Cultivating Gratitude for Success

"Live life to the fullest and express appreciation and gratitude. Every day is a chance to succeed, feel blessed, and be grateful to live."

What does it feel like to live in a chaotic world and remain positive at all times? How can we say thank you in times of difficulty? How can we be grateful for life if we suffer from frustrations and pain?

Life could have been better if we all experienced the goodness it offers, but it is more challenging than we think. Life simply means sharing the good and the wrong things, the ups, and downs—the life cycle. Sometimes, life may not be fair to us; but fairness happens when we all share the same misery even once in our lives.

THE KEY TO ABUNDANCE

Being thankful no matter what situation we are experiencing will give us the power to receive abundance. Gratitude is a way of appreciating and recognizing the blessings that come into our lives— bigger or smaller.

We should be grateful for; good health, happy families, success, and fulfilled living. Likewise, be thankful for things that make your work easier. Also, friends you can depend on and family that supports you all the way are the reasons to make you feel grateful.

Cultivating gratitude means improving or training ourselves to become grateful in everything. Awareness of what is abundant in our lives is the key to happiness. For instance, a hug from loved ones, a bright and sunny day, a smile from a friend or stranger, and love and support from family and friends can be a source of gratitude.

BEING GRATEFUL FOR LIFE

Eventually, we'll realize that even the most minor things we often take for granted could have been an excellent opportunity to express our gratitude. Sometimes we are thankful for the good things we received but do not express gratitude for the not-so-good things in life. We need to fully understand its implications as to why we have to suffer or what lessons we can learn from it. We only give thanks for what is 'seen' compared to what is 'hidden'—objective expression versus subjective realization. The latter is the source of genuine happiness and contentment.

I have dealt with people who are physically ill and those who consider themselves balanced in all life aspects. They may have opposite views in life, but illness could be a way for someone to realize how abundant his life must be, only if he is keen and aware of it. 

Through physical illness, sometimes people learn to change bad habits or obsolete beliefs that convert them to become more spiritual and humanitarian. This way, he may feel whole again and as balanced as the person he thinks he is. 

Indeed, gratitude is a life-saving force. Once uttered, it is an energy that can give us relief and the power to experience and express abundance. Life is supposed to be filled with gratitude since the world would become dull, unproductive, and not alive without it. It is with gratitude that we experience authentic living. It is in appreciation that we experience true satisfaction.

LESSON ABOUT GRATITUDE

Daily is an excellent way to express gratitude for whatever we have accomplished or what we could offer or contribute. When we activate this powerful universal law, we attract more, for which we can be grateful. 

Never chase more of what is not in sight, but rather be grateful for what is already there. Also, we can appreciate what we can do more than what we cannot.

I could be better, and sometimes I complain if bad situations arise. However, I keep myself back on the right track if my perspective can do more harm than good. Then, I activate the power of gratitude, and everything becomes normal again. 

We can learn to be more grateful for life and remember that we are blessed with the people so dear to us and in almost all circumstances that life may bring. Live your life to the fullest and express appreciation and gratitude. Every day is a chance to succeed, feel blessed, and be grateful for life.

© 2012 Del Cusay

Getting Ahead of Life's Adversities

"Life is full of challenges, and we must face them with courage and acceptance. Every day is a learning experience, and we become the person that we can be through the test of time—getting way ahead of adversities."

How do we deal with difficulties in life? In today's world, we confront several nuisances or blockages that prevent us from moving forward. Some would have rationalized this event as undeserving despite being good.

Adversities come differently. It could be losing loved ones, failed relationships, financial problems, natural and man-made disasters, etc. How we interpret these things relates to our beliefs and values. And acknowledging it helps us to prepare ourselves better in taking the best actions in anticipation of future unexpected occurrences.

A BLESSING IN DISGUISE

Whether we like it or not, we will be facing adversities that teach us valuable lessons, and challenges continue to happen until it's learned. Sometimes, we have to experience bad things to show up the best in ourselves. And to teach us better ways to live and become more responsible.

It is through recognition of these blessings shall we experience the benefits after. Some would tend to resist, but accepting it with absolute faith and believing that blessings will come at any moment is wiser.

