Wow Life!
There will come a time when you realize that you cannot control anything, that you cannot control anyone, that you cannot you’re your grip on anyone… because the longer we grip, the longer we control, the more we lose control. And the more we lose control, the less the energy is. And then we fall into sadness, we fall into melancholy, we fall into sadness. More jealousy, more envy, more anger, more disappointment. What’s wrong?
We cannot reach old age without going through days of lethargy. Those days when we have no energy. Those days when you don’t feel like getting out of bed. Those days that you still go to work but only because it is necessary.
In those days that you feel lethargic, no energy are but part of our lives. But even if these are part of our lives, it doesn’t mean that this is as usual because what is usual are delight and joy. In the song, it is said – Ang buhay ng Kristiyano ay masayang tunay (The Life of a Christian is full of joy.) God wants us to be happy. God does not want us to feel down. God does not want us to lose our zest for life. But why is it so? What is the opposite of matamlay (lethargic)? The opposite of lethargic is masigla (energetic). What is the opposite of ‘walang gana’ (no interest/enthusiasm)? The opposite of walang gana is masaya (joyful/happy). There are indeed days that are lethargic, slow. There are days when the energy is so low. There are days when there is no enthusiasm. What shall we do then? We do add-ons. We increase on our eating. We go out to eat, instead of eating at home. Or we go drinking so we can cheer up a bit. Or go to videoke to get a high score. And when you get a high score, you will tease the one who got a lower score. We will be laughing among each other but when you get home, you will still feel at your lowest.
That’s because we thought we can remedy those low days by partying more, or eating more. By drinking more. By playing more at the videoke. By visiting our friends. By going on adventures. It does not solve it. Because doing things in excess does not bring us delight. The opposite of depression is delight. And how do we achieve delight? How can we reach this point?
Isn’t it that as we feel more or more indifferent or disinterested, the feeling of frustration is also rising? The feeling of jealousy is also rising. You have no more zest for life yet you spend a lot of energy on being envious of others. You have no more zest for life yet you spend a lot of energy on anger. You have no zest for life yet you fight with just anyone who crosses your path. No apologies to those who gets run over by my bad mood. How then? What are we to do?
The reason why we lose our interest is because we think that we are stepping on the world. We are stepping on the world and the world is under our control. We think that the office is under our control. We think that the city is under our control. We think that the children are under your control. We think we are in control of life. You know where that leads you? To depression.
There will come a time when you realize that you cannot control anything, that you cannot control anyone, that you cannot get your grip on anyone… because the longer we grip, the longer we control, the more we lose control. And the more we lose control, the less the energy is. And then we fall into sadness, we fall into melancholy, we fall into sadness. More jealousy, more envy, more anger, more disappointment. What’s wrong?
Let’s go back to the Gospel. They themselves were afraid. They themselves were tired. They themselves have lost interest. How were they able to bring back their joy? How? They saw something bigger than themselves. They saw that there was something bigger than their dreams. And that is the Lord. You want to be happy again? Discover somebody greater than you. Discover a vision greater than you. Look for a life bigger than your life. And then you will find delight. You will find joy. You will find happiness. Happiness no one can take away from you.
As we run our course in life, as we age, it seems that we often would find ourselves sighing. And the usual expression is “Hay buhay (Oh what a life.)” But if we come to understand that there is something bigger than ourselves. There is a dream much more beautiful than our own dreams. There is a future much better than were you are at the present. Somebody greater than you. A vision greater than you. A life bigger than yours. You know how life will be? You will stop saying “Hay buhay (Oh what a life.)” And you will start to say “Wow buhay! (Wow, this is the life!)” Thank God, I am alive. Thank God for this life. We don’t need that much IQ, nor that much EQ. What we need is that Wow Quotient. To be able to live for something bigger than your dreams. To be able to live for something bigger than your life. To be able to look forward to something bigger than this universe. And then you will say – Life is worth living. Life is exciting. Wow, buhay! (Wow this is the life!)
Darating at darating iyong pagkakataong malalaman mo na hindi mo puwedeng kontrolin ang kahit ano… na hindi mo puwedeng kontrolin ang kahit sino… na hindi mo puwedeng panghawakan at hawakan ang kahit sino…because the longer we grip, the longer we control, the more we lose control. And the more we lose control, the less the energy is. And then we fall into sadness, we fall into melancholy, we fall into sadness. More jealousy, more envy, more anger, more disappointment. What’s wrong?
