The "good" success.

We tend to like when our lives play out exactly like we think they should. We want to matter. We want to have success - whether in business, finance, or in life generally. We work hard because we believe our effort gives us the outcome we expect. And everyone wants to know the secret to success. But, we're not talking about quick hits and short-term gains. So how do we actually find success that lasts? 

"Your success is only as sustainable as its source." -Steven Furtick

Listening to Steven Furtick preach never fails to encourage and challenge my faith. Also, I love how his simple proverb convicts me more each time I repeat it. It plainly reveals my deepest motives. The Bible said (Yes, the Bible.) that there is a "good" kind of success (Prov 3:3-4, Josh 1:8). Deep down we don't just want lust, we want love that will last. We don't just want a diet that will keep us fit for a certain time period, we want a lifestyle that will last as a result of our effort. We don't just want results, we want sustenance and sustainability. Carrying over changed habits and changed mindsets that will last. A "good" success is the one that's sustainable.

A "good" success isn't just based on results. A "good" success has deep roots. Because if you have results without roots, it's possible for your talents to take you where you character can't keep you (Furtick). You can impress a woman to a point where she might marry you but if you carry into the marriage all kinds of unsettled personal issues, well, it's gonna take more than your swag to get her to stay. You don't just want her to come, you want her to stay. And this is the kind of success that Jesus wants for us: staying power.  

Jesus said in John 15:4-5, "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." (The claims and statements of Jesus were politically charged that is why He was condemned to death. I'm not enforcing my beliefs on non-Christians. This is just a personal Christian blog aimed to seek and speak about biblical truths poised to encourage and challenge but never to judge nor convert.) Jesus also said that He is the true vine therefore there must be fake vines. "Bad" success. Worldly success. As I've mentioned. your success is only as sustainable as its source. So, if your success comes from the wrong source, it'll always be short-lived. If your source of success is money, then you're running on a limited supply. If your source of success is prestige, then you're security lies on the changeable opinions of others about you. If your source of success is in a happy relationship, then you're happiness will only depend on uncontrollable happenings and on a person who will inevitably hurt you. 

Steven Furtick said that the secret to experiencing "good" success is actually quite simple (but definitely not easy), just have a constant. In math, a constant is defined as a fixed value that will not change. Personally, these constants are your pillars, your convictions, your non-negotiables. It could be honor, integrity, discipline, etc. Because life, just like a math variable, is constantly changing. Our lives are full of variables. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to identify our constants. For Christians, you can't be ready for whatever God will do next if you don't have a constant. Life without constants are both chaotic and confusing. Deeply think about it. What are your constants? 

When Jesus was explaining to his disciples the vine illustration (why they should remain in Him) at Mount Olives, in the same time frame He also predicted that all of them won't remain in Him and would fall away (weird, right?). Matthew 26:31 tell us this, On the way (to Mount Olives), Jesus told them, "Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, 'God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'". Everyone of us are going to go through seasons where we lose sight of our constants. Everyone of us are going to go through seasons wherein our character weakens. Everyone of us are going to go through seasons where we would lose our connection to other people. Everyone of us are going to through seasons where our deep roots feel dry. 

Maybe that's what Jesus meant when He predicted the abandonment of His disciples. It's such a comfort to know that Jesus knows us and our inclinations more than we do ourselves. Jesus knows that we're like sheep and without a shepherd we will be led astray. As a Christian, this is one of the things I'm always convicted of, "Oh man, if I just love God more and more and more." But all this time I was wrong. In this verse, Jesus was also implying that we just can't maintain our love for Him because He knows that at some point we would all fall away. Human love is frail. But instead, He instructs us to remain in His love for us. And this is more than just the secret to sustainable success, it goes deeper, this becomes the heart of The Gospel. The unconditional love of God for the sinner, that's the eternal constant. For the Christians who share my sentiments, at the end of the day it is not going to be about your ability to maintain your love for Jesus, it's your willingness to remain in His love for you. So again, what are your constants? 

Furtick, S. (2014, June 22). The Secret to Sustainable Succes [Audio Podcast].

Retrieved from http://itunes.apple.com

This time tomorrow. (A catharsis)

Recently, I've been listening to a series podcast entitled "Times and Seasons" by Elevation Church. (I highly recommend it.) One episode of the 4-part podcast talks about how we experience life in times and in seasons. At first, I didn't fully understand the concept being preached to me but a sudden realization hit me that made me understand why life is experienced in such a way is because life as opposed to what we believe as experienced linearly (from point A to point B) is more complex than that. Just like how times and seasons transition in contrast with one another, life is also experienced in a series of contrasting seasons. Life's not an A+B=C linear equation.

