kuya Tacio (not his real name) is single, in his early 50’s, and working as a street sweeper. He earns P 13,000 a month plus some mandated benefits. Before, I thought this is not bad for him as a street sweeper but not until one time he confined to me that he’s in a big problem.

What I know about Kuya Tacio is that he’s living with his 19 year old girlfriend Tacia (not her real name) and their 1 year old son (so, he's not really single at all). He also told me that his girlfriend is a daughter of a friend who asked him years ago to look after Tacia when she was still young. And in unexplainable magic, they fall in-love with each other and soon to get married.

Now, in our last conversation; I learned that aside from living with Tacia and their son, he’s living with three other kids. ‘Know what? They are younger brothers of Ticia. He told me sadly that he’s now “taking care” again of the children of the same friend who asked him years ago (while his friend is now living with another woman). And not only that, Kuya Tacio is also in-charge to support the schooling of one of his sister’s daughter. And because his niece is studying in another province, he needs to go there to give her allowance monthly to the point that he needs to be absent from work. And the sad reality is that- because he’s the only one earning now, he do not know how to be able to provide all their daily needs. (added the fact that Kuya Tacio has a medical maintenance)

In some way, after knowing Kuya Tacio’s situation; I was overwhelmed by his sacrifices and generosity. But on the other side, I cannot help but to tell him NOT to carry all the burdens on his shoulders particularly supporting his wife’s brothers and his sister’s daughter when he knows that they (his friend and sister) are not acting responsible to their own children. Added the fact that he only earns 13,000 a month, how could he really manage to attend to his needs and the needs of his wife and child, and the needs of three other children? Even Kuya Tacio told me, “Nasanay na silang umasa sa akin; kaya wala na akong magagawa, nakakahiya rin kasi kay misis⁴” “Ang hirap talaga ngayon⁵!” he added. 

The Lesson

That’s my point, if only Kuya Tacio understands self-fullness before, I think he will never find himself in this situation.  That, if he only practiced true generosity (and not accepting all the responsibility), his friend and sister could probably learned to provide and be responsible to their own children. And as for Kuya Tacio; I believe that he's now enjoying his simple, worry-less and fulfilled life.

I think I already exhausted everything I know about this inspiration “Allowing Yourself to Love You” and how self-fullness CAN help us to live a generous life.

If there’s something more that should be revealed, I know that you will discover it personally with your God. (please do post it in the comment box whatever it is. For sure we will also learn from you)

I also invite you to pray (and reflect) further so that you can be able to find and remove the things that hinders you to Allow Yourself to Love You- following what Rumi (a Sufi poet) advised, “Your task is not to seek for Love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

Remember:

Love yourself well…

Love others well…

God loves you well!

Today, live a generous life!

footnotes

¹ for me to appear generous  

² how pretentious I was    

 ³pity on me   

⁴ they are already used that I help them; I can no longer change it and I also consider my wife

⁵ I’m really in crisis

Inspiration 2: Allow Yourself to Love You (Part 1)

IMPORTANT:  What you’re about to read may revolutionize your relationship to your “SELF”. Openness is highly recommended. 

Hear this well,

Don’t be Selfless…

Be SELF-FULL!

Okay, what you’ve heard may sound idolatrous, blasphemous, unchristian, immoral, evil, sin (a mortal one), self-serving, self-centered, rude, foolish, stupid, absurd  (call it whatever you like) but I’m shouting this once again from the peak of Mt. Everest to the deepest of Marianas Trench…

Be SELF-FULL!

Self-fullness is not Good… but Very Good!

Let me introduce to you SELF-FULLNESS.

Self-fullness is a term that I prefer to use to describe selflessness, self-sacrifice, self-denial, self-love, and self-actualization. (I hope you’re at peace now knowing that you’re still reading the right stuff)

Basically, self-fullness is a virtue that may lead you to give-up your own desire and interests (but not totally) and convenience for the good of others and also of yourself. (Take note, yourself will also benefit from this!)

What?

Why include myself?

Is this not selfishness? 

Confused? 

Don’t worry, it’s normal.  (It took me 32 years to realize this and I wish to live another 38 years to discover it more). However, there’s a lot to discover for us not to overuse or misuse this “inspiration”. Please bear with me if I will be talkative this time. 

Please enjoy reading!

A Self-full Tent Maker

Let me give you first an example of a self-full person.

