Can we prepare for the unpredictable?

The past years have splashed the coldest of waters onto our foolish sleepy heads: indeed, there are unpredictable things that can catch us way off guard.

There are many resources that are out of our control; therefore, to prepare for the unpredictable means to strengthen our resolve. Personally, I think that strengthening one’s resolve means acknowledging our limits. The higher our sober cognition of our limits, the lower the chance for regrets. The lower the chances for regrets, the higher the chances of inner peace.

And maybe that’s the indication of how well we have prepared for the unpredictable: the calmness that inner peace brings us.

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Luke 12:32-48. You must be prepared

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 219: AUGUST 7, 2022]

To deny one’s ego is to develop one’s self

It is tempting to let flatteries and sugarcoated words get into our heads. They boost our ego. It is also tempting to reject critiques. They hurt our ego.

Yet, our goal should not be to boost our ego but to truly develop our selves. And authentic integral development is not convenient. It can be painful, akin to athletes harshly training their bodies to improve their craft.

It is ironic that society glorifies the perks of what “success” looks like, how influencers or superstar athletes seem to earn millions seemingly overnight while living a chill life. But the really successful content creators and athletes are those who derive meaning in the grind, the “dirty work” behind the spotlight – the trainings, the endless revisions of ideas, and the discipline.

Flow, the psychology of optimum performance, shows that the time we dissolve our ego and immerse with the activity is also the time we are at our best. Indeed, to deny one’s ego is to develop one’s self.

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Matthew 16:24-28. Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 217: AUGUST 5, 2022]

Persistence and “kakulitan”

Sometimes, a child’s persistence or “kakulitan” feels like a magical power.

I recall Owen and Andi, one of my nephews and nieces. Owen would tell me everytime I see him, “Have you installed Roblox? Rec Room?” I feel indifferent at first, but the persistence is effective. I install them on my phone. Haha!

Andi is fond of playing rock-papers-scissors and hide-and-seek. She’ll look at me with puppy eyes and a “paawa face”. I feel indifferent at first, but I give in. She hides, I seek. Haha!

Sometimes, we really have to persist like how children do. Minsan, okay lang din mangulit. A cycle of prayers and actions, over and over and over again. We cannot always get the results…

But at least, there won’t be any regrets. There is both peace and meaning to be found in knowing that we maximized our controllables and prayed as hard as we could; it’s just not meant to be.

The hard work is the cake, no matter the result. The positive result is just the icing.

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Matthew 15:21-28. Have pity on me! | Great is your faith!

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 215: AUGUST 3, 2022]

One feast

Some YouTubers and die-hard fans have theorized that the story of One Piece and the real dream of Luffy is to have the biggest banquet for the whole world – “One Feast”. They pointed out that the major arcs of the long-running shonen manga usually ends with big celebrations between allies who succeeded vanquishing evil pirates. Such an interesting fan theory!

It is fascinating how communal moments of eating and drinking are important elements of epic stories. And if I think about it, I can associate certain food and drinks with wonderful and meaningful memories. The homemade adobo, sinigang, nilaga, and tinola remind me of the comfort of eating with family. Siomai rice, porkchopsilog, and fishballs remind me of my student days. Beer and coffee remind me of friends and peers. Milk and cookies remind me of my wife. I can even recall eating shawarma rice and siomai at the old SPS canteen in DLSU as the food I ate when I began realizing that I was looking at my girl bestfriend into a potential girlfriend-to-be (and now wife! Haha! Baka nilagyan niya ng gayuma yung garlic sauce at chili!)

Maybe Jesus is indeed onto something when He used the Last Supper as an instrument for us to remember Him: “do this in memory of me.” And perhaps the invitation for us is to make use of feasts – no matter how little or how small – as a means to create more meaning for and with one another.

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Matthew 14:13-21. The feeding of five thousand men

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 213: AUGUST 1, 2022]

When should we enter into a promise?

There are times when we enter into promises out of convenience, an emotional high, or to appease another at present without necessarily intending to fulfill the promise.

If we want to honor our word, I am thinking of three conditions that must be met if we want to make a promise (or enter into a binding agreement with one another):

First, the need to be mindful, heartful, authentic, and self-aware. Promising things during an extreme emotional high or low may impede us from actually understanding whether we can commit to doing something or not. We may overestimate our abilities and commit to something we cannot or not willing to do. We may inadvertently underestimate the risks and tradeoffs. In Filipino, pwede tayong mapasubo.

Second is the need to appreciate the power dynamics between those entering the promise. Did the powerful manipulate the powerless? Were there any false pretenses?

Third is orienting ourselves towards what is collaboratively discerned as “good” or a win-win situation. This disincentivizes the other from breaking the promise, because why would any break their end of the stick if both stand to flourish?

If we cannot fulfill any of these three conditions assuming that we want to honor our word, then it is better not to promise anything.

In a world where fake news, BS, and half-truths are more common, those who stand for the truth and honor their word are indeed rare; scarce, even. This makes those who honor their word valuable, almost a priceless gem that no one would ever want to let go.

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Matthew 14:1-12. Because of his “oaths”… (the beheading of John the Baptist)

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 211: JULY 30, 2022]