If sacrifice is one of the keys to a good living, great things come when we endure and persevere through life's challenges. It is in hardship that we learn to grow up and become wiser. It only takes courage to rise and face life with gratitude.

A VALUABLE LESSON

Adversity teaches us the value of humility and that life is not all about prosperity. Sometimes, we need to change ourselves for the better. It brings good results by highlighting our responsibility and integrity.

If we observe closely every time we face adversity, it makes us stronger and more resilient. The moment we encounter the same problem, we already know how to deal with it; this time, we become wiser and emotionally intelligent.

We experience painful emotions, but eventually, they will subside in due time; and we collect these pieces of painful memory and learn to move forward from grief and pain.

Life indeed presents tough challenges as a lesson, but not to be viewed as a hindrance. However, it depends on how we view adversity, whether negative or positive. Repeated adversity would mean an unlearned life lesson, so it keeps returning until learned.

Life is full of challenges; we must face them with courage and acceptance. Every day is a learning experience, and we become the person we can be through the test of time—getting way ahead of adversities.

© 2012 Del Cusay

Holy Week 2012 : Leading us To Jesus

"We have our battle in life, and like Jesus, we carry our cross daily. It is for us to take it or to give up; to move forward or surrender; to follow or redirect."

The 40-day Lenten season is one of the most significant events among Christians worldwide. The last week of the season before Easter Sunday is the celebration of the Holy Week commemorating the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

During Holy Week, we celebrate the most important events, such as Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Black Saturday. These are all celebrations by devout Christians who reflect on the life and death of Jesus. 

Holy week is the time of repentance. It does not only mean we are sorry for our sins. It's when we must change our thinking, actions, and visions. It's the best time to reflect on our lives and to change them for the better. 

It's good to repent as it gives a feeling of being a renewed person. Someone complete and whole. What I have learned about repentance is the act of humility to acknowledge that I have sinned and to ask for forgiveness. 

Being renewed gives us the courage to stand up and face the world with selfless love and compassion for others. We extend our service to those who need it but cannot pay us back. Such an act makes us become 'Christ-like which is the message of the lent.

We may live in today's world full of material aspirations and worldly ambitions. But it is good to ponder on what are the necessary things in life and what is our true life purpose. It's not only material possessions, it is not just daily survival, but it is through following the right path and what God has commanded us to do. 

St. Peter's Church, Bandra (West), Mumbai

The season of Lent is not just about repentance, praying, and fasting. It's also the season of sacrifice. Like Jesus, He suffered the consequence of being upright and moral, and in the end, was sentenced to death. We can also sacrifice condemnation for being righteous. We can persevere in humiliation. We can endure persecution. However, in the end, what matters is the sense of righteousness we have chosen that leads to fulfillment in life.

We can compare the struggle of Jesus in today's modern world by becoming more courageous to speak for ourselves. Jesus did righteousness even though he knew his life led Him to persecution. He never got scared of the people in authority. Like us, we can stand up for what we believe is right. We can be ourselves if we live a good life and sacrifice for the common good. We have our battle in life; like Jesus, we carry our cross daily. It is for us to take it or give up. To move forward or surrender. To follow or redirect.

© 2012 Del Cusay

Celebrating Holi Festival

"We may have different creeds and faith. We may have different cultures and festivities. But one thing I learned most is to respect each other's differences towards unity, peace, and understanding."



Today, I am fortunate to have experienced a colorful and joyful celebration of the Holi festival in New Delhi. It was celebrated by everyone who shared fun and laughter while playing with colorful powders and putting them on each other.

Holi festival is also known as the festival of colors. It marks the end of the winter season and the beginning of the spring, where they welcome the season with vibrant colors—also known as the Spring festival. It is widely celebrated by Hindus throughout the country and other parts of the world where an Indian community exists.

At this festival, people gather regardless of gender, age, and social status. It is also believed to bring a closer relationship between two different castes, as practiced in the recent past or maybe at the present— India's lower and upper caste system.