Take St. Paul, a very good tent maker.

If you will read his second letter to the Corinthians; you would think that he’s selfish and proud. (Like how some Corinthians thought that he was) But no, he’s not. He’s simply self-full! (By the way, please read chapters 8 and 9, it’s the biblical foundation of pasahero)

In this letter of his, St. Paul admitted that he’s almost falling into the trap of being selfish, jealous, proud, foolish, taking advantage, or even unfair for he is behaving like a “madman” for boasting the things that he sacrificed for the sake of Jesus. (2 Cor. 11: 7- 11, 23-31; 12: 11-21)

But why he’s “boasting” and behaving like that?

St. Paul explained to the Corinthians:

Because I want to build you up (in Christ)… (10:8)

Because I hope that your faith may grow… (10:15)

Because I want to help you… (12:19)

Because (If God loves you) God knows that I love you too! (11:8)

And this “God-Loves-You” (not You-Love-God) gospel is what made him to approve himself well (self-fullness).  By writing with much confidence (self-fullness), St. Paul was able to show that his authority comes from the Lord and he’s only an accomplice for them (Corinthians) to benefit well. (10:8)

In addition, he believed that his self-approval (self-fullness) does not come from him but a reflection of God’s approval of him. St. Paul said:

 “Whoever wants to boast must boast about what the Lord has done.” For it is when the Lord thinks well of us that we are really approve, and not when we think well of ourselves. (10:18)

As a result, St. Paul’s self-fullness leads him to real humility, he says:

If I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I will not boast, because I do not want any of you to have a higher opinion of me than you have as a result of what you have seen me do and heard me say. (12:6)

He also added:

I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ’s power over me. I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (12:9)

In the end, St. Paul’s self-fullness revealed what should really be proclaimed:

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (13:13)

Amen, this is what self-fullness is all about.

A life with God,

A life that is focus on God!

(Have you notice that self-fullness does not focused in forgetting ourselves for the benefit of others like we usually understand selflessness? Let's have a break. Please watch the music video of "WHO AM I" courtesy of You Tube family. Remember, Self-fullness only starts with God.)

Becoming a Self-full Person

I invite you to dig deeper.

Let’s look back on what St. Paul experienced. He wrote:

¹⁷In planning this, did I appear fickle? When I make plans, do I make them from selfish motives, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time?

He continued…

 On the contrary, he (Jesus) is God’s “Yes”;  ²⁰for it is he who is the “Yes” to all of God’s promises. This is why through Jesus Christ our “Amen” is said to the glory of God.

²¹ It is God himself who make us, together with you, sure of our life in union with Christ; it is God himself who has set us apart, ²² who has placed his mark of ownership upon us, and who has given us the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the guarantee of all that he has store for us. (2: 17, 21-22)

Citing the above verses, I believe that there are three things that we need to understand in order for us to receive self-fullness from God.

What are they?

Here they are (Cymbals please!)

1. Your self-image must be a reflection of God’s Identity for you. (v. 21)
2. Your self-confidence must be a reflection of Christ’s Love for you. (v. 21)
3. Your self-esteem must be a reflection of God’s Spirit living in you. (v. 22)

Let me expand these inspirations further.

Your Self-Image is God’s Identity for You

When God created you, He made you FULLY- meaning more than your body; He gave you his own image and likeness.

As written…

Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created human beings, making them to be like himself…

… God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.  Gen 1:26-27, 30

What is this image and likeness means?

This means that you are VERY GOOD! Yes, very good like GOD!

And you’re very good because He gave you His wisdom, freedom, and Spirit (God didn’t gave these to other creatures. Ikaw lang ang meron nito, sa’n ka pa!)

And this VERY-GOOD- GOD-GIVEN image; should also be your image of your “SELF” (self-image). NOT the image given to us by other people and by the media. 

Sadly, many of us are getting images from commercials, tabloids, billboards, tweets, and “likes” indorsed by our idols that are really toxic and distorting the concept of “very good”. Because many of us believe that “very good” is what is “in”, expensive, pleasurable, and easy.

Are we right?

Or left? (just kidding)

So, I believe that it’s not good to get your image from these things. It is hazardous to your health and spirit. (Like smoking and too much drinking) Instead, remember that whatever (as in whateveeeeeer) other people may say about you and whatever you to say (and think) of yourself,

Believe that you are God’s image…

You are God’s masterpiece… and,

You are Gods beloved child! (ikaw na!)