Hindi tayo maaring dumating sa pagtanda nang hindi natin nararanasan ang mga araw na matamlay. Mga araw na walang gana. Mga araw na parang ayaw mong gumising. Mga araw na nagtatrabaho ka pero dahil kailangan lang.
Iyong araw na matamlay, iyong araw na walang gana ay bahagi na ng ating buhay. Kahit bahagi ng ating buhay ay hindi ito pangkaraniwan sapagkat ang talagang pangkaraniwan ay sigla at saya. Diba sinasabi ng kanta – Ang buhay ng Kristiyano ay masayang tunay. Gusto ng Diyos masaya tayo. Ayaw ng Diyos, matamlay tayo. Ayaw ng Diyos, wala tayong gana. Pero bakit ganun? Anong kabaliktaran ng matamlay? Ang kabaliktaran ng matamlay ay masigla. Anong kabaliktaran ng walang gana? Ang kabaliktaran ng walang gana ay masaya. Mayroong mga araw na matamlay. Mayroong mga araw na walang sigla. Mayroong araw na walang gana. At anong gagawin natin? Dagdag ng konting kain. Kumain tayo sa labas, kaysa kumain sa bahay. O kaya, mag-inuman ng konti para sumaya-saya. O kay mag-videoke muna, makakuha ng mataas na score. Pagkatapos pag nakakuha ka ng mataas na score, kantsawan mo naman iyong mababa. Magkakatawanan na kayo pero pag-uwi wala pa ring gana.
Kasi akala natin, malulutas natin iyong matamlay na araw sa pamamagitan ng dagdag na party, dagdag na kain. Dagdag na inom. Dagdag na videoke. Dagdag na inuman. Dalaw sa kaibigan. Konting pasyal. It does not solve it. Because doing things in the excess does not bring us delight. The opposite of depression is delight. And how do we achieve delight? Paano natin mararating iyon?
Diba, dahil sa sobra na tayong walang gana, pataas din nang pataas iyong ating frustration. Pataas din nang pataas iyong ating selos. Wala kang gana sa buhay pero ganadong-ganado kang ma-inggit. Wala kang gana sa buhay pero may gana ka na magalit palagi. Wala kang gana sa buhay pero inaaway mo lahat. Pasensya na lang sila pag nasagasaan sila ng bad mood ko. Paano? Anong gagawin natin?
Kaya tayo nawawalan ng gana sapagkat akala na natin ay nakatungtong na tayo sa mundo. We are stepping on the world and the world is under our control. We think that the office is under our control. We think that the city is under our control. We think that the children are under your control. We think we are in control of life. You know where that leads you? To depression.
Kasi darating at darating iyong pagkakataon na malalaman mo na hindi mo puwedeng kontrolin ang kahit ano, na hindi mo puwedeng kontrolin ang kahit sino… na hindi mo puwedeng panghawakan at hawakan ang kahit sino…because the longer we grip, the longer we control, the more we lose control. And the more we lose control, the less the energy is. And then we fall into sadness, we fall into melancholy, we fall into loneliness. More jealousy, more envy, more anger, more disappointment. What’s wrong?
Balikan natin ang Ebanghelyo. Sila rin takot. Sila rin pagod. Sila rin wala nang gana. Paano nila naibalik iyong gana? Paano nila naibalik iyong sigla? Paano? Nakita nila na merong mas malaki kaysa sa kanila. Nakita nila na merong mas malaki kaysa sa kanilang pangarap. And that is the Lord. You want to be happy again? Discover somebody greater than you. Discover a vision greater than you. Look for a life bigger than your life. And then you will find delight. You will find joy. You will find happiness. Happiness no one can take away from you.
Sa ating pagtakbo ng buhay, habang tayo’y tumatanda, parang lagi na lang dumadalas ang buntong-hininga. At sinasabi nating, “Hay buhay.” Pero kung makikilala mo lamang na merong pang mas malaki kaysa sa iyo. Meron pang pangarap na mas maganda kaysa sa pangarap mo. Meron pang kinabukasan na mas maganda kaysa sa kasalukuyan mo. Somebody greater than you. A vision greater than you. A life bigger than yours. You know how life will be? You will stop saying “Hay buhay.” And you will start to say “Wow buhay!” Thank God, I am alive. Salamat sa Diyos sa buhay. Hindi natin kailangang masyado ang IQ, hindi masayado ang EQ. Ang kailangan natin Wow Quotient. To be able to live for something bigger than your dreams. To be able to live for something bigger than your life. To be able to look forward to something bigger than this universe. And then you will say – Life is worth living. Life is exciting. Wow, buhay!