Holi starts with a bonfire the eve before the day of the festival. It is followed by a gathering on the following day to celebrate this festivity. Holi would tend to bring back broken relationships, forgive enemies and bring back the closer ties of the community.

In a world where everyone should possess the values of politeness and courtesy, the Holi festival would have broken that social norm. Children and adults do not bother to become well-behaved on this day but are boisterous for even a short period celebrating this festival.

As I have observed, people have different interests in how they would have fun. Some kids and even adults played with water guns and rumbled on the muddy water. Some would love to dance to the tune of Bollywood music and western music. Some would just love to watch and have yet to want to get some colors.

We may have different creeds and faith. We may have different cultures and festivities. But I learned most to respect each other's differences towards unity, peace, and understanding.

Following Our Heart's Desire

"Life is like a valentine. We never know when an arrow will strike us. We never know whether it will give us hurt or joy. But whenever it comes, we accept it and follow with all our hearts—our relentless desire."


At the present time, we may have been experiencing a lot of struggles to survive life's endearing challenges. Some people might constantly worry about finding the right path in life. Some wanted to achieve their goals and dreams despite limited internal resources. Some would have been giving up and let live as it happens.

The fact that life is difficult is not the ultimate reason for us to quit, but to face life with faith and gratitude. There are so many things to be grateful for in life. One of which is our existence to find our purpose in living. We are here to follow the right path—the key to living a good life.

How we get, there is a question that sometimes we are out of an answer to. We may have tried to solve so many never-ending problems. Some cannot be handled well, resulting in frustrations and distress. However, it is not just the mind we should work for, but also the heart—the love center.

A good heart

Often, we follow our minds. Yes, it is superior and controls our well-being. Nevertheless, we should consider our hearts in our way of living. Our heart carries several functions aside from pumping blood. Hence, we should consider its importance and not take it for granted.

If we feel like giving and loving, we activate our hearts. Whenever we think of being compassionate and altruistic, we use the seat. Therefore, our heart is as important as our mind. There is the mind that interprets, but there is a heart that feels.

Man is good in nature. Thus we have a good heart. I recalled what our college teachers taught us: no matter how wrong a person is, there is still particular goodness in him. He still has a natural gift of a good heart. In that sense, we are allowed to renew and make better use of it.

Our desire

In our lives, we may have made wrong decisions that made us have some regrets. We have followed what other people have told us. Whereas we followed the advice of a friend, we listened to what a stranger said, and we pondered on wrong thoughts without following our honest and own desires.

For instance, in our society, we may know someone living in a dream with his parents. Pursuing a course or career opposite to what he truly loves. He cannot refuse but follow due to respect and love. He cannot live his own life but accept and persevere.

If this is the kind of life we want, we become a prisoner of our fate—our heart's desire. It seems that we do not have a mind and soul. We never realize that life depends on how we make it and not just living to somebody's wishes.

Something to ponder

What keeps us from not following our own will and desire is the reason we are unsure of our capabilities. We still have doubts that haunt us to move forward.

We may ask ourselves, who am I? Yet, we are still struggling to know who we indeed are. What do I want? Yet, they are unsure of what lies ahead. Where am I going? Yet, need to figure out where to head in life. When do I get there? Yet, have to start. Why shall I do it? Yet, doubting own self. And how do I get there? And yet, not utilizing inherent resources.

The questions above are valid because I used to be like that. Sometimes I question myself to better understand who, what, where, when, why, and how I want. It is good to constantly re-evaluate ourselves to keep track of our goals and desires.

Keep going on

Like a valentine, we may have full of hearts around on this day expressing love and affection to dear ones. Everyone gives flowers, chocolates, and whatever they think is unique and worth remembering. Indeed, that reminds us that the spirit of love is alive. Our heart is in working mode, and it teaches a valuable lesson to keep going —to follow our heart's desire.

Life is not just about finding ourselves but about how we create it. Indeed, we are responsible for our own lives; like a sailor, it is our choice of direction. We have the option, which depends on how we use it and make better gameplay.

Life is like a valentine. We never know when an arrow will strike us. We never know whether it will give us hurt or joy. But whenever it comes, we accept it and follow with all our hearts—our relentless desire. We offer our best wholeheartedly and must follow what our minds and nature dictate.