Your Self-Confidence is God’s Love for You

Because you are beloved child of God, and God can sees Himself in you; He loves you FULLY to the point that when you were lost, He gave you His son Jesus Christ to die and save you. 

This unconditional love of Christ should also be the source of your self-confidence, and NOT only from what you have and what you can do.

Tell me my friend.

If you are what you have and what you do; who are you if what you have, and what you do is already gone?

Who are you then?

So I believe that you should get your confidence from Jesus who loves you (more than you’ll ever know) not because you’re intelligent, not because you’re rich, or not because you’re holy. He loves you simply because He loves you. Period.

Remember this: Jesus’s love is unconditional! 

And because Jesus’s love is with you,

You can make things happen!

You can make a difference!

You can win BIG!

You can be Happy!

You can be Successful! (In ALL aspect of your life)

Yes, you can be Rich!

All and everything is possible!

St. Paul declared it:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil 4:13

Your Self-Esteem is God’s Spirit Given to You

And lastly, at this very moment (while reading this post) God is with you FULLY by His Spirit who is blessing and reminding you that all He wants for you is to have LIFE - a life that is full and eternal with Him.

And this is why I believe that you should always have a high self-esteem and NOT feel frustrated, disappointed, anxious, emotional (as in emo) stressed and fearful. St. Paul said:

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Tim. 1:7

And why do we need to bury ourselves, worshiping our “BUT’s” and “IF’s” (alam mo yun, yung may gusto kang gawin pero… pero… pero…; puro ka na lang pero. O yung baka… baka… baka…;  puro ka na lang baka kaya di mo magawa-gawa yung gusto mo?) and feel inferior?

Is it because we we’re not able to please our parents, siblings, friends, teachers, husband or wife, your children, or even yourself?

Or is it because other people are better than us?

Or is it because other people are holier than us?

I understand…, sometimes they (or we ourselves) demand perfection and excellence; but remember that excellence doesn’t mean you should always be right (not committing mistakes) be on top, the number one, and the only one (said Nido). No, this is NOT the “basic” excellence for me.

Excellence is more of being your best, Being GOD’s Best!

Do your best always (and God will do the rest, as they say) because whether you win or you lose; I tell you, you win no matter what the outcome.

We are always a “winner” but the problem is that sometimes (if not always) we associate “winning” to the results that we want to see, not on how God wants it to be. (Think about that!)

Remember this: You can always be free and be at peace with your “SELF” (and NOT always afraid on what others will say) when you allow the Spirit to work with you. The book of Hebrews assured us:

So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Heb. 13:6

So there’s no need for us to pretend and to waste our time trying to please everybody. After all, pleasing is the work of the Spirit. He’s the one who can make things beautiful!  

Allow Your “Self” to Love You

Now, if God loves you fully and perfectly this way, is it not what He’s expecting from you as far as loving your “SELF” is concerned?

If God made you worthy to His unconditional love, why not allow your “SELF” to give the same unconditional love for you?

What do you think?

Okay, let’s play with words: 

Self-fullness is a reflection of God’s unconditional love for you, and when you deprive this state of love for your “SELF”, you’re not just being unjust to your “SELF” but first and foremost; you’re being unjust to God’s love for you.

Ano raw? Mas nakakalito ata. (Did you notice the word “You”? How many times it was mentioned? Count it… Yes it was _ _ _ _ _ times, God’s perfect number!)  

There is much to say regarding this “YOU-R-SELF” (R, stands for relationship) but in the mean time, what I would like you to discover is that:

Self-fullness is a natural energy that flows from God’s given identity, love, and spirit for you. And when you allow (receive) this energy, you will be able to transcend from a SELF-FOCUS person to a GOD-FOCUS person. (Ano na naman yan? Don’t worry; we will talk more about this in the second part of this post)

Okay, I know this sound like theology, too scientific or maybe even gibberish (to some) but I hope these next two statements will help you:

Statement 1: SELF-FULLNESS is ALLOWING YOUR “SELF” to LOVE YOU because GOD LOVES YOU!

Let me rephrase it for you.

Statement 2: Because GOD LOVES YOU, LET YOUR “SELF” LOVE YOU (perfectly and well)

Get it?

That is SELF-FULLNESS!

