What Matters Most.

Everyone goes thru different phases in their lives - because we evolve. Anyone who is alive and breathing definitely has to pass from babyhood, to teenage life to adulthood. Yet, not everyone will be experiencing the meaning of these things because we forget to connect with our inner selves especially when we're preoccupied with the mundane and the unecessary... So tonight, after doing the endless task of household chores because we do need it to stay alive - I have these to say...

1. Be grateful. This is a state of grace that many of us who have been exposed to fame, fortune, and "express" life has somehow forgotten. I once remember a group activity/retreat we had in Ayala where one guy (who I happen to really, really like then haha) decided that what would appear in his tombstone was this - THANK YOU... - yeah, none of the melodramatic and verbose stuff in the lapida - just one heartfelt Salamat. I thought that was profound. If we live our lives according to what we should be doing, I guess it will be our pleasure to depart. No regrets, no hard feelings, because we can somehow truly say that we have a mission accomplished.

2. Be generous. Please do not connote this to mean that you have to dole out millions of monies because afterall, true generosity is not measured by wealth. Be it time, effort, forgiveness, talents - there are many and varied ways to express our ability to give and not expect something in return. The song "Prayer for Generosity" sums it up very aptly: Teach me to serve you as I should; to give and not to count the cost; to love and not to heed the wound; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labour and ask not for reward. When we give for the sake of giving without strings attached is not of a 'usual' human nature. Be the cheerful giver and God who sees everything we do will reward you.

3. Just be. My spiritual guide said this to me in one of our many sessions a long time ago and the 2-letter simple word is probably the deepest thing ever said to me. How can one "be"? The dictionary definition that I really liked was this: To exist in actuality; have life or reality. Live in the now - your life is your reality. We have peace when we know we are not looking back to our past and we don't fear the future. There is quiet and solace when we embrace our current affairs and learn to appreciate what we have today - not yesterday, not tomorrow. Now.

My Lenten journey has evolved into something truly different. None of the strict, fake sacrifices - but I chose to have a more meaningful retrace of my being. My life, as I live it, has evolved into something I have hoped to be yet I know too, that it has a lot of room for growth, hopes fulfilled and dreams realized. We are nearing the commemoration of Easter - and therein lies the new hope of resurrection.

What is stirring your soul? Have you faced the person in the mirror and asked wholeheartedly what that person is willing to do to make the journey better for you and for the others around you?

Sometimes, what truly matters most lies within you. This Easter, I wish everyone of you who are in a spiritual journey to take stock of what is within. Let's not focus on what is outward and obvious. Giving up chocolates does not help your consciousness. Prayers, reaching out to others and sometimes, just being a mom/sister/friend/wife do.