As I kept listening, I reflected upon myself and saw how the world has conditioned me to think and believe that life can be as easy as a linear equation. That if I follow all the instructions correctly, if I wear the vibrating ab belt just right, then i'll get the results I want even if it means not putting in any of the work. Upon the end of the podcast, I realized how shallow I was living my life. I thought I already had a good idea of how I should live my life when really, I was barely even scratching the surface. I guess there's also no A+B=C equation to enlightenment and direction as well.

It's such a common sentiment to know that life first breaks you before it makes you but it's totally different when you're actually in the process. It's so tempting to find a quick-fix for all that's been happening. It's easier to live in my fantasy world, a train of dreams, keeping actual existence outside. For me and maybe even for some of us, it's better to look ridiculous than to actually face the reality of situations. As long as our wounds are bandaged, it doesn't exist. And along with this sad reality is what causes it: inevitable suffering. Life just doesn't play by the rules of common decency even if you do, even if you don't.

I was trying to see how far I've come only to see how far I was running away from my issues (my reality). I soon developed the ability of self-deception. Completely ignoring the consequences of my actions and the magnitude of my life at hand. I cannot simply move forward. But as I was listening to the second episode of the series, the verse and the depth of Galatians 6:9 was continually impressed upon me even in the following days. This is how the verse goes, "Let us not be weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." I received the message God wanted me to hear through the preaching. For God, every moment in time has the potential to be a God moment as long as we try to find God in that moment and we often miss those God moments because we often don't know what we're looking for. And for me, I will be able to seize those moments only if I recognize and respond as I persevere steadily.

With this verse in mind and heart, I decided that there is no set way to embark life. I was stuck on the train of fantasy I called life aimlessly moving forward not even sure what was going on in the cars of my train let alone trying to figure out what's rushing by me outside my closed perspectives. But let me tell you, there is no need to dwell on the path you took. Now is always an apt time as to any to turn around. All of our discoveries are limited to how far we're willing to go to make it happen. As long as we're locked in our trains, we can never delve into something real in our surroundings or, most importantly, in ourselves. Because only in these conditions, when we're set outside our hermetically sealed fantasy world, it's when we truly embark on a real journey. And as you re-enter a new train, you are no longer a novice on the tracks. Instead, you will be well acquainted with what you need to go through life's trip.

A 'true' philosopher (continuation)

"The voice you believe today determines the future you experience."

- Steven Furtick

As I have briefly elaborated what philosophy and being a philosopher is all about in my last post, I would now like to start off with what preeminently motivates the philosopher which are: the thirst for meaning, knowledge, and freedom.

When I inquired myself on a brief history of philosophy, I noticed that one common trait that the most famous philosophers share was the necessity to give meaning to what is existing. There were (and still are) so plenty of belief systems that each had to be properly classified into groups. From rationalism, to darwinism, to buddhism, and to idealism along with so much more that are too many to mention. Each are convinced of what they believe is 'rationally acceptable' but with the presence of all these ideologies and beliefs there must be, in the mix of all these, a certain and absolute truth which we could fully anchor our faith into. Besides, who would want to live a meaningless life or worse, a life full of lies anyway?

There are many views on life and some can even be considered positive and good in its sense. Although some of these world views are aimed towards the betterment of humanity, there's still no definitive correlation between 'what is good' and 'what is true'. Our morals cannot be subjective because it would be made possible for the inhumane acts of people to be justified. Just because Hitler believed that what he did was for the greater 'good' of humanity doesn't justify his actions to be morally correct. Truth is never subjective nor relative, no matter where you are.

For the record, science, logic, and reason are not entirely wrong. They are essential to us humans for we are thinking beings. But what most people often fail to see is that these three things can only go so far, they can only achieve 'certain knowledge' and that it takes as much faith to believe in God as it takes to believe in science and cognition alone. I personally believe that science and reason go hand in hand along with faith in the Lord. I refuse to believe that we human beings, who are able to perceive and appreciate beauty and emotion, just happened due to 'chance'.

Yes, the path of  'faith' is obscure and even at times illogical but why would you need to trust in something or someone if you already know why? That is the question really and the reality is that we want to shape our own destiny. But believe it or not, God already has a great destiny for you, my friend. You only have to believe it in order to claim it. 

All other religion and ideology will tell you to do this in order to save yourself and to do that so that your life will be meaningful but Jesus is the only person who will tell you that your future is secure, that you are made for a purpose, and that you are loved beyond comprehension.

Meaning, knowledge, and freedom can be obtained. Your meaning is fulfilled by the knowledge and understanding of what God has done for you on the Cross which therefore brings you freedom and liberates you of all pretense. This is the Gospel of Christ. God reaching out to man, not the other way around.

For a true philosopher, it is a mistake to jump into conclusions. But to see the fruit of change in society, in families, and in people through the Gospel provides hard evidence mostly unseen in all other religions and ideologies. It's easy to dismiss both as irrational but the person of Jesus and his claims are more than rational, they are alive and true.

