After Christmas, Andrew was MIA (Missing in Action!). I took some time off to… relax. I climbed a volcano, jumped off a dock into the Caribbean Sea, ate KFC, experimented with some ideologies, and dabbled into a lot of literature. What interested me the most were controversial topics, and…
Nah. That’s a story for another day. :D
As for today, I’m going to talk about introspection.
One fine day, I did what I love to do most times: contemplate. In my contemplation, it dawned on me that man was the masterpiece of God’s creation. No other creature on earth compared to the excellence that God put in us. And I realize this every time I learn something new about how our bodies and minds function.
Water, in my opinion, had to be next on the list. It seems to be the most important part of every living creature – even man is about 65% water – and its presence in an environment almost undisputedly guarantees that, ceteris paribus, life will thrive there.
Third on my list, and this is a very subjective number, is the creation of chicken! O MY GOODNESS!!! I have no clue how God did it but whatever He did to chicken that made it so delicious… WOW!!! I continued my contemplation and realized that God didn’t just make chicken and stop at that, He also gave someone the gift of KFC!
See, anytime I have a meal before me, I say the Grace before Meals. Sometimes, I remember those who have none and pray for them, and that God will increase my generosity. BUT WHEN I HAVE KFC BEFORE ME…!!!! I GLORIFY THE NAME OF GOD WITH SO MUCH JOY IN MY HEART THAT MY HEARTRATE LITERALLY INCREASES!!!
(The moral of the story is: buy me KFC. :D)
I found that whenever I have a say on something, I am either completely for it, or completely against it. And I am COMPLETELY FOR KFC! Lolx. Very rarely do I find any “grey areas” or “level ground” in a logical discourse. Things are either black or white. And what is lukewarm? Be either hot or cold! This is common with many people. We like to think that nature will always be straightforward.
I also find that, for most people, this very fixed critical standpoint makes them hard on themselves.
You have goals, dreams, visions, and ambitions, and many times you don’t live up to them. Often, you beat yourself mentally into depression. It’s as if you’ve tried everything and you keep falling back to the same old habits. The easiest thing to do would be to give up; blame someone else for what’s going on with you, keep feeling regret, or just “WHAT THE HELL! Who cares?!” Nobody has any right to judge you if you give up. The truth is that none of them can feel your hurt and disappointment. At best, all they can offer you are words of encouragement. Only you know how hard you’ve tried to be better.
Our minds are accustomed to focusing on the negative parts of our lives while we constantly remind ourselves of how much we need to change. This method however is unproductive. It’s as difficult as lying down on your bed after a long hard day and trying to convince yourself that you’re going to read and not sleep.
A priest once told me: “it’s not enough to hate sin; you must also love God. It’s not enough to stop vice; you must also practice virtue”. Rather than looking for how to stop sinning, look for how to praise God with your life. Instead of searching for how to stop being lazy, look for how to read for five hours. Instead of googling how to end procrastination, search for how make daily timetables and stick to them.
Don't focus on what you're fed up with. Look forward, instead, to what you intend to become.
Every vice has an opposite virtue. Ignore the vice and practice the virtue.
Nah. That’s a story for another day. :D
As for today, I’m going to talk about introspection.
One fine day, I did what I love to do most times: contemplate. In my contemplation, it dawned on me that man was the masterpiece of God’s creation. No other creature on earth compared to the excellence that God put in us. And I realize this every time I learn something new about how our bodies and minds function.
Water, in my opinion, had to be next on the list. It seems to be the most important part of every living creature – even man is about 65% water – and its presence in an environment almost undisputedly guarantees that, ceteris paribus, life will thrive there.
Third on my list, and this is a very subjective number, is the creation of chicken! O MY GOODNESS!!! I have no clue how God did it but whatever He did to chicken that made it so delicious… WOW!!! I continued my contemplation and realized that God didn’t just make chicken and stop at that, He also gave someone the gift of KFC!
See, anytime I have a meal before me, I say the Grace before Meals. Sometimes, I remember those who have none and pray for them, and that God will increase my generosity. BUT WHEN I HAVE KFC BEFORE ME…!!!! I GLORIFY THE NAME OF GOD WITH SO MUCH JOY IN MY HEART THAT MY HEARTRATE LITERALLY INCREASES!!!
(The moral of the story is: buy me KFC. :D)
I found that whenever I have a say on something, I am either completely for it, or completely against it. And I am COMPLETELY FOR KFC! Lolx. Very rarely do I find any “grey areas” or “level ground” in a logical discourse. Things are either black or white. And what is lukewarm? Be either hot or cold! This is common with many people. We like to think that nature will always be straightforward.
I also find that, for most people, this very fixed critical standpoint makes them hard on themselves.
You have goals, dreams, visions, and ambitions, and many times you don’t live up to them. Often, you beat yourself mentally into depression. It’s as if you’ve tried everything and you keep falling back to the same old habits. The easiest thing to do would be to give up; blame someone else for what’s going on with you, keep feeling regret, or just “WHAT THE HELL! Who cares?!” Nobody has any right to judge you if you give up. The truth is that none of them can feel your hurt and disappointment. At best, all they can offer you are words of encouragement. Only you know how hard you’ve tried to be better.
Our minds are accustomed to focusing on the negative parts of our lives while we constantly remind ourselves of how much we need to change. This method however is unproductive. It’s as difficult as lying down on your bed after a long hard day and trying to convince yourself that you’re going to read and not sleep.
A priest once told me: “it’s not enough to hate sin; you must also love God. It’s not enough to stop vice; you must also practice virtue”. Rather than looking for how to stop sinning, look for how to praise God with your life. Instead of searching for how to stop being lazy, look for how to read for five hours. Instead of googling how to end procrastination, search for how make daily timetables and stick to them.
Don't focus on what you're fed up with. Look forward, instead, to what you intend to become.
Every vice has an opposite virtue. Ignore the vice and practice the virtue.
Download and zoom in. :)
Have a lovely week ahead. :D
Please "Like", share with your friends, and comment.
Have a lovely week ahead. :D
Please "Like", share with your friends, and comment.