A truly united Philippines

With what’s happening in the Philippines right now, you don’t know whether to laugh or cry, be amused or frustrated, get mad or give up. It’s not surprising if people end up with all of the above. Philippine affairs are fast becoming a surreal comedia macabre, a recurring circus that will inevitably make all of us losers.

We are a nation looking for solutions to the growing political, social, and economic problems that plague us, searching for winds that would propel our wings to smoother flight. We are a country experiencing growing-up pains, a people in dire need of venerable heroes, inspiring leaders, and a noble, stirring national vision.

This is a defining moment in our lives. The times pose both a looming threat and golden challenge. We must unite and endeavor to win the battle lest we suffer the dismal annihilation of the already-greatly-battered Filipino spirit.

Now Is The Time

The time to act is right now: Now that emotions are high, national morale is low, and the expectation of better things is frozen in the air. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. —Albert Einstein. From this turmoil, we should create order and achieve what we really want, and the things that are truly important and beneficial for us.

No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again today. —Buddhist philosophy. It is never too late to be the great nation our forefathers dreamed of and died for, the illustrious country we might have been had we not fumbled and fallen. The beginnings of all things are small. —Cicero. We must sweat the small stuff (e.g., follow traffic rules, not litter, etc.) then the big things will comfortably fall into place.

The Importance Of Vision

Tony Robbins relates this story: Helen Keller was asked, "Mrs. Keller, is there anything worse than being blind?" She replied, "Yes, to be able to see and not have a vision."

Our tomorrow depends on our vision today. Ideas shape the course of history. —John Keynes. Our vision will be our North Star, the guiding light to lead us where we want to go. It will specify and solidify our national aim. Our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When you don’t know what harbor you’re aiming for, no wind is the right wind. —Seneca.

Unless our leaders (the President!) define and tell us where we are all headed, we will all be going in different directions, accomplishing little. It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go. —Jim Rohn.

The Change We Want

We want a better, richer, more abundant Philippines — a paradise where people are healthy, happy, prosperous, and fulfilled. We must change many of our self-defeating ways which presently work against us.

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. —Author unknown. We must create a blueprint for our future, not let it happen by chance. Things do not happen. Things are made to happen. —John F. Kennedy.

The change has to start in each and every one of us if we want it to be effective and lasting. To move the world we must first move ourselves. —Socrates. We must be the change we wish to see in the world. —Gandhi.

Belief In Ourselves

It seems that Filipinos have lost belief in themselves. We have lost the self-esteem which we need so badly. To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan but also believe. —Anatole France.

We need to reawaken our belief and respect for ourselves, and most especially our respect and faith in our leaders. Our stalwarts in government have to win back our trust; they must prove their mettle and sincerity.

It is important to re-program the Filipino mind and install ideas, concepts and habits of greatness. The youth have to be taught, very carefully taught. Nurture your mind with great thoughts. —Benjamin Disraeli.

Leadership

Leaders are very important because they lead the flock. A leader, especially the president of a country, should have a noble, well-designed agenda for his people. The very essence of leadership is having vision. —Father Theodore Hesburg. Once a leader takes charge, he is answerable and held liable for everything that happens. He should realize the gravity of his position. The price of greatness is responsibility. —Winston Churchill.

Leaders should be in touch with their constituents. Ineffective is the leader who doesn’t directly hear the voice of the people. If you get close to people, you will catch their dreams. —Anonymous. And here’s a caveat: There are no bad followers. Only bad leaders. —Anonymous.

The Pursuit Of Excellence

To uplift the quality of Philippine life, we must all commit to excellence. Then everything we do becomes top class — from our ideas, to our products and services. We need to drop our mediocrity consciousness, our "Pwede na ‘yan!" mentality. The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor. —Vincent T. Lombardi.

We must inculcate in our people a new mode of conduct. They must do things a certain way because that is the right thing to do, and this behavior should be integrated consistently into daily life. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, it is a habit. —W.B. Prescott.

People have to act and aim for excellence. If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well. —Martin Luther King Jr.

Living United

Our islands are beautiful but the waters divide us. This might be why it is hard to build a united Philippines. Aside from physically linking the islands with one great ultra highway, we need to connect our minds and unify our attitudes. We build too many walls and not enough bridges. —Sir Isaac Newton.

Indeed, we must work towards a united Philippines so that someday, we will be one island in mind and one people in spirit. We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. —Martin Luther King Jr.

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