I hope this already make sense but if you still feel that loving yourself this way is self-centered, selfish  and unchristian (like from the start) I pray that you understand (and live) this inspiration in God’s time.

Self-fullness In a Nutshell

Be self-full.

Pray that you become one.

Okay, pray that you become selfless if you still prefer to call it that way.

But whatever you call it,

My wish for you this Christmas is that you will always FOCUS ON GOD. (Not to yourself and even to others)

Because the more you focus on God, the more you will have a veeeeeeeeeeeery good look at your “SELF” and of “OTHERS”. (More on this next time)

I bless you.

Love your “SELF” well!

God already does…

Want a proof?

He gave you His Son, His only begotten son…

Receive Him!

Have an Inspiring Christmas my friend!

P.S. Part 2 will describe more the benefits of being a self-full person and how this can be a way for you to love others. Hope to chat with you again and I’ll be expecting some of your comments. Thanks for your generosity.

Inspiration 1: Allow God to Love You

        Begin with the end in mind- Stephen R. Covey

       For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in 
Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jn. 3:16

I love God since childhood.

Want proofs? 

Here they are!

1. I pray a lot.
2. I attend Mass every Sunday.
3. I read and study the Bible.
4. I respect my parents.
5. I share what I have to others.
6. I volunteer a lot. 
7. I was only engage in two (childhood) fights. (The first was with my classmate when I was in grade two and the last was with my brother when I was in grade five)
8. I was awarded Pinaka-Maaalalahanin from grade one to grade four, and also  when I was in grade six. (When I was in grade five, the school awarded me Pinaka-Masipag).
9. I was Best in Values Education at the end of every school year during my high school days.
10. I study well (I am the First Honorable Mention when I graduated in Fourth year). 
11. I return excess change during rides. 
12. I throw garbage properly.
13. I plant trees.
14. I feel bad when I accidentally kill ants, spiders, and cockroaches. (Nako-konsensya talaga ako).

Wait!

Before you stop reading and think I’m boasting here, please bear with me ‘cause I’m trying to make a point.

My Greatest Inheritance

Okay, let’s continue.

I’m very thankful to my Papa and Mama that they raised me this way; fearing God. Because of them I started aspiring heaven and for me to be there, I need to be good and please God. Actually, more than education and a piece of land, this is what I will consider the greatest “pamana” that they will ever leave me. 

With this certain kind of “religiosity”, I tried to love God until I discovered a truth that really shocked me.What is this truth?

The truth is:  That I never have loved God since childhood; it is God who have loved me since childhood!

What a liberating Truth! 

You know what? I‘m continuously detoxified by this truth and its making my life more purposive and free (this kind of life is also my wish for you).  I really thank God for building this kind of relationship with me.

A Story of Conversion Just on Time  

Actually, there’s nothing wrong in what I was doing before (its part of my spiritual growth) but God made me realized that I was loving Him with a wrong motivation. I found myself during those times that I was trying to earn God’s love through my own efforts. I thought that God needed to love me because I was doing everything for Him- that He needed to answer my prayers because I was doing His will… that He owed me heaven because I tried my best to be a good person. What a self-centered person I was. (forgive me Lord)

And now that God have made me understand what Saint Paul means when he reminded the believers in Rome, my life has never been the same…

“But those who depend on faith, not on deeds, and who believed in the God who declares the guilty to be innocent, it is this faith that God takes into account in order to put them right with himself“ (Rm. 4:5)

Today, more that proving every second that I love God, I’m now attentive to the many ways He’s whispering that He loves me. Today, more than trying to make myself good, I’m now allowing Him to mold me to perfection (like a pot)! Today, more than believing that I love Him, I’m now convinced that He has already loved me and continuously loving me… that there’s nothing I could do to earn His Love because He already did and His love is a free gift as written:

            
             “For if God’s choice were based on what people do, then his grace would not be  real  grace” (Rm. 11:6).

The only thing that I need to do is to actually receive and allow this blessing to come like a new born child.

Looking back on the day AJ was born, (even until this moment) my wife Karen and I really love him and give him everything he needs, not because he can do something for us like cooking, or doing the laundry, or fixing the faucets, or earning for us. (Nakakita ka na ba ng isang sanggol na ginagawa ang lahat ng  ito para sa kanyang mga magulang?). But we have found ourselves loving him dearly without expecting something in return. AJ is just there in a very intriguing routine: eating, sleeping, smiling, playing (and now giving us headache) but we love him. If we and (you as a parent) can give this kind of love to our children, then, the more our Father in heaven can give pure love than what can we offer here on earth. A love expressed by His generosity giving His one and only Son to save us as written:

For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son (Jn. 3:16).

