Sunday, September 1, 2019

Journey to Self-care and Personal Development

Sometime in 2013, I met a wise old man in an Elderly Home Care in New Delhi. He is bright because of the great wisdom he imparted to me for about an hour of meaningful conversation. He is a sage; his intellect may be far beyond our consciousness, but one thing that made him inferior at that time was that he was physically ill and unable to enjoy what a physically able-bodied person could do.

The volunteers, residents, and Founder of Panchvati Elderly Care Home, Ms. Neelam Mohan, in New Delhi on June 27, 2013.

He offered me his mental and spiritual consciousness and life experiences from that conversation. That was one of the most profound conversations I ever had, and I was so thankful that I met someone like him. What an aha! Moment and a blissful encounter.

So yes! Some people may have reached the level of "intelligentsia, a Saint or a Sage," which is a developed mental and spiritual level of consciousness, but some have failed in physical health. However, some people may just be of average intelligence, but they are physically fit and enjoy what life can offer.

When I left the wise man's room, I realized that it would be better to improve oneself and reach that level of consciousness just like him and at the same time physically well so we can enjoy our most extraordinary lives, living a great life.

Just like those elderly residents that I have met in that home care, most of them had medicines for their health conditions. They used to become active in their younger years but later experienced some pains and suffering on physical, mental, and emotional levels of health.

On that day, when I gave a health talk and some practical exercises to the elderly residents in the home care, I felt their desire to bring back their physical health, and some of them perhaps have regrets.

So here comes the importance of self-care; no matter how much success we have attained in life, some will be bound for physical suffering as we age when we neglect some levels of health. For instance, we may be mentally healthy, but stress, anxiety, and fatigue lead to illness and health imbalance.

Self-care is about doing activities promoting health and wellness; sometimes, we only have a little time and effort because we think we only have a limited time and must work harder and aspire for more to live more comfortably and successfully.

Self-care is about healing our well-being after a stressful day. It could also be healing our emotions when we feel sad or depressed. It is also about clearing our minds when troubled. It uplifts our souls when we are lost and in the dark. So everything in life is a balancing act to soar high. We must balance physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health for complete well-being.

Thinking that self-care is a selfish act and expensive? That weekend treat in a spa and wellness center could be costly, but some things in life are worthwhile for a bit of expense.

That weekend travel getaway with your family or friends could lead to rejuvenation. Spending time at the beach, river, or lake is like breathing out your inner toxicities, making you feel lighter and calmer. Barefoot walking in the sand or river stones promotes earthing or grounding, feeling more attached to nature and earth. Nature is lovely; spending time on it cleanses our souls and revives our spirits.

In our travels, there are some things we could do. We can have meditation and breathing exercises to relax and heal our body, mind, and soul. Have some pure thinking while having your favorite cup of coffee or tea. A meaningful conversation with the family or friend. Do some stroll in the garden or nearby park? Appreciate historical sites, arts, and cultural heritage. Visit a church or chapel for a prayer or a mass.

Also, occasionally even a little thing relaxes our senses and can have positive effects. A body massage, aromatherapy, music therapy, and journaling. You see? That completes a meaningful and soulful journey. That promotes balanced health at all levels: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. That is the essence of self-care! to bring back our holistic being.

Returning to our home or work, we feel renewed and whole again. However, self-care never ends. It is a lifestyle! It may be a struggle, but we need at least 8 hours of quality sleep. Eating foods with nutritional value. Having some "me time" to evaluate oneself. These self-care activities are essential for personal development.

At work, self-care must be practiced to protect ourselves from physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion. It would be good to escape toxic situations and harmful influences that can degrade our self-worth.

Self-care is doing little things that matter to keep our balance and in perfect health. We must look into our being before extending our services to others. More excellent service comes with a great self, a love of beingness, and our holiness.


© 2019 Del Cusay


Sunday, August 25, 2019

Heaven in Our Hearts: Soaring High on Earth


Environmental protection and preservation are what the world needs. Nowadays, we hear about natural and man-made disasters affecting our environment and ecosystem, which significantly affect how we live. 

We may see or hear about deforestation, illegal logging, forest wildfires, and illegal mining from the news. Some of these activities are natural, while others may result from massive industrialization and greed. We may hear about it and have witnessed some of it.

