We can make life better
As we enter the New Year, we are filled with hopes and aspirations. This is fine. This is our vision for the future. But it’s the resolutions that make the difference. It has to be more than just a statement in the head. The energy of that is flat. It’s deciding to really make things happen. A digging in of the heels. A resoluteness to achieve, come what may. Which also means that should you “fall” along the way, you just get up and keep on at it. Firm and determined. Insistent and consistent. This “no holds barred” attitude is essential. It’s an excellent way to enter the coming year. It’s an appropriate stance for new beginnings. The exercise of will profoundly benefits the human being. It builds strength. It builds tenacity. It becomes a part of one’s being. A good time to feel it is just before getting out of bed. Remembering the resolution. If you set a rhythm at remembrance it has more chances of materializing.
The best “will” projects are those for one’s self. At the end of the day, it’s what you are that makes the difference. One can do “will” projects for society. If this runs parallel with will projects for one’s personal growth, then the processes are complementary and the results spectacular.
Wanting to make one’s life better is noble. Wanting one’s family to be happier, to be well, is also noble. My experience is that when the desired impact of the will stands to benefit huge numbers of people, the forces that are unleashed or that give their blessings are tremendous. It comes in unpredictable ways.
On the other hand, there is also will in materialism. I find that dangerous. When people take on material gains to the exclusion of any other consideration, that’s scary. Especially if there is intelligence and cunning behind the endeavor. Especially if there is will behind it. This is what brings on wars. This is what causes communities to suffer. Selfishness, greed and will are very dangerous combinations. At the end it brings on degradation on the personal level.
There are many examples in history. Just look at politics in this country. There are countless examples of people with will going astray creating havoc for the communities, and eventually ending up in disaster for themselves.
Will: the path to new beginnings. Let me tell you the story of Regine. She is the sister of my laundry woman. I’d known her as a kid when she was only 11 years old. She is now 23 and has grown obese. I would be shocked every time I saw her at how she had expanded physically. I told her “Wala kang makukuhang trabaho kung ganyan ang itsura mo!” So finally, one day I decided to help her out. I told her “Gagastos ako para sa fast mo pero kailangan maging totoo ka hindi ka mag baback down, otherwise sayang ang pera kaya mo?”
She took it on. She started the lemonade fast. I shouldered the cost of the lemon, the organic maple syrup, the cayenne pepper. I even paid for her gym. I gave her a diary. She has been at it for six weeks now! She is 4’7” and weighed 148 pounds! After six weeks she now registers 122 pounds; our goal is to get her to 115. She has lost 26 pounds in five weeks. Her pimples are gone. Because the lemonade fast is a cleansing fast, I thought it would be a good idea to get her to meditate. She “flew.” With the utmost ease she went into deep spaces. I think because her system is so toxin free, it was easy for her to feel subtler energies. She now meditates every morning and loves it.
It’s her guts that are worth mentioning. Of course, it helps that the lemonade is delicious. I was on it for nine days once, then seven days at another time. It’s wonderful! One experiences a lot of energy and well-being, and for me, even more so then when I am eating. Because of my experience, I could guide her. She stood her ground. She would jog every morning, go to the gym daily, help in the house. During the Christmas party, she had the most energy. I asked her if she would like to break the fast since it was Christmas. I told her I wouldn’t mind at all. But no, she wanted to keep on. She is determined to hit her target weight. This is testimony to the fast but it is also testimony to her will.
I told her I would buy her clothes and get her a job if she keeps at it. For what may be an unprecedented seven-week fast in this country and during holiday season she deserves a job.
Will. That’s the key to making things happen. My experience of will is of an energy that stems from within. It has an unflinching quality to it. A courage and a confidence. It even has a “warrior” feel to it. Will is the key to personal growth. Will, aligned with the common good, is the key to the future our country deserves to have.
My wish for you in 2012 is to have the guts and compassion to stand for what is true in your life and for the country. I wish for all of us the tenacity to see things through. I wish for clarity to see the forces that are blocking growth; to be aware what your “buttons” are so you can address them. I wish for you to feel the love that’s there for you unconditionally. It’s sweetly nourishing if you can allow yourself to feel it. Be aware of it. You can feel it most in stillness when your mind is quiet, when you are open to receive. Rest on love and move on with confidence to a much brighter future.
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I can be reached at regina_lopez@abs-cbn.com.