In Him (Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

- John 1:4

A 'true' philospher

Who are you? 

Where does the world come from?

What is the most important thing in life?

- An excerpt from the book: Sophie's World

A philosopher is a person who is engaged in philosophy. A thinker, simply put. Philosophy is the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, in general. 

From the world's point of view, philosophers are often viewed, categorized, and sub-categorized into classes of people who are particularly interested with two main things: the meaning and origin of life (why is there life and where does it come from?) and the natural laws, processes, and society. (how does it all work?) On the other hand, some might not agree with this due to the fact that philosophy is so broad that no philosopher can concern himself with the whole of philosophy.

Lots of people have hobbies. Some people collect stuff, some enjoy photography, some do writing, and some spend most of their spare time on a particular sport. A lot of people have hobbies, but hobbies differ widely. Some are only into sports while others are only into reading. And if I happen to enjoy sports, I have to be accepting of the fact that others find sports boring. Is there nothing that interests us all? Is there nothing that concerns everyone - no matter who they are and where they live in the world?

But yes, there are questions that should certainly interest everyone. They are precisely the questions philosophy is all about. Again, what is the most important thing in life? Just like hobbies, it varies, it differs, but the origin is the same. If we ask someone who is dying from starvation, the answer is food. If we ask someone who is freezing to death, the answer is warmth. If we ask someone who feels lonely or isolated, the answer will probably be the company of other people.

But when the basic needs have been satisfied, will there still be something that everybody needs? 'True' philosophers think so. They believe that man cannot live on bread alone. Of course everyone needs food. And everyone needs love and care. But there is something else - apart from that - which everyone else needs, and that is to figure out who we are and why we are here.

Being interested in why we are here is not a "casual" interest like sports. People who ask such questions take part in a debate that has gone on as long as man has lived on this planet. How the universe, the earth, and life came into being is a bigger and more important question than who leaked the nude photos of Jennifer Lawrence.

Basically, there are not many philosophical questions to ask. We have already asked some of the most important ones. But history presents us with many different answers to each question. So it is easier to ask philosophical questions than to answer them.

Today as well, each individual has to discover his own answer to these same questions. You cannot find God's existence in an encyclopedia nor does it tell us how we ought to live. 

a 'true' philosopher's quest for truth really is like a detective's story. It's like watching a magic trick. We cannot understand how it is done but we feel that we are a part of something mysterious and we would like to know how it all works. Thus, the only thing we require to be good and true philosophers is the faculty of wonder,

Let's not take the world for granted. The world itself becomes a habit in no time at all. It seems as if in the process of growing up, we lose the ability to wonder about the world. To be more precise: Although philosophical questions concern us all, we do not all become philosophers. For various reasons, most people get so caught up in everyday affairs that their astonishment at the world gets pushed back into the background.

This is also similarly related to my fear of indifference. I always want to be in an inquiring state of being as I hope you do too.

To be continued...

Cited from: Gaarder, J. (1994). The garden of Eden, The top hat. In Sophie's world: A novel about the history of philosophy. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

How to respond amidst uncertainty.

In October, I'll be graduating in college. Exciting. I'm certainly glad that after 5 school years, I'm finally shifting to the next stage of my life. Though as much as I'd like to finally get rid off the status of being a student, I can't help but be affected by my imminent departure and the sadness it brings that I seem to always pay no attention to. Maybe because deep within, the reality of the situation makes me afraid. 

It comforts me to know that I'm not alone at being afraid of big changes. But it scares me even more to know that I have no idea what's in store ahead for me. We have to admit, we all are scared of something. We can try to live in our own pretenses and faux realities but the truth is: "We can't stop being afraid just by pretending that everything that scares us isn't there." -Michael Smith 

As I'm writing this, I'm convicted and coerced to check the places where I have let fear take hold in my life. And as a Christian, it is my duty and responsibility to focus on what God wants me to do and who He wants me to be. In short, what honors God and what is good and beneficial for me and my character.

It's usually correct when said that we tend to create our own problems, more so if you're transitioning to another stage in life. Mistakes are inevitable. But sometimes we choose to suffer for all the wrong reasons, even when we know they're wrong. However, much of what happened or happens in life cannot be blamed solely on us. Sometimes, we are caught in a process much bigger than ourselves. However, our actions sometimes show that we choose to become part of the problem and not part of the solution. We sometimes choose to live under our circumstances rather than rise above them. 

In life, there are situations over which we have no control of (broken families, for instance), but there are others that we can control (decisions we make). This struggle of knowing what is right and what is beneficial for us is real and this struggle is usually recurrent. Sometimes, we don't even know what we are struggling for. Having known this, the question we should be asking ourselves should then be, are we creating lasting value with what we are struggling for? 

