Your mantra for the Double “10” Week: “I am ready to receive all my blessings.”

 

Whatever so-called un-good is happening in your life now can be resolved by bringing peace to your mind and heart. For when the mind and heart are at peace, whatever has to be done comes to you clearly and definitely. You are always guided to do the right thing for your good and the good of all concerned.

 

Peace does not exempt us from challenges, but peace gives us the wisdom and the direction to overcome all challenges. Every challenge that is overcome turns into a blessing.

 

Karma explains why you are where you are, but it does not determine your future, for your future is determined by you and the choices you make. Every moment of your life, you have a choice… whether to judge or not to judge, to criticize or not, to abuse your body or to take care of it by listening to what it needs.

A lot of unhappiness in the world is created by judgment. It is so easy to judge. It is so easy to compare and see the negative in the world or in our neighbor. The commandment says, “Love thy neighbor.” Change “love” into “accept” and you will understand unconditional love. Accept thy neighbor. Live, let live.

 

When you have peace in your heart and mind, you bring health to your body, you attract prosperity in all forms, harmony to your relationships and success through all your endeavors. Your future is something you decide on.

 

Where do you want to go, what do you want to achieve? And from there, make all the necessary choices to support this vision. And as you keep peace in your mind, in your heart, each step shall be revealed. You shall be moved to the right people, events and circumstances that will assist you in bringing forth your dream.

 

By the use of your thoughts and your feelings (your I am), you actualize your future. You reign supreme in the kingdom of your mind. And when you exercise this sovereignty, you truly discover your godliness and are able to determine your destiny that is fulfilling and full of the wonders of the universe.

 

When a challenge occurs in your life, say to yourself, “peace be still.” And as your mind and your heart settle peacefully, the light within you shines brightly. It guides you to the right choices and directs you to the next step to resolve and bring forth harmony. Then you will realize that, as within you, so without.

 

Showstopper

 

At 6 p.m., on a Friday, if you were to take the Forbes Park exit at Edsa, it would take an hour to get to the Guadalupe Bridge, and from there, another hour  to Megamall in Mandaluyong, and a third hour to Sulu Hotel in Quezon City.

 

That was exactly what I had to go through to attend chief presidential legal counsel Sal Panelo’s birthday party hosted by hotelier Tina Cuevas, who has done wonders to Sulu after she took over its ownership and management.

 

It was a surprise to us how Sal’s friendships have crossed the different sectors of society: construction magnate Philip Cruz; shipping heiress, leading entrepreneur and philanthropist Doris Magsaysay-Ho; Miss World franchise holder Cory Quirino; Rep. Baby Arenas; Paul Aquino and cousin Jacky Aquino, who are partners in a cooperative helping farmers convert to organic farming; jewelers Ann Ong and Nina Webb, who became fast friends upon my introduction; the ebullient educator Jojo Zabarte; GMA 7’s Rod Cornejo; and solar power entrepreneur Panchito Puckett.

 

And then there was Vivian Velez, still exuding her famous sex appeal; Elizabeth Oropesa, whom Sal referred to as the “sex kitten” of her time; the still glamorous and beautiful Daisy Romualdez; and the inimitable Imelda Papin, who sang a duet with sister Aileen.

 

But the showstopper of the evening was the birthday boy himself who can give any professional balladeer a run for his money. So much so, that President Duterte need never worry about entertainment in the Palace because Sal can take care of it all—he not only sings, emcees and plays the piano, but is also a composer to boot.

 

As they say in Spanish, “Que mas quieres…” Panalo talaga si Panelo!

 

Would-be masters

 

We have featured paintings by masters, but this week, we have chosen to share works by contemporary artists Pete Jimenez and Jonathan Olazo, who, we are sure, would one day be masters themselves. Their works were viewed recently at Joanna Preysler’s Provenance Art Gallery in Shangri-La at The Fort, Taguig.

 

Sculptor Pete Jimenez is an awardee of GSIS Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) and is a graduate of University of the Philippines Fine Arts, major in Visual Communications.

 

Painter Jonathan Olazo came to the public eye in 1986 when he won third prize, Graphic Arts Category, of the AAP and has exhibited in many local galleries and even reached Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He, like Pete, is a UP Fine Arts graduate.

 

Party rerun

 

Once upon this week, there was champagne and a gathering of 70 to 80 prominent figures from society, business and government that would occupy this whole column if I mentioned them all. It feels like the “branded” people are moving back to the good old days when society editors would have to call party givers to ask permission to send a photographer to cover their event.

 

The hosts of yesteryears were always given a choice whether they would like to share their celebrations or special occasions with the general public. The right to privacy was always given great importance.

 

It was the era when conspicuous consumption was not the order of the day.

 

Today, editors no longer have this kind of problem. Party givers have their own photographers and more than gladly send pictures of  events and, oftentimes, even include a write-up and a complete list of attendants and always making sure they wear branded items, which has now become the conventional or generic way of handling social affairs. What a difference an era makes.

 

So, this week was like a rerun of a party I had written about a few weeks ago where the hosts and many of the guests had requested to remain unidentified. If this trend keeps up, my future columns would simply be a repeat of today’s exposition.

 

In other words, hanggang “ditto” na lang ang masasabi ko. But in today’s so-called high society, this is not about to happen!

 

E-mail the columnist: [email protected]; visit www.GeorgeSison.com and www.iamism.org; listen to his “Positive Session” radio program on DWIZ 882 AM every Saturday, 9-10 p.m.