The End in Mind

I now have learned that I just need to be a child.

I just need to be a child deliberately and constantly allowing God, my Father, to Love me.

This kind of relationship is the very beginning and very end of all the Inspirations of a Pasahero. Without this kind of inspiration, without reaching this certain kind of allowness (dependence), all the efforts of a Pasahero will be useless and dead like what St. Paul wrote:

 “Because they did not depend on faith but on what they did, so they stumbled over the stumbling stone” (Rm. 9:32).

And this is the reason why I’m already telling you this at the very beginning of this series.

That allowing God to Love You is your goal today, tomorrow and forever. 

Let us pray that we’ll all be successful reaching this goal or better say,

Let us allow God to be successful reaching this goal with us.

Dear friend, allow God to love you!

May you always be inspired!

Ball Catching 101

123 Catch!.. 123 Catch!.. 123 Catch! 

What a melody to complete the ambiance of my date. 

One Sunday afternoon, in a ground size of a football field, clothed with soft green grass, surrounded by tall and dancing mahogany trees, (where the dry leaves under them makes them look more lovely), with a cold refreshing air and beautiful skyline brought by sunset, matched by sounds of birds and airplane passing above, plus the laughter of children, I found myself dating a beautiful three year old boy whose arms were already stretched forward set to catch a pink, mouse-decorated, not so well inflated bouncy (not really) ball. 

Yes, I was teaching my son AJ how to catch a ball, and we’re doing it on a vacant lot near Walter Mart - Carmona. 

It was a wonderful and inspiring date for me (I hope for AJ too). AJ’s laughter has never failed to echo God’s goodness to me since I have committed myself to raise a family. Moreover, this date ‘aka’ Ball Catching 101 course for AJ has reminded me of the  Inspirations of Pasahero; relationships that a pasahero should sustain if he wants to be truly generous and experience God’s abundance in his life. 

What is this inspiration?

I call it, The Inspiration of Allowness! 

Or The Readiness to Receive!

Or simply, The Gift of Openness!

I do not know how you were able to learn to catch a ball or how other tatay’s  teach their children this thing, but observing my son even before I counted 1,2,3 and signaled him to catch, AJ had already stretched his arms and had opened his hands for him to be ready to catch the ball. And as I tossed the ball towards him, he did all the effort to catch the ball and hold it in his both hands. Most of the times he failed, but you know what- whether he was able to catch the ball or not, his laughter and excitement never change. (I cannot really describe how happy I was dating my son like this. If you have little kids and never tried this before, please do it with them. If you don’t have one yet or you’re still single, just borrow).

Most of the times, this is what people fail to realize and the reason why they fall from the belief that they do not receive any blessing from God and see themselves ‘malas’ or  failure. I do not believe that God gave you His own image and likeness and later on make you a ‘malas’ or a failure. Surely, God has a great plan more than this. What I believe is what Jesus said, 

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask him”. (Mt. 7:11). 

Have you noticed, the problem is not that God is unmoved by our needs, or has favoritism in distributing His goods. He is actually so generous (as in sobrang generous!) The problem is that many people are not ready to stretch their arms and open their hands to catch and hold God’s blessings.  Worse, many of these people are indifferent to His blessings because they are busy holding other things. 

If AJ would not catch the ball I’m about to toss, nothing would happen. This is obvious! This is also the same with blessings. If we’re not receptive enough to catch and hold blessings, we will never enjoy it. We will never be able to maximize it. 

Furthermore, I believe that all of us is enrolled in ‘Ball Catching 101”. Our professor is no other than our Tatay in heaven.  Everyday, He throw blessings (saying 1,2,3 .. catch!) and train us to be ready to catch, hold, and enjoy them. My prayer is that we learn fast and be able to pass this course. 

Believe me. There’s no other way to experience and maximize the abundance of our Father’s goodness than to be ready to catch and hold them dearly.

Why I’m sharing this to you?

Because this is the main idea behind the Four Inspirations of Pasahero. Without this inspiration of Allowness, you will find it very hard to be a pasahero. Without the ability to be receptive, you cannot truly give. 