At the heart of the matter is the sin-oriented nature we have all inherited. It can be partly controlled, but not fully overcome, by human effort. We could make a mess of our lives when we don't try to change the things we could change. God has a solution though. His answer is not control, but a changed life. And to have a changed life, one must turn to God, trust Him to forgive your sinful past, and begin to change your attitude towards Him and others. And this is the truth, that our mistakes and sufferings are included in God's great plan and destiny for each and every one of us.

We can be more than happy

“What is crooked cannot be straightened;

What is lacking cannot be counted.”

-   Ecclesiastes 1:15

Have you ever been happy? I have. Happiness is plainly defined as a sense of satisfaction with a person, an arrangement, or a situation. I believe that each of us want to be happy. Implied or not, we all have the desire for enjoyment, pleasure, and a form of paradise we all fantasize about. Even the people who express resentment against happiness are unsuspectingly happy for they themselves are satisfied with what they have put their confidence in. But can we ever believe with all certainty that we are content with what we have? I myself have asked this question and I’m not surprised that I can’t say yes.

As young as I am, I have met and known different people from differing social standings and each of them had their own version of what happiness is. Some buy their way into happiness, thinking that the more you have, the happier you are. Some toil to get it, believing that it takes patience, wisdom, and grit to earn true happiness. And for some, they only dream about it, happiness is but a daydream. The truth of the matter is that happiness depends on happenings. Happiness ceases to exist when there are no happenings. It’s not wrong to be happy, but it is dangerous to think that we would be content only with it.

As brilliant as we might seem, we are aware that there are just some things that we cannot seem to answer. In life, there is an ultimate perplexity and confusion that comes to us because of all the unanswered questions. But there is more to life than the search for happiness. There is more to life than laughter, accomplishments, wisdom, pleasure, relationships, or earthly prosperity. There is hope. There is joy. And this is what we should be looking for.

Joy is far deeper than happiness; we can feel joy in spite of our deepest troubles. Happiness is temporary because it is based on external circumstances, but joy is lasting because it is based on God’s presence within us.

Happiness is unpredictable; joy defeats uncertainty. Joy defeats pain, sadness, insecurity, and discouragement; happiness covers it up. Joy is lasting; happiness is temporary.

 There is hope for man to be perennially and deeply satisfied beyond what is perceived because of joy. And joy comes from knowing and trusting God and is stable as long as you trust God. Don’t base your life on circumstances, but on God. Because God wants you to be more than what you have in mind.

Just to be clear, I don’t write to convince you to believe in what I believe. I’m simply making you consider what you already know. Because truth is, there really is hope for true happiness which is everlasting joy regardless of what is happening in this world that could only be found in the presence of God. And if you are a student of life, I challenge you today to embark on this new journey of getting to know who God really is. It’s not and will never be easy, but I assure you one thing, you will find what you are looking for.

Carpe diem

"There's a time for daring and there's a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for." 

-John Keating, Dead Poets Society.

I want to dedicate my first entry to Robin Williams. I never was really an enthusiast and I barely even knew who he was. But through his films, I was given the great privilege to see and experience what he wanted to give to the world. 

My biggest fear in life is to be average. Afraid that my life won't matter. Afraid that my life will fail to make a difference. It's funny and ironic to think this way yet inclined to do otherwise. I never really wanted to do anything extraordinary in my life, even the thought of being "great" at something is quick to make me retreat to the darkest place I regard: my comfort zone. And blogging? Crossed my mind, intentions seemed right, inspiration was not lacking, but fear is paralyzing. 

I never really wanted or even dreamed of being a writer. I presumed that pouring a lot of yourself into something such as writing is more of an act of vanity rather than an endeavor. I was led to believe that those who pursue greatness only wanted to do great things because they assumed something in return, which is prominence. Don't get me wrong, I am not against people who strive for greatness, striving itself is considered great. What pestered me is having to know and face the fact that not all who pursue greatness have the right intentions.

So why am I doing this? Believe me, it's a question that will never go away but at the same time it's also a question that reaffirms my intentions. Ernest Hemingway once said, all he wanted to do was write one true sentence. It just so happened that I also share his ambition.

Though I haven't dreamed of becoming a famous writer, I did dream of creating important work. Create something that connects to people and help them as they suffer through the human condition. But as authentic as my intentions are in doing this, I am sadly aware that not all will embrace what I have to impart. But what I do have is hope, that someday, you will see the reason why an average joe seized an opportunity to try and make a difference even in the smallest way he possibly can. And to those who choose to support my advocacy, thank you, because you, in return, fuel my aspiration. Because to be honest, I want to reach an audience. 

As what you are already aware of, I am also a fellow human being. I've already had my fair share of mistakes done and I know that I will continue to make more. I'm not really eager to commit mistakes but I am eager to learn from them. And as I journey, I could only hope for you to join me towards seizing each and every single day. Every struggle, every experience, every change, and every opportunity for growth.