© 2012 Del Cusay

Reaching Our Highest Potential

There will be some failure. There will be obstacles to the path of happiness and success. Sometimes we think of giving up, but we must persevere and continue living with a sense of responsibility and purpose."

Sometimes we think of being incapable of reaching our dreams and desires. We recede from our ambition to reach our destinations in life. Suddenly, we get scared and lose momentum to achieve better results.  However, there are times when we are at our highest peak. We have reached our goals and dreams because of our strong desire and commitment. Our faith leads us to get there—the path toward glorious success.

If life is a cycle, I must agree! — We experience how it is to be on the "peaks and valleys." Life teaches us that no matter how difficult it may seem, still, we have to move forward like a cycle that keeps moving on. We have the human potential to achieve something better we should not fear.

NEVER DOUBT

One of the reasons we do not have progress is a lack of confidence and belief. We fear committing mistakes. We also fear being judged.  We fear to rise and shine.

I used to fear failure and that I hadn't tried my best in the past. I was shy then and not able to speak my mind. I never thought that fear would have sabotaged my chances of success for not giving my best. Now, I have built confidence and a positive outlook in life, and it amazes me whenever I think of what my life would have been if I had never decided to reform.

Some people may still be living a life full of doubts and self-criticism. It is not too late to step up from the shadow. We start to analyze ourselves and dare to give more of what we have. There is indeed a dormant positive force within us that is waiting to be tapped.

WE CAN BE

I have learned that we have to unleash our potential. We have been gifted with a great mind to think beyond the limits—to think extraordinarily. There is something within us that is hidden. And be useful once we learn to develop it. We can be someone that others would not have thought of achieving. We can be a person who once believed that 'it is impossible.

Possibility only happens once the result is evident. We may have been condemned and ridiculed for our wishes, and they may doubt our capabilities. However, people do not know the hidden potential that lies within us.

HUMAN POTENTIAL

Anyone can unleash potential no matter who and what he is. We may be familiar with some real-life stories of how a poor man later became a company's CEO, how a college dropout became prosperous and had a massive influence, and how even an uneducated man became a leader.

Educational status is not a mere factor in being who we are. It is the use of our mind power—our hidden potential. We can all tap into this potential, but we have a huge responsibility to carry.

What about people in late adulthood who have discovered their abilities in artistic activities like painting, film-making, or public speaking and leading a group? It must be that they have learned to unleash their full potential. It's hidden in their younger years, but only then have it untapped and make better use of it.

If only we have the talent and the skills about something, it is now the time to improve it and do the best things possible through it. This time, you should not have more doubts and negative beliefs but must have confidence and competence.

THE LESSON

In our pursuit of happiness, we may still encounter mistakes leading to unhappiness; but we have to keep up with our hopes and high spirit. We have to learn how to live to our fullest potential.

I admit I am not perfect and never will be, but I have the relentless desire to live what I am capable of, enabling me to move closer to my goal.

There will be some failure. There will be obstacles to the path of happiness and success. Sometimes we think of giving up, but we must persevere and continue living with a sense of responsibility and purpose.

We can be ourselves and light up our world by unleashing our true and full potential. We deserve the best in life; it is now the time to offer our best in return.

© 2012 Del Cusay

How Failure Turned Into Success

"Whatever we have failed from the past or the present, we need to redefine our past failures and realize what we did right and disregard what we did wrong and then turn that into wisdom for a winning future."

Sometimes I felt like a failure when things turned out as opposed to my expectations. I set a goal and planned about it, but in the end, it failed. It makes me feel bad, and it is just a natural feeling. Nevertheless, prolonged sadness is not good as it may invite negative and harmful thoughts.

In our lives, we have been experiencing almost everything that it may bring—good or bad. Sometimes we end up feeling lost, resulting in failure. We fail to achieve... we fail to succeed.

I heard stories from people that they failed, failed in major exams, failed in their careers, died in reaching their goals and dreams, etc. Then I realized that failure is okay because we can learn from these failures and use them as experiences for our subsequent success. Hence, I call 'failure'  and' success in disguise.

