an unhealthy Pinoy obsession

I know I am in the minority on this, but I find the Filipino obsession with winning beauty contests and setting title records for Guiness annoying, even embarrassing.

There are so many other things that Filipinos can truly be happy and grateful for but they seem to be overlooked in favor of these low hanging achievements. While they may give people a chance to bask in reflected glory of personal triumphs they do not really drive us to pursue collective excellence. Ultimately, instead of speaking well for us, this unhealthy obsession just shows a person's insecurity or ignorant appreciation of what makes him a respectable citizen of our country.

Religiosity vs Spirituality

There is a difference between religiosity and spirituality.

Religiosity is the overt exercise of one's faith while spirituality is the submission to a higher power that resides in truth and which guides our actions.

I am not impressed at all by religious people, especially those who offer prayers and blessings at every instance. But I have an appreciation for people who live a life of unspoken spirituality who act with honesty, kindness and love for others.

We do not need religion. What we need is a spiritual renaissance.

In vino, TMI

I am always amused by the effects of alcohol on the human brain.

Some people can take alcohol very well and seem unaffected by it.

Some people become taciturn and clam up.

Some people become rowdy and quarrelsome when they take alcohol. They should avoid drinking as much as possible.

But there are people who become voluble and spill personal secrets that should really have remained hidden unto themselves. But when their secrets are out, it is very hard to unknow them again. And I wonder if they regret ever having spilled it.

I am just a social drinker and do not really drink as much. Oftentimes  however, I get a feeling that during drinking sessions, I get to hear too much information.

What I learned from walking

There is a famous saying that "the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step".

While this is uncontestable I realized from doing a lot of walking that the best way to reach our destination is not to focus so much on where we are going or how far we are yet from there, but to be aware of where we are at the moment and the progress we make at every step. Before we know it, we will realize that we have arrived at our destination.

I believe this insight is helpful as we can also apply this in reaching our life goals.