Your mantra for the week: “Before I ask, many blessings flow into my life.”
The year of the Earth Dog is now at hand. New plans being made, new views introduced, new ideas proffered, new speculations in the offing. But the best investment to be made this year is on oneself because the returns are immeasurable in all areas of life.
Here are 10 things worth considering:
1) A new exercise program to get you in better shape, whether to lose or gain weight, build more muscle, or simply to become more fit.
2) Eating more healthy. Find out what your body needs via lab tests that will reveal uric acid, blood sugar, creatinine and triglyceride counts, among others, and bringing them all to normal levels.
3) Learning a new skill or any form of creativity. This gives your mind a constructive boost and adds enthusiasm to your life.
4) Mastering a language or improving your communication skills which will contribute greatly to your effectivity in reaching out.
5) Meditating or mantra-ing regularly, at least three times a day, to move you forward more quickly to your heart’s desires.
6) Practicing spiritual principles such as kindness, praising, encouragement, gratefulness, and appreciating all that is beautiful around you and seeing the good even when appearances make it difficult, or simply keeping still and listening to that Still-Small-Voice.
7) Meeting new people because every person you meet is a potential channel of your good.
8) Reading more for expanded ideas. My father always used to remind me, “You cannot beat a person who reads.”
9) Discovering your dormant abilities, which most people have but don’t put to good use.
10) Finding ways to improve your self-esteem. One of the most effective ways is opening up your locked heart to show your vulnerability, because an open heart is ready to love and be loved.
Three days of Valentine
Every Valentines’ Day, many Filipinos celebrate the occasion for three days: Feb. 13th is for a special someone; the 14th for the “Ako legal wife”; and the 15th for a meaningful past love that seems to linger on. The 13th and the 15th are interchangeable.
This year, Valentine’s Day fell on Ash Wednesday, and so conflicted feelings occurred with devotees who have extramarital activities, not to mention the singles who would be guilty of fornication.
Their consolation is that the practice of marking the head with ashes on this day started only during the papacy of Pope Gregory the Great (590-604). Furthermore, nowhere in the Bible will you find this ritual being practiced by anyone, not even the 12 Apostles. In fact, Jesus instructed that, during a fast, one must not practice disfiguring one’s face, and further commanded, “to wash our faces during a fast.”
Meanwhile, elsewhere in ancient times, the Nordic pagan religion practiced this rite by placing ashes above one’s brow as a sign of protection from the Norse god Odin, whose day was celebrated on a Wednesday.
Nowadays, people walk around on Ash Wednesday proudly brandishing that they are repentant of their sins. On that note, let me reiterate that I believe that this business about “sinning” must finally be put aside, while remembering that man was manifested by the Cosmic Birther with Original Goodness, which is the great capacity to love.
Love
And so, I have asked some of my friends what it is they call Love, and what they expect in the Year of the Earth Dog.
“What a fascinating juncture of events—Valentine’s Day, Ash Wednesday, Lunar New Year—that only you can decipher and untangle. As for me, all three are auspicious. I have a precious old love, I am in love and God is love.” —Gemma Cruz Araneta, Miss International 1964
“Love is the fire that keeps you living.” —Karen Davila, TV host and news anchor
“Love is when you can’t help but smile and everything immediately brightens up at the sight of your loved ones.” —Zelda Kienle, co-founder, Philux
“Love is to cherish and to nourish the self and others.” —Margie Moran, Miss Universe 1974
“Love is evident when one is quietly supportive and allows the beloved to shine at her big event—an exhibit, book launch, dance recital, play.” —Mav Rufino, artist
“Love is a mystery. You will never know when it happens, but when it happens, you will not have any doubts it is Love, because there is no feeling like it.” —Michelle Sison, wellness, fitness and beauty ambassador of Herbalife
“Love is when a son tells his dad, I’ll take care of you.” —Mario Katigbak, GM, Hermès and Bulgari in the Philippines
“Love transcends everything. You never tire of the company of a loved one—it only gets better.” —Jaime Ponce de Leon, founder and CEO, León Gallery Auction House
“Love is when I can make a lady client more beautiful than she could ever imagine she can be.” —Jesi Mendez, stylist
“Love is the infrastructure of everything and anything worthwhile. When everything is said and done, only Love will last.” —Jun Palafox, architect and urban planner
“Love is what makes you crave for the body and soul of your person of interest.” —Ramon Tulfo, columnist and radio commentator
“The thought of how much King loves me and expresses it plants a permanent smile on my lips. I thank God and King for giving me a second chance at love, marriage and, oooohh, the gentlest foot massage that he personally lavishes on me.” —Boots Anson Roa, award-winning actress
“Kay Elisa:
Maligayang bati sa ’yo aking sinta,
’Sang puting rosas ang sa iyo’y dala,
Sagisag na ikaw ang iisang pita
Niyaring aking puso, diwa’t kaluluwa.” —King Rodrigo
All 13 personalities expect the Year of the Dog to be auspicious, as far as their goals and expectations are concerned.
For me, Love is an active verb that expresses as acts of kindness, generosity, encouragement and compassion.
As for our dear readers, when you put to practice the action verb that is Love, you will experience it dramatically, as this year unfolds with the many colors that live and vibrate within you: the yellow of joy, the blue of wisdom, the red of passion, the green of prosperity, the orange of healing, the pink of health, the purple of Godliness.
Add to this the white of purity and the black that blocks off the negatives.
May the barking of the Earth Dog bring you a rainbow of blessings with that proverbial pot of gold.
Erratum:
Watashitachi no shazai. The photo that appeared in my column last week was wrongly identified as Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda and Madame Ihoko Haneda. It should be Minister for Economic Affairs of the Embassy of Japan Makoto Iyori and his wife, Madame Yuko Iyori.
E-mail the columnist: georgedfsison@gmail.com