What are these inspirations?Are you ready to discover them?

Sure?

Let’s begin!!

    Inspiration 1:  Allowing God to Love You

    Inspiration 2:  Allowing Yourself to Love You

    Inspiration 3:  Allowing Yourself to Love Others

    Inspiration 4:  Allowing Yourself to Love by Others

I’m already excited to expand these inspirations to you one by one in my up-coming posts. My prayer is that you have already ponder on these things and just like before, I will be glad to hear some comments from you.

Thank you for your generosity reading this post.

May you always be inspired! 

"All The Things I Need To Value, I Learned As A Passanger!"

 You do yourself a favor when you are kind, If you are cruel, you only hurt yourself.

- Proverbs 11:17

A blessed day!

Let me introduce the “Four Inspirations” and “Eight Habits of Pasahero” by sharing to you first my “Jeepney Etiquette”.

Have you ever heard of this before?

If not, this is actually a list of good manners and right conduct (parang ‘yung kinalakihan nating table manners) that a pasahero should observe in order for him to experience a joyful, inspiring, safe and holy travel (don’t worry, this is not yet the travel to afterlife).  

This is not a complete list (I will really appreciate if you can add more to the list) but as far as being pasahero since birth up to this day, deliberately observing them has helped me (consciously and unconsciously) to acquire set of values which continuously guiding  me in maintaining a happy relationship with myself, others, and specially with God. (Kaya pala ‘di ako binibigyan ng sariling sasakyan ni Lord hanggang ngayon.) 

I am looking forward to share with you a more detailed discussion on this list in my future posts but for the meantime, I ‘m just giving you the list. Enjoy it.

Ready?

Go!

 

1. Wake-up early! (Ito ang simula ng lahat).
2. Eat breakfast. (Crucial din ‘to kapatid).
3. Prepare an exact fare. (Barya lang po sa umaga! Plataporma na rin ito ng mga kandidato makapagdikit lang ng mga stickers sa jeep kahit hindi pa oras ng kampanya).
4. Pay your fare. Honestly! (God knows Hudas not pay! Isang example ng Pinoy  Homophones).
5. Return excess change.
6. Share your seat. Or for elderly, disabled, and children; give it!
7. Mag-abot ng bayad...with a smile:)
8.  Say please and thank you a lot. 
9.   Smile to as many passanger as you can. (Batiin ang kakilala kahit walang pang-libre. Challenging ‘to). 
10. No smoking! (Batas na ito ngayon).
11. Huwag matulog lalo na sa jeep. (Di pa batas, pero malapit na).
12. Makipag-usap lang ng katamtaman (May natutulog kasi. Joke).
13. Sumakay at bumaba sa tamang lugar. (Bawal! May nanghuhuli- driver).
14. Iwasang bumanggit ng pangalan sa kwentuhan. (Lalo na kung negatibo at tsismis ang pinagu-usapan).
15. 'Wag magbasa ng text ng may text, lalo na't hindi kakilala (nakaka-asar kasi).
16. Maki-'para' (Kapag ‘bingi’ ang driver, sabi nila).
17. ‘Pag may pila, pumila. Kung wala, gumawa!
18. Iwasang sumabit. (Sa pintuan, sa harapan, sa bubungan, sa gilid, o maging sa ilalim ng sasakyan).
19. ‘Wag magkalat sa loob o labas ng sasakyan. (Mortal sin na ito ngayon, fyi).
20. Magdala ng candy or biscuit, pati na rin ng libro. (Marami itong benefits, share ko sa inyo next time).
21. Tumulong at magbigay ng direksyon (Kung kaya at alam mo).
22. Ingatan ang iyong mga dala at sikaping hindi ito makaabala.
23. Huwag pag-isipan na mandurukot o holdaper ang lahat ng ka-sakay mo. (Bad yon).
24. Always maintain a positive self-talk (Madalas kausap mo ang sarili mo pag nagbi-byahe ka mag-isa, wag tatanggi).
25. Magmasid (na parang turista).
26. Pray a lot! (Highly recommended ko ito. Lalo na yung ala-living rosary sa loob ng sasakyan.  Marami rin akong kwento tungkol dito).

What do you think?

I hope you enjoyed and appreciate the list. Again, if ever you have additional “Jeepney Etiquette”, please let me know. I‘ll wait for it!