FAILURE IS A GREAT WAY TO LEARN

We can learn from our failures and recall what we missed or what went wrong. It is an opportunity to reflect on our actions that led to the loss. Likewise, we must fail to realize that there is a mistake in the process of what we aim for. Thus, we must correct it and be as successful as possible on our next try.

I remember way back in college that our teacher would return our essays if she could spot grammatical errors or spelling. I tried to correct it as much as possible but had to edit my work repeatedly as advised. With that experience, I have learned something valuable about my writing, although sometimes someone has to send me a message to correct some mistakes. I am still thankful for the enthusiasm to learn from mistakes—it can be considered a failure.

TRYING TO FAIL

I have tried this approach, and indeed it works. It teaches me a lesson that I should never fear failure and never chase perfection but rather excellence.

What is good about trying to fail is that we do not have to worry about being perfect. The good thing is we might succeed by accident. Think of remarkable inventions by accident, they may have thought of failure, but it turned out to be another great invention.

Sometimes I fail, but now I do not worry about it; I just divert my attention towards more optimistic thoughts and think that today I forgot, but next time I will have it!—gives me more courage to pursue my goals despite the odds.

TRYING AGAIN

We have no reason to give up but to keep trying. If we fail once, twice, or thrice... it is all right. It only means we are persistent with our goal to achieve. The next time we try, we succeed! We did it! Moreover, we are grateful for it.

REDEFINING THE CONCEPT OF FAILURE AND SUCCESS

Our own definition of success and failure is based on our personal experiences. Instead of saying, 'I tried, but it failed,' it is better to say, 'I tried, and I failed, but I have learned and tried again, and I succeeded!'

We can be harmful sometimes, but we must be more balanced and weigh in the circumstances. Some of the good things in life can be attained through re-framing our state of mind.

FROM FAILURE TO SUCCESS

Persistence can significantly impact achieving tremendous success, just like some famous people who have persevered so many times until they reached the status of greatness and success.

Take the case of Steve Jobs, the late CEO of Apple company. He was fired from the company he co-founded and failed at another company he founded. However, in the end, he succeeded and gained the admiration of many people.

We may fail many times, but we will surely succeed if we have the persistence and courage to face our failures.

Whatever we have failed in the past or the present, we need to redefine our past failures, realize what we did right, disregard what we did wrong, and then turn that into wisdom for a winning future.

© 2012 Del Cusay

New Year 2012: Faraway Journey, Greater Service and Breakthrough to Success

"In the material world that we live in, where the outer symbol of success fades and eventually will be gone, it would be good to ponder on the realization of our highest service to give to God, ourselves...our family.. our country, and the world at large."


The start of the year has been full of optimistic hope, optimism, and enthusiasm, as I have celebrated it with joy and gratitude. This is the best time to set goals and wishes for the year.

As I celebrate the new year, questions pop into my mind, such as how to keep up with the momentum through the year and make these things possible and achievable.

This time, I have learned to be clear on what I want and not to focus on what I don't want. What do I want to acquire? What are my desires and hopes? What do I want to experience and learn? And what do I want to become?

Some of my goals were not attained because I was not clear about what I wanted, so I ended up losing the inspiration and hope and having it replaced with doubts when I saw it was impossible—then came to the list of unaccomplished and unattainable goals.

This day marks the first week of 2012, and it was a good week to start the year. Doing physical activities like walking, jogging, and some exercises at the park was fun. I enjoy the revitalizing and invigorating effects.

I have done a 20-minute meditation daily for this first week of the year. It was an excellent opportunity to reflect on my wishes and goals for this year and enjoy the place's serenity and peaceful ambiance. It was a perfect place to meditate as I bear the tolerable coldness of the weather.

As I meditated, I closed my eyes and could hear nothing but birds chirping, the cold breeze of the wind, the people passing quietly along with my meditation space, and the shouts of the teens playing cricket at a far distance.

Those external sounds do not bother me anymore. At least, it did not make me more space out. The internal voice from within dominates the most. This sound is more precious, giving more time to reflect deeply while whispering sacred chants silently.

