this thing called LOVE

Ang pagibig ay ang katotohanan, kagandahan at kabutihan.

(Love is truth, beauty and goodness.)

LOVE is

Lasting,

Other-centered,

Values persons,

Expects nothing in return.

LV: the key to life’s triumphs

The inspiration of this essay:

A conversation in today’s (9/15/09) 6:30 am class.

1: Don’t you and your classmates come to class early because you don’t want to get embarrassed?

(Two-second silence)

2: Uh…Yes, Sir.

1: Do you want to get embarrassed?

2 No Sir. I do not want to get embarrassed.

1: “Yan. Ganyan talaga ang Filipino doing things just because they do not what to get embarrassed… ‘Di nyo ba na isip na mas kahiya-hiya pa yung pinapakita nyo? (referring to some of us being late for our other classes) Don’t you think being late in another teacher’s class is a disrespect of his person?”

(Three-second Silence.)

1: Cge. Go be Filipinos and pull this country down with you.

The conversation struck me harder than a lover who got hit by cupid’s arrow. 1 was right. We tend to do things just because we don’t want to get embarrassed or because we want to leave a good impression. We normally don’t think about doing things because it is what is right and just.

So what’s up with LV?

Why do I think it’s the key for all triumphs?

LV, of course not Louis Vuitton but LIVING VIRTUOUSLY is the key for all triumphs because virtue is what makes a good life. Prudence, temperance, fortitude and justice are what make us live life to the fullest. Yes, going against the rules or acting evil may be more fun than LV but dear, fun does not always equate to happiness. Authentic triumph may only be felt when you know you exerted much effort to attain the goal. LV is difficult to achieve while the opposite, VL a.k.a Villain Living, is so easy to achieve. There is no victory in taking the easy way out. Likewise, there is no authentic triumph in achieving evil goals. You may have won the game but if you know you cheated, the feeling of triumph is lame. Your conscience will haunt you (unless your conscience is calloused). It will not put you to sleep at night knowing that you did what is wrong when you could have done what is right. I guess that’s why the quote goes, “The greatest regret in life is not the wrong things that we’ve done, but the right things that we should have or could have done but never did.”

LV is not a one time big time act. It is a daily repetitive decision. Certainly, we will commit mistakes and fall into sin because it’s part of man’s fallen nature. But we have the power of the will to back us up, to pull us in our every fall. We just have to decide then make the move.

Ergo, I dare you to make the move, (I’m talking to myself too.) to live in fashion. Take LV as your fashion statement now. :)

“What is the cure for the sickness called hypocrisy and mediocrity?”

“What is the cure for the sickness called hypocrisy and mediocrity?”

I think it's discipline and finding the reason why. When you are disciplined, (as our IEP oath states) “you can always excel and do well; nothing can make you falter and difficulties make you stronger”. And when you know the reason why you do something, you find the dedication and determination to always strive for excellence.

I know what discipline is, I have been taught about it at home, in school, in work and on the streets. The only challenge is for me to translate theorein into praxis.

I have found the reason why I must leave H&M- hypocrisy and mediocrity behind. It is because it is what is right and good. It is what is just. It is what benefits others. It is what honors my parents. It is what glorifies God.

So from this day on, I bid H&M goodbye and say hello to D&G- Discipline and gratitude of everything, especially of knowing the reason why. I know H&M will haunt me to my grave like gravity pulling us down to the core of the earth, but I will stand up with each and every fall. I will use D&G to help me transcend. I want not only life, but also a life with a pleasant style. So help me God.

* excerpt from whatever I wrote yesterday:)

:)

I have not been blogging for so long. I can come up with denumerable excuses and alibis but I'd rather not. I have been pre-occupied with so many things. Life in the metro has suddenly become a jungle. There's so much to do with so little time- or so we think. 

And as the cliche goes, life is so short so enjoy it. I am. I will. I'd make sure I will and this is my take on enjoying life. Writing anything that comes to mind. Daily, or at least weekly to inculcate discipline. Whatever. 

I don't know how to end this blahb but I do know what I want to say:

Life is short for a reason

like everything has a purpose.

Life was made to be short, 

not to deprive us of all it's goodness and beauty,

but to challenge us.

To challenge us to take on the BEST of it's goodness and beauty.

 Have a Blessed Sunday. :)