Thank you very much.

May you always be inspired!

PASAHERO a.k.a Saving for Others!

This time I would like to share with you my not so obvious idea.

Brace yourself.

This will really change your life if you make it a habit. A commitment!

Here it is. (Drums please)

Save Passionately for Others!

Indeed, saving for yourself (or for your love ones) is a good practice. (Many people do this and you’re probably one of them. But if not, I urge you to start it now. As in ngayon na!) But saving also for others is a better one! (Weird? I hope not.)

This is the message of PASAHERO. 
A message which cultivates generosity in everyones heart…

A message which comes from the belief that if all of us will only learn how to be truly generous, this world will be a better place.

Come to think of this.

As this world becomes more and more industrialized (yet victimized), many of us want to be more secured. (Sino ba naman ang ayaw?)

Many of us think that security comes when we save for ourselves more-when we acquire more… Or when we make more profit, when we make more money… Or when we become more famous, when we become more powerful.

Believe me. These things will never make us more secured, or worst, these will only makes us more insecure!

So, if you want more security. GIVE!

If you want to be rich, be GENEROUS!

If you want to have an abundant life, be a PASAHERO!

There is no other way!

But, we can only be generous if we have something to give, if we have something to offer…

Do you have something to give?  Do you have something to offer?

Ummm... ahhh...?

Okay. I firmly believe that you have something or actually “many” things to offer. Believe that!

 I know that you also want to become generous as much as you can. Am I correct?

Yet sometimes, you think that what you have at this moment is only “enough” for you and for your family. Therefore, your plan is to be generous only if you have already received the increase that you’re expecting, if your children or apo have already finished with their schooling, if you have already receive a promotion, if there will be something left in your pocket, or in your kitchen. 

The sad things about this is that, first: if you delay your giving, your giving may already too late. Second, who knows this things will come, (and if not, will you still be generous?) And lastly, there is a big probability that when you already  reach your goals, there will be another one that will excuse you again for giving (remember: man's heart is hard to satisfy). 

So, don’t plan to be generous tomorrow. 

Don't delay GIVING!

Decide to be GENEROUS NOW!

Decide to SAVE FOR OTHERS NOW!

Yes, it may be enough for you and for your loved ones, but I promise you that if you start practicing the habits of a pasahero (saving for others), you’ll discover how abundant you are and how secured you are.

May I invite you to practice the Habits of a PASAHERO.

What are these habits? More on this next time.

Be inspired!

Save Passionately!

Hi there!

Let me continue. Here are the numbers again.

104                                 162
- 98                              x   10  
    6                               1620

    6                                1620       
x 27                                x 27
 162                            43740

  162                            43740  
 x 12                               x 12
1944                          524880

 1944                         524880
  x 28                             x  28
54432                    14696640

What are these numbers?

Let me decode the secret, (just getting your attention, nothing serious here).

Look back at the first column, this actually computes how much I will save if I deliberately practice one of the habits of pasahero until I turned 60 (Sana abot pa ako).

104 refers to my total transportation expenses (two-way) every time I go for work from Carmona to Silang (imagine how much I spent just for transportation in a month).

"I need to do something" I told to myself; so, I started squeezing myself in an ordinary bus instead of my usual dance in an air-conditioned one. 'Know what? I was able to save 6.00 to 8.00 pesos a day.  Multiply 6.00 pesos to 27 working days, this gives me 162.00 pesos savings a month. Multiply this number to 12 (for a year) this saves me 1,944.00. If I will save this amount until I turned 60 (I am now 32) my savings will approximately go up to 54, 432.00 pesos. This amount may not be something big these days but let me continue doing my Math. (Do you notice I really love Mathematics now).

Let us say that half of my co-passengers in a 20 seater-jeep will also do the same everyday (10 katao ‘yun di ga?) until they turned 60 (kunwari kasing edad ko rin sila ngayon). Viola! These ten people will save up to 14,696,640.00 pesos.

If this figure does not blow your mind yet, try to compute for 20 persons or 40 or 60 persons. How much will they save?...  Same 6 pesos a day until they reach 60? You do the Math (simple math lang yan, hehe!)

Now, here’s my obvious point.

SAVE!

And SAVE PASSIONATELY!

For whom?

For what?

Talk to you next time.

May you always be inspired!