Your mantra for the week:
“I cocreate my life with the One Creator.”

I have been receiving many letters asking how one can improve one’s life. Various self-help books offer techniques on how to achieve these goals. But I feel that there is one important thing one must achieve before any technique or recommended methodology can work—and that is to change one’s consciousness.

Consciousness is the sum of all our thoughts, feelings and beliefs. Changing this is simple and yet a tall order.

I used to go to Mass and communion every day for seven years and yet I could not get my life together. I decided to stop the practice and started researching on other ways so I could honestly call myself a happy human being.

I went on a self-study of astrology, looked into other religious belief systems to a point where I finally became an agnostic. An agnostic is not the same as being an atheist as many mistakenly assume. An atheist categorically claims there is no God, while an agnostic just says, I do not know whether or not there is a God.

Big realization

But what finally brought me to where I am was the realization that everything in the universe is God. That, after all, what I was looking for all the time, but like so many things that are so obvious, we often do not recognize it. All the years of my life and all the religions I had studied, all stated and believed that God was everywhere.

Plain logic will show that if God is everywhere, everywhere must be God. If everywhere is God, then one will find God within every human being. Even Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is within.” Unfortunately, Christianity never emphasized. Yet this belief is what determines one’s feeling of self-worth, and self-worth is what determines the quality of one’s life.

If you feel you are not worthy of all the good in the universe, you can never have it. That is why there are many unfulfilled and unhappy people. The 30 percent of Filipinos living below the poverty line, which is an issue everyone is complaining about, will stay an issue until the self-worth of that 30 percent changes. Add to this, the belief of most Filipinos that they are sinners.

The problem with guilt

In psychology, when you believe you are a sinner, you are also guilt-ridden and feel a sense of self-hatred. In metaphysics, feeling this way about yourself will be the equivalent “punishment” which we call misfortune, kamalasan and other forms of negative experiences.

In my Ateneo days, I remember a father-confessor who would tell me that God has put thorns in human lives and that is His will. No wonder so many people blame God for their misfortune. Since when does a God of Love and Goodness give thorns to His children?

Many people must have asked the same question; therefore, the Church had to invent hell and the devil. Fortunately, St. John Paul II finally affirmed that there is no devil and no hell. They are all states of mind. Ergo, we just brought all negative things unto ourselves, showing that we are totally responsible for our lives and our consciousness.

To those who want to improve their lives, remember that God is within you and you have the power to change your consciousness (your thoughts, your feelings and most especially your old beliefs). They have all created your life now. Once you have established in your consciousness that you are not separated from God, you will never be separated from your Good.

August celebrators

I didn’t know I had many friends born in August until I started getting invitations from Cory Quirino, who was celebrating her birthday at Dario Gardini’s Caruso Ristorante Italiano where the food is consistently at its best; Manette Agbayani later in the month at the Manila Polo Club; and Marissa Fenton at Blackbird, currently the hottest dining place owned and run by Colin Mackay, also known for his other restaurants like Sala and People’s Palace.

At Caruso, Cory told us about her Miss World pageant on Oct. 5. She has her fingers crossed that she will have a back-to-back Miss World for 2013 and 2014.

At Blackbird, Marissa Fenton’s love story was truly fascinating. It is reminiscent of the Broadway play and movie “Same Time Next Year.” This is one marriage I’m sure where space will never become an issue. Marissa is the envy of many wives because she is well-provided for and still enjoys the many aspects of singlehood. Hers is another variation of the OFW experience: Overwhelmingly Fulfilled Wife.

At Marissa’s birthday were Paqui and Lilibeth Campos; popular fashion designers Lulu Tan Gan and Ito Curata; Henry and Jojo Zabarte; Becky and George Sarakinis; Bob Miller; Geena Zablan and Emma Nieto.

A special menu was prepared by chef Colin which all 30 guests enjoyed. The Blackbird had people who hopped over from The Peninsula Manila across the street like Anton San Diego, Maurice Arcache, who gave me a big NO-NO sign about the Bong Daza announcement; still the-favorite-of-many, designer Inno Sotto; Tina Cuevas of the now elegant Sulu hotel; and PR lady Susan Joven with Jeffrey Campos of Greenfield Development.

And speaking of development, in Makati City they are putting up buildings like there’s no tomorrow and sacrificing every square meter of green space. A disheartened resident with a really bad cold due to pollution and lack of trees exclaimed, “It’s now ‘greed living’ around here!”

Feels like New York

West Capitol Drive at Kapitolyo in Pasig City becomes a bottleneck during mealtimes because of two dining spots owned by Dr. Efren “Boy” Vasquez—Haru, a Japanese restaurant, and Café Juanita, described by Time magazine as a place to visit when in the Philippines.

Not only is the food excellent, but there are multifarious objet d’art collections of china, chandeliers, superbly arranged in Efren’s inimitable style. Everything is for sale, “including myself,” said the owner.

Dr. Vasquez was a brilliant ob-gyne when he was assistant to Dr. Constantino Manahan. But a lot of ladies say he is an even better chef. His catfish mango salad, Laguna fish and cassava cake are must-try dishes.

Furthermore, in this busy place, people-watching is an added pleasure where well-known personalities are often seen—like Ambassador Antonio Cabangon Chua, Miss World 2013 Megan Young, Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez and even education icon centenarian Helena Benitez. Recently, traffic at West Capitol Drive swelled even more when President Aquino decided to have dinner at Haru.

I had never been to Hai Shin Lou restaurant until this year when I was treated by friends, steel man William Tan and his lovely wife Katherine to a 90-percent vegetarian meal. This was one memorable Chinese gourmet evening.

So, I decided to extend the experience with other friends like Nedy Tantoco and Patrick Jacinto, DJ Lopez, Mario Katigbak, Ann and Rene Puno, Rupert and Tina Jacinto, who, I also found out, had never been to this restaurant that opened in 2002. Only my sister Margarita goes there for the peppercorn sea mantis. The irony is that we all know the three owners—Henry Sy Sr., Tonyboy Cojuangco and Al Tengco.

Aside from the never-ending laughter this group usually shares, a 10-course menu was added to make the evening truly nan wang. A special thank you to manager Ben Chong for his gracious welcome and impeccable service, despite a packed house that evening.

With all these restaurants, it’s beginning to feel like New York City—except that the Big Apple has the cool and refreshing Central Park.