Your mantra for the week: “My every tomorrow showers me with even greater blessings.”
ALL challenges in your life are not your enemies—they are actually your friends.
Challenges are there to assist you in achieving your goals, even if they also bring difficult times.
It is good to remember that behind clouds, the sun and the stars continue to shine brightly. Understand that clouds bring the rain necessary for our growth.
The Universe has given you the power to bring forth your good—they are your thoughts and feelings.
How do you avoid negative thoughts when you are not even aware you are thinking them?
In my case, I try my very best to think positive. The key is self-discipline—lots of it.
This is what it takes to distinguish between positive and negative thoughts. The human mind can rationalize and make excuses for all negative ideas and emotions.
God as Principle knows all these and It works in whatever direction it is sent.
Now, think of your body and how wonderful it is. Think how it is made of 53 trillion cells, all working in harmony. Think of wholeness, energy, vigor and vitality.
Let these thoughts permeate every cell and atom of your body until you feel the strength of the Universe expressing through each of these cells.
Think of your body as a perfect vehicle for you to experience life in this third dimension where we experience the physical.
What are your thoughts like during the day? Do you feel that you will have enough for today and the other days that would follow?
Why worry about tomorrow when God is already in your every tomorrow? Do you believe that your good awaits you in every tomorrow, or are you afraid of the future?
When you say that you do not know what tomorrow holds, that thought alone can make you fearful, which can bring forth lack and moving away from your good.
Oftentimes, we do not even realize that we are thinking hate through our prejudices, our opinions, our judgments. Therefore, we do not understand why lack and limitation become our reality.
And then we do not understand why we seek love and cannot find it. But Love is always there within you. You cannot recognize it because of all your unloving thoughts.
Some of you even believe that jealousy is a sign of love—that being suspicious is being wise. But is that really so? Isn’t love trust? Isn’t love the good we feel for ourselves and others and the rest of humanity?
When you are disappointed, frustrated or feeling unloved, it is difficult to visualize the good you desire because they are in direct opposition to your thoughts and feelings and stand in the way of your good.
When you are faced with challenges, be still and listen to that Still, Small Voice within you that is saying, “My beloved child, you are one with Me. You are the ray to the sun that I am, you are a drop to the ocean that I am. All that I am, you also are. Remember this always and you will see through the clouds, to the shining sun and stars.”
Danny Dolor’s ‘harana’
Congratulations to Danny Dolor for his fourth Tribung Pilipino Foundation show, “Harana sa Dapit Hapon,” held at the CCP Bulwagang Nicanor Abelardo last Wednesday.
It featured traditional Filipino music—kundiman, harana, balitaw and danza—led by Asia’s Queen of Song Pilita Corrales and tenor Miguel Castro, dubbed as the King of Modern Kundiman.
Danny is one of the foremost promoters and supporters of Philippine culture and the arts. Through the years I have known him, his enthusiasm has been unparalleled.
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) recognized this and bestowed him with the Dangal ng Harana Award for “keeping alive the flame of his passion for Filipiniana.”
It would be easy to sing hosannas to Pilita for all her accomplishments as an artist. She inspired me to write songs. We even collaborated on a long-playing record, “Pilita Sings George,” and we became partners in a record label called Pilgeora.
Miguel, like a true Gemini, is a multitalented artist: singer, stage actor and painter.
Having worked extensively with Armida Siguion-Reyna in “Aawitan Kita” has truly polished his kundiman act. His self-titled album has been released, with the Filipino Pop Tenors as special guests.
His album’s final track, the “Bakit Mo Ako Pinaluluha” medley, was outstanding. All he needs right now is a hit song that he can be remembered by.
From Ninoy to P-Noy
P-Noy was probably too young to remember when my father, Carlos Moran Sison, used to write a newspaper column.
I also used to write a column, Conde de Makati, which chronicled the real state of the nation in the pre-martial law Marcos years. This consequently led to my arrest when Marcos declared PD 1081.
Incidentally, what most people do not know is that I was with P-Noy’s father, Ninoy Aquino, three weeks before martial law took effect.
I had invited Ninoy to watch Pilita at the Bahia of the InterCon, knowing he was a fan.
“No matter how busy I am, you will find me at home at
8 p.m. every Thursday watching your show, ‘An Evening with Pilita,’” Ninoy told her.
That evening at InterCon, we talked about rumors that martial law would be declared anytime. Little did we know it was just around the corner.
That was the last time I saw Ninoy. He was brought to Fort Bonifacio, and I was in Camp Crame with the rest of arrested media, Constitutional Convention delegates, activists, suspected leftists and the so-called rightists who were all trying to topple the government—according to the architect and designer of martial law.
Ninoy’s spirit must be so elated that his tragic death brought to the limelight two triumphant lives—those of his wife and his son, who tried to fulfill his desire to make a big difference in this country.
Why not?
Critics are saying that P-Noy, in his State of the Nation Address (Sona), should not have spent 25 minutes thanking many people including his hairdresser and mayordoma. I say, why not?
Most of the people he thanked, except for a few who have been more than justly “compensated,” deserve his gratitude.
Gratitude is an attitude that has to be promoted and emulated.
He did mention the past administration again but this time, only as a point of reference in the context of where we were then and where we are now.
I had already mentioned the reasons I am a P-Noy fan. I would now like to add two more:
1) What his administration has done for education which will ultimately redound to the reduction of poverty. Tuwid na Daan says, “Pag walang korap, walang mahirap (When there is no corruption, there will be no poor).” I want to add, “Pag walang edukasyon dumarami ang mahirap (Without education the number of poor increases).”
2) His resolve to push into law the Anti-Dynasty Bill. If passed, this would add meaning to his legacy.
To the Senate and Congress, I dedicate this Harana sa Dapit Hapon ng P-Noy administration, the song “Pagbigyan Mo Na Ang Hiling ng Puso.”