In the Philippines, we have several groups and personalities: environmental warriors, environmental activists, and Philanthropists who deeply show their love and concern for our ecological welfare. One of those personalities I genuinely admire, and respect is Gina Lopez, who advocated and founded several foundations supporting environmental protection.

I consider Gina Lopez as the Mother Teresa of the Philippines. As a missionary in Europe, Africa, and India for 2 decades, she has developed a Divine consciousness by devoting her time and energy to serving the marginalized, underprivileged, and poor in love and spirit.

With the higher consciousness she attained in her mission abroad, she returned to her origin in the Philippines to spearhead the Foundation of one of the country's largest media companies. She founded the Bantay Kalikasan, which cause is to protect the environment and natural resources. She was also active in the rehabilitation effort of the Pasig River, and one of the advocates for the La Mesa Ecopark considered the last and remaining forest in Metro Manila.

Team building at the LA Mesa Ecopark in May 2011

Gina Lopez may not be able to witness how far her efforts have gone since she passed away, but her spirit, as she said, will always be alive. She will remain a well-loved personality since she has touched so many lives through her breakthrough projects and various social development programs.

Gina Lopez was a visionary. She has a great love for Filipino people, and once she uttered that if 'heaven is made from people's hearts, she thinks that we can build heaven in the Philippines' and profoundly believes that we can fly high and make things happen. This is her vision, and if we think we can do it, we will experience a piece of heaven on earth, not a fantasy, but our shared reality.

Gina Lopez envisioned a natural environment that is sustainable through Ecological tourism or known as Farm tourism. She was one of those who believed that we can achieve prosperity through harmony with nature.

As an environmental advocate, I patronize the emerging rise of the country's farm tourism industry, and it will become a living trend not only today but in the years to come.


Our love for our country can be shown through the kind of environment that we live in. We envision the next generations breathing fresher air, being under the shade of a tree, seeing the forest, and benefiting from the natural resources we have protected and preserved.

We may have lost a strong leader and Environmental protector, but her legacy will remain in our hearts as she envisioned the heaven we all deserve to live in.

© 2019 Del Cusay



Sunday, August 18, 2019

Road to Summit: Unloading Our Emotional Baggages


There are times when we feel stuck at some point in our lives. There's heaviness in our hearts causing us to slow down or to quit, to end the game and breathe out the pain.

That heaviness on our being may result from past traumas, anxieties, guilt, and toxicities from people and the environment. We call it "emotional baggage," which is unwanted and causes us to pay the price.

Like in our travels, we never wanted to pay for excess baggage at the airport counter, which costs us more. It gives us inconvenience and stress and a bad experience. I remember sometime in 2014 when I was at Kathmandu Airport in Nepal going back to New Delhi in India, when the airport counter lady charged me more for my excess baggage. Without much cash in my wallet, I left to withdraw from the ATM for a while. From that moment, I was uneasy, but luckily I could get my money to pay for the price of my excess baggage, and I felt so bad.

From that horrible experience, I can relate it to the present reality of carrying for more and paying the price. Our lower emotions like anger, jealousy, pride, and rage take away the peace in our hearts. That heaviness from the inside prevents us from moving fast forward since we are distracted by so many rumbling thoughts and the roller coaster of emotions.


One of the reasons we are stuck is because of the attachments we have to someone or something from somewhere. Or it could be the other way around when someone is so attached to us that we suddenly become mentally connected.

When this excess emotional baggage affects our well-being, there's a way to escape before we become totally stuck. When we recall in detail what went wrong, we start to be directed by a compass, the right direction towards the desired destination.

When we decide to escape from the trouble, we start to experience emotional freedom as we travel on the road to Summit. From there, we take a deep breath, relive the present moment, and capture what is pleasant and peaceful. Suddenly without us knowing, we unload the heaviness of emotions that caused us pain and sorrow. That is good for our mental health and overall well-being. 

At the Summit, we breathe out what is unwanted, which doesn't contribute much value to our being. And then, when we feel the lightness, we are ready to take on the next adventure on our road to forever. We are prepared to love again, for this is the right thing to do, and we have made the right choice. To live and laugh again, to love and be whole again.

© 2019 Del Cusay