Changes and Learnings

This year started with a sudden fast forward. Things changed and everything happened so fast. My emotions went through a lot of ups and downs but I would like to think that, in spite of the devastating things that happened, everything will work out for the better. Things will start to look up and that’s one thing I surely know. I can sincerely say that I am thankful I am learning, even if I have to learn in the hard way.  Here are some of the things that I learned:

1.      Let go

Let go of the past. Let go of the bitterness. Let go of the shoulda, woulda, coulda. These things won’t make moving on any easier. Letting go is hard, but sometimes if we choose to stay, we’ll never see what better things lie ahead.

2.      Rearranging priorities

There’s a coffee commercial which asks, “Para kanino ka bumabangon?” A simple question that invokes a lot of changes in one’s life if taken seriously. Sometimes we get so engrossed with the complexities of life that we forget what really matters in life. Lately, I always ask myself that question and my answer is always God, family and loved ones. When death creeps up in a family, other things don’t seem to matter anymore except relationships with God, family and loved ones. As they say, on their deathbed, nobody ever wished they had spent more time in the office.

3.      Food

We are what we eat and drink. Our body is the temple of the spirit so we have to be a good steward of our body. I learned to eat more of nature’s bounty like fresh food in their natural state. I also learned that we should be mindful not only of what we eat but also of what we should not eat.

4.      Suffering

Every time we encounter sufferings, it defines our capacities for life. It is essential. Suffering cleanses our soul and removes insignificant matters in our life. There is a tremendous value to being stuck in the middle of suffering as we can learn something incredibly heart-changing and life-altering things when we suffer. And when suffering subsides something good takes place.

5.       Busyness

Work load, extra-curricular activities, seminars, meetings, volunteer positions. These things demonstrate just how much we are trying to juggle everything. And the sad thing is, we are often quite proud of how busy we are. Work and activities became a way we measured our value. And because of it, we push ourselves to work harder and accomplish a lot of things. But in the process, we forget how to relax, to breathe, to pray, to be in awe of the sunrise and sunsets, and to have real relationships with our family and loved ones. Not just small talks and kamustahans. I learned that overcommitment is not something to be proud of because it is a sign of disparity. I learned to sincerely trust in God and be willing to rest.

6.      Hope

There is peace in finding hope. Sometimes life becomes so unfair that it is easy to look on the negative side of things but I learned that there is always hope in the disappointments of life. Hope helps us to fight fear. And it is comforting and relaxing to lie in bed at night with a hope that tomorrow will be a better day.

7.      Family

Family is a blessing. We have to appreciate them more, not to take them for granted and to love more. There is no such thing as a perfect family but the not-so-perfect things are what make a family stronger. I learned to embrace the not-so-perfect things. Sometimes those imperfections are what make the memories that we really cherish because when our loved ones will be gone, all we have left are those memories.

8.      God

I learned to sincerely trust God. In my trying times, God always proved how faithful he was to me even if I’m not. He is faithful and He is not going to let us down. We just need to be still and know that He is God.