MY GOALS AND WISHES FOR THIS YEAR...

TO THE PHILIPPINES...

My beloved country of birth, I pray, will be spared by significant destruction, such as calamities that cause loss of lives and properties, and worst is living a life of post-traumatic depression and loss of self-worth.

Being a "Pacific Islander" would expect to have been visited by typhoons, and a country in a "Pacific Ring of Fire" would have numerous earthquakes. We have our share of devastating calamities that the world experiences. The reality is that we can not escape but can ease these tragedies' effects.

One of the good traits of being a Filipino is the "Bayanihan Spirit," a Filipino term that denotes a helping hand. Hoping that we will continue to be inspired to help people in any way possible.

TO THE PHILIPPINE ECONOMY

Hoping that the country will be able to survive any recession or financial crisis that may hit the region or the world. Although the past administration has done it well, hoping that the present administration will be able to do their part for the betterment of the country and its people.

Hoping that more local and foreign investors will come to establish a business to generate more jobs for Filipinos. Jobs for every Filipino means food to feed their families and to alleviate hunger and poverty.

TO THE WORLD...

Hoping that peace will be attained. No conflicts... no terrorism... no wars. The past year seems full of outrage and a fight against their government that created global concern. It brought massive destruction to innocent civilians; loss of homes, properties, and lives.

Hoping that this world will be a safer place for people to live in—to be able to walk on the streets safely by day and night, to be able to commute on bus and train without the thoughts of the presence of any explosive substances inside; to be able to enjoy shopping at the mall without the idea of the bombing (as the case in the Philippines) and so on...

May poverty alleviation be strengthened by those in political power to end the world of hunger, famine, and suffering?

We live in a chaotic world of uncertainties and suffering, so we need more incarnations of Anna Hazare, Mother Teresa, and Mahatma Gandhi. The selfless acts they have sacrificed for the welfare of humanity will be remembered and remain in our hearts eternally.

ON MYSELF...

My personal goal for this year is not a short-term or long-term goal. What matters is clarity and attainability. I just wish for a balanced and successful life with a focus on my...

Health - to become more balanced in all fitness levels—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

Family - to become stronger despite the problems, better health, and attain more prosperity.

Career - to continue to be a representation of the "BE Life" slogan - "Live Your Greatest Life" and to be able to touch as many lives as possible along with the foundation's commitment to "Serving Humanity and the World."

Personal relationship - harmonize with my family, colleagues, and friends.

Personal growth - to learn something new and valuable; gain new insights from seminars/workshops, training, and inspiring books.

Making a difference - to continue doing something good and inspiring others to do the same. I will participate actively in various activities that are intended for the benefit of a particular person or group.

STRETCHING BEYOND THE LIMITS

I would challenge myself to push on its limit. Sometimes, it feels good to do extraordinary things like public speaking or conduct and speak for a seminar/workshop. It might be frightening, but the end result is more rewarding.

It is nice to achieve something impossible, but things become possible only until it is done. There are things to accomplish for this year if I focus on it and with the support of the people who believe in me.

In the long run, what is essential is not the outcome of the fulfillment of my goals and dreams but who I become in the process with the ultimate goal of living a better life.

FOR OTHERS...

My goal for this year may impact other people who share the same desires and idealism. As I write this goal list and commit to a bigger dream, I may soon come up with big ideas to make these things happen. I hope to attract the right people and opportunities to achieve my goal.

ONE STEP AT A TIME

Ultimately success does not come overnight but involves small daily actions that accumulate in time towards realizing and achieving the most cherished dreams. I have to ask myself, "What should I do today that will help me towards the aspiration and achievement of my dreams?"—a question that needs daily answers and action.

LIVING WITH A PURPOSE

We must live with a purpose and continue to discover and understand it. You have a sense, and I have mine too... so in the material world that we live in, where the outward symbol of success fades and eventually will be gone, it would be good to ponder on the realization of our highest service to give to God...our self...our family.. our country and the world at large.

A prosperous year ahead!

© 2012 Del Cusay