Overcoming Darkness

When one has found the path towards the divine, he/she will continue to trek it so to find the real essence life. The journey could be difficult. One of the most difficult persons to confront who will hinder the attainment of the goal is the inner self. We understand how we project ourselves since we define who we are according to our needs and projections. We could be aware of our ego part and we could be in control with it once we do reflections and introspection. But, what about The Shadow?

According to the celebrated Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (1963), The Shadow is the unknown “dark side” of our personality. It consist predominantly of the primitive, negative, socially or religiously depreciated human emotions like sexual lust, power striving, envy, selfishness, greed, anger or rage, and due to its unenlightened nature completely obscured from consciousness.

In our faith, we call it the presence of evil in us…

It has been constantly encouraged these days for us to perform reflective episodes since these allow us to evaluate and and weigh the actions that we do. It is often difficult especially to those people who consider solitude as equated to loneliness. They often complain how boring it is to be with no one else but oneself. This might be the starting point of the so called repression of the Freudian theory of projection when we can combat the id by projecting or “casting” it away from us. Without such reflective moments, we also miss the development of appreciation which is an attitude so difficult to attain. Since it is only in reflective moments when we can count our blessings.

So, is it safe to tell that those who wallow in distress, self-pity, envy and other negative intentions are being taken over by their Shadow? It might be. That is the reason why there are PATHS that we need to take. We need to take the time to meditate and reflect. If the path we take is that of Catholicism, we are encouraged to do this during the Lenten season. We are given the chance to utilize this path even during the Holy Week where there are lots of time going to confession and meditative prayers. (On the side note, people are now filling in these BORING days by going to resorts and binge parties. They could not stand the silence…)

If you are of different religious denomination, it is the same. There are casting sessions, meditative reflections based on the bible. Islam allows our Muslim brethren to embrace the divine through Allah. There are those who go out of their comfort zones by preaching the word since they are fulfilling their ministry - a path to be of service to others, denouncing worldly needs through humility.

That is the reason why religion should not be argued. It is a path in attaining the need to be one with the divine. Religion is self-consuming. It must be understood by the individual for him/her to arrive to the direction of combating The Shadow. If your religion allows you to be a better person, so be it. There is no need for one to insist in converting others to be “saved”. It is a personal struggle since there are even those who are not not attending church services yet they are enlightened beings.

We then continue to be one with the divine. We take time seeing what is within us. Serenity comes when we understand that the worldly lures are but fleeting. We could keep our quiet to those noise that we hear from people who are constantly claiming what is holy and what is not. We take our time slowly. Even Jesus went out of the wilderness to reflect. We do the same. We take our paths.

Who knows in the end, we will see each other there where serenity is eternal and The Shadow is defeated.

Mercy

“I was hungry and you did not feed me, I was thirsty and you did not give me anything to drink, I was a stranger and you did not take me in, I was naked and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me…”

Feed the hungry. There were instances when we do not like the food served to us. We even throw some of them away since they are in excess. We prepare banquets during special occasions and leave the leftovers to the dogs. We often forget that there are people who do not have anything to eat. It is not our mistakes right, but it is our faith that binds us as one. We have to understand that if we do not share some of the food we have, we are actually turning our back to the least of our brethren. What would Jesus do if he have lots of food?

Give drink to the thirsty. It is not just water that the people around us thirst for. Most of the time, its is affection, affirmation and friendship. According to Mother Teresa, the greatest poverty is that of being unloved, unwanted and uncared for. Most of the time, we are so busy with our work. We are so immersed with the tasks that we do, We equate the meaning of our lives to the workloads we have. We forget that we work to make a living, to make life meaningful. We seldom see the people who thirst for our smiles and simple nods. We fail to listen to our friends who are suffering from something. We are always busy. What would Jesus do when someone needs to be quenched with his/her thirst?

Shelter the homeless. We adhere to the adage NOT to talk to strangers. We are afraid that they might do something harmful to us. That is correct. But welcoming them in our hearts and allowing people to feel that they are AT HOME is an easy thing. We might not have the big houses to shelter people but our hearts are wide enough to accommodate them. By allowing them to feel that they are like family members, we make the strangers feel good. This feeling will have a ripple effect to others. When Jesus was approached by strangers who needed to be healed, he embraced them like family members.

Clothe the naked. Try to look at your closets. We have enough clothes to last for years. But we often crave to have more. We head to the nearest ukay-ukay to acquire more clothing. What for? We see people who are clad with things similar to those we make as floor mats. We often submit to our needs to buy signature clothes for the sake of the brands not for the purpose…By allowing others, especially the kids to be clothed well through our generosity, we are able to share our blessings and allow them to do the same. What would Jesus do we he have lots of clothing?

Visit the sick and the imprisoned. Do you remember the times when you got sick? You were so helpless and lonely. When people visited you, it became an imprint in your memory you often remember the persons who were there for you. In times of loneliness, our mere presence heals. There are those who are bedridden yet we got so busy remembering them. There are even children whose parents are sick yet do not visit them. They often justify their absence of being busy. Yet, if we go deeper, it is the incapacity to serve as the main reason. We are sometimes engrossed with our selfishness to the point that visiting the sick and the imprisