Choosing to be well despite the circumstances

Trying to apply well-being in the way we manage our students, I have come to appreciate that well-being can be conceived as a state (as in, a certain level of a well-being dimension at a certain time). From an administrator and researcher perspective, this may make sense.

However, from a personal or first-person perspective, there seems to be a choice and belief involved should one aim to thrive or flourish.

The “-ing” in “well-being” implies that it can be perceived as a process instead of just as a state. And our challenge is to have a more proactive rather than a reactive view. In other words, how do we choose and pursue to be well regardless of circumstances, instead of blaming external forces for our well-being (or lack thereof)?

One and a half weeks into my fatherhood journey, I have come to intimately understand that growth and development is not convenient and painless. There are a lot of anxieties, watchouts, sleepless days and nights, and cries that must be soothed.

But to be well is not just a state; it is also a choice. And maybe that’s why the Christian love story sounds so compelling – if a person can choose to love while suffering, how much more graceful could love be when we love while flourishing?


John 5:1-16. “Do you want to be well?”… Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath.
So the Jews said to the man who was cured, “It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.”

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-080: MARCH 21, 2023]

A leader must dream like a father

Leaders and fathers seem to have great similarities. They are accountable when it comes to the processes and outcomes of any system in an organization or a household.

The trickiest balancing act is to find the golden mean between action and vision. In a complex world with so many moving parts, it is easy for the leader or the father to overfocus on the process and forget to dream.

But it is important to rest and dream; to replace worries and anxieties with faith and excitement.

It is in dreaming where we allow insights about the future to visit us – to imagine how our organizations and households may flourish. For the faithful, it is where we allow God or a Higher Power to influence our thinking and make us consider other alternatives, especially in cases when we are pulled into so many directions.

When the burden of responsibility seems so heavy that we are compelled to focus on what is practical and what is actionable, we must remind ourselves that it is alright to dream.


Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24A. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream…

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-079: MARCH 20, 2023]

Willfull ignorance, comfort zones, and complacency

Willful ignorance can be framed as the deliberate decision to avoid or disregard information that conflicts with our preexisting beliefs and opinions. It is a common tendency that can be linked with our desire to remain within our comfort zones.

But if we are often willfully ignorant, our comfort zones turn into “complacency zones”. We settle, wither away, and decay if we remain complacent. Comfort is resting to recover; complacency is avoiding personal accountability.

To wish for comfort or even salvation presupposes that we are willing to do the work.


John 9:1-41. If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-078: MARCH 19, 2023]

Self-awareness vs self-consciousness

Though being self-aware and being self-conscious seems to be similar, we can differentiate them to better understand our personal journey.

My understanding of self-awareness is strongly rooted in what we call first-person practice in our academic programs. Through various thinking tools that facilitate authenticity, we aim to cultivate a deeper understanding of our thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and patterns.

On the other hand, self-consciousness seems more concerned with our perception of how others view us. In Filipino, we think about the term “nakaka-conscious”, which may mean how we feel embarrassed about how others may be seeing us. While self-consciousness may serve as a helpful reminder to maintain social norms and etiquette, excessive focus on external perceptions can hinder authenticity and hinder personal growth.

The world makes it easy to compare ourselves with others. It takes discipline and deliberate practice to gain a more sober understanding of ourselves while it’s convenient and provocative to rank ourselves and others.

If we are supposed to live fulfilling lives and to lead meaningful organizations, it would be such a tragedy if we cannot gain insight about who we are and what we are meant to do. If insight visits us during the unexpected pauses in our lives, then we might miss it if all we care to hear are the noises about what others expect us to be.


Luke 18:9-14. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity – greedy, dishonest, adulterous – or even like this tax collector.’

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-077: MARCH 18, 2023]

How do we know if we have loved with all our strength?

When we have imagined all scenarios, what ifs, and alternative courses of action, but find ourselves choosing to commit and developing an immovable yet peaceful resolve…

We may have already taken that leap of faith to love with all our strength.


Mark 12:28-34. And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-076: MARCH 17, 2023]

Where do we draw our strength?

As I reflect on the start of my journey as a father, I ponder: is strength something that we summon from deep within, or is it something that is given to us?

Maybe the answer is both: strength is when we harmonize our skills and energy with the needs of others. When we perceive that others may need us, it may awaken a certain kind of strength that we did not yet know we have.

When we desire to protect someone we hold so dear and when we desire to let them thrive in a future that is uncertain, we don’t have any other choice but to grit it out and steel our resolve.

Maybe the measure of our life’s success is less about how far we individually go but more about how far we bring others along with us.


Luke 11:14-23. When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-075: MARCH 16, 2023]

The days are long but the years are short

It’s fascinating how slow things move when in the moment. But when we begin to look back, it’s as if the moments have moved in such a hurry. If we’re not careful, the moments we cherish will only become a blur; we need to be present and pay attention so that the moments turn into lasting memories.

What does it mean to have an offspring? One to two decades ago, I would have answered in such a way that my child would carry on my dreams. My child could be my instrument to live vicariously for whatever dreams or goals I cannot accomplish in my lifetime.

But as I begin to understand the reflections of my students, make sense of my own journey, and witness how my child seems to grow so fast, I realize that my former line of thinking is selfish.

Those who come after us should not be burdened with an inherited responsibility. They must grow, discover who they are, and find out how they can become the best version of themselves.

What we can reasonably offer to them, then, is faith and love. Who knows, maybe in a few moments, they will be the one carrying us to a future of flourishing we have not even imagined yet.


Matthew 5:17-19. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-074: MARCH 15, 2023]

I love you 3000

It only has been five days since Franco’s birthday, but it feels like there have been countless – infinite – moments already.

The ordinary does not feel mundane anymore, because caring for a very young child provides infinite opportunities to test one’s patience, stamina, and temperament.

All these moments are not always easy-going, but they can definitely be filled with love. In this context, we can approximate, even if a little bit, what it means to love an infinite number of times.


Matthew 18:21-35. “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.”

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-073: MARCH 14, 2023]

Of adventures, treasures, and clichés

Franco seems to like stretching his arms after we remove his swaddle. He’s so animated when he stretches!

His movements reminded me of a game I used to play when I was around 3 years old when I’m alone and bored. I would imagine a fantasy world while lying in bed – acting out anime moves (kamemaheha!) and different characters. (Yes, sometimes, toys just don’t cut it!)

So many stories have been told about fantasies and searching for treasures (Dragon Ball, One Piece), which is typically found in the shonen genre of Japanese manga and anime. The cliché would be something along these lines:

“It’s the journey, not the destination.”

“The true treasure is the friends we made along the way.”

From a passive viewer’s perspective, these clichés seem dull or even corny at times.

But as I embark on a new journey as a father and also reflect on what we’ve been teaching about managing and organizing… the clichés seem so true when we are not viewers anymore, but proactive actors in the stories we write.

And as I start this journey, my hope is that I won’t be taking anything for granted – be it the clichés or the unique things that would make us different from the journey of others.

It’d be such a thrill to both witness and help Franco in his battles and journey towards becoming the best version of himself!


Luke 4:24-30. But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-072: MARCH 13, 2023]

Every moment led to you

While waiting for Franco’s birthday, my wife and I heard so many wonderful stories and sentiments from our friends.

“My child became the center of my world.”

“I lost a lot of sleep, but it was all worth it.”

“I’d die for my son.”

When we heard these kinds of sentiments from others, it felt like hyperbole.

But barely two days with my son, I cannot help but find myself empathically agreeing with all the parents that came before us.

All the choices Mika and I made since we were engaged led us to this moment that feels both real and magical. All the career moves, the planning, the rollercoaster arguments, the marriage during the pandemic, the courage to start our own family…

Franco’s smile is all it took for us to realize that it was, is, and will be worth it.


John 4:5-42. “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-071: MARCH 12, 2023]