“Earth is the right place for love.” —Robert Frost

Our world now is in the midst of an emotional meltdown due to this global pandemic. People are restless, volatile; our tempers about to blow, with no mastery over all the negativity happening around us.

We are in control of our own happiness. When we talk about pursuing happiness, as if it’s something “out there” which we can acquire if we look hard enough, the scientific evidence suggests that happiness is less about “having” and more about “doing.” Long-lasting happiness can be achieved by changing how we spend our time and our outlook in life.

A more sustainable strategy is to increase the understanding about what it means to be happy, and to discover and enjoy small day-to-day acts and activities that improve our well-being over the longer term.

Happiness is contagious. Performing acts of kindness to others can boost positive emotions, and make others feel good, too. Keeping healthy relationships is a central source of well-being as it is a fundamental human need.

“Inhale love, exhale gratitude.” My soulful cousin Karla Delgado-Araneta shared her insightful sessions while we were in Bhutan years ago. Feeling grateful is correlated with life satisfaction. The higher the gratitude, the happier you’ll feel.

In sync with nature and God’s divine blessings, Karla conducted her special healing sessions with specific intentions. Being in Bhutan elevated the soulful experience to higher spirituality and was more meaningful.

Pay attention to the moment

I learned about contentment and being mindful. Mindfulness is a specific type of meditation-based practice that pays attention in the present moment with no judgment. Put simply, it’s about being able to tune in to what’s happening in and around us in a conscious and purposeful way.

Often when something negative happens, our feelings of regret and disappointment overwhelm us to the extent that we become blind to other opportunities that then appear. Karla taught me to look at any problem as a challenge to overcome.

We don’t really know how long our life here on earth would be. With all the happiness with new family additions and some relatives living over 100 years old, I think about the legacy I want to leave behind no matter the number of years alive.

Living to be a centenarian, Bienvenido Tantoco Sr., former ambassador to the Vatican and cofounder of high-end retail brand Rustan’s, passed away on July 6.

At the age of 100, Ambassador Tantoco left behind a rich legacy in the retail business and a loving, close-knit family comprising six children, 21 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild. He had individual relationships with each of them, too.

We all want to be remembered for something, to be known as more than merely ordinary, to be seen as someone who truly made a difference. We all want to leave an imprint on this world and to leave behind something that can make the future a little brighter.

As I spend my time now repurposing, reinventing and realigning my life, I have also awakened to the realization that we have the opportunity to create legacies in everything we do. It does not have to be a daunting goal and can just simply be acts of joy and kindness.

My legacy

The best legacy I can give to my children is to be a mother they can be proud of. I would like to be a mother that they see as a role model when it comes to living a principled life based on integrity, compassion, empathy and joy. Their mother is a strong, loving and prayerful woman who always strove to do the right thing in life despite challenges and adversities.

As a daughter, sister and aunt, my best legacy is my role as the glue of the family! Being the “Ate” in the family, I find joy in bringing all my siblings and their families together. I have a special relationships with all my nieces and nephews and I am happy that I have been around them since they were children, hence my pride and joy in seeing them grow and develop into truly wonderful individuals.

As a friend, my best legacy is my love! In these trying times, my dearest and truest friends have been my rocks, and I hope they know how much I love them!

Everything is so uncertain but we are all free to make the most of what life has to offer. My present desire is to travel and marvel at the wonders of the world.

The tourism industry has suffered a great deal during the past 16 months. Prior to the pandemic, we enjoyed visiting places near and far since the world had so much to offer, until everything came to a complete stop. With the arrival of the vaccines, things are looking brighter now.

Return to travel

One such travel agency affected by the lockdown was Corporate International Travel & Tours Inc. (Citti) They amazingly put together our #GoTyaBalkans2018 trip, which turned out to be quite memorable.

As a reboot and to jumpstart the return of travel, Citti has launched their newest product—select expeditions to Antarctica via the luxurious Silversea. And launch they did with their first face-to-face event in the new normal held at the exclusive Manila House Private Club on June 30.

Silversea’s unique brand of luxury allows the intrepid traveler to immerse in the destination without sacrificing any of the creature comforts the pampered guests are used to. It is also the perfect cruise these days because of its nearly 1:1 staff-to-guest ratio ensuring more privacy and safety.

Citti is offering huge promos for both the 10-day Antarctica sailing, and the five-day flight-cruise for those who want to skip the Drake Passage. The special rates for the 2022/2023 sailings are only available when booked before Aug. 15.

You may contact Citti president Shan David at tel. 0917-8986541, or their Facebook/Instagram handle @CITTIexperience for more information on Silversea.

What do you want your legacy to be? How do we live a happy life? Truly, the positive impacts we can have in this world are boundless. All it takes is a genuine heart, a true desire to be a good person and the ability to think beyond ourselves and our lives to include others in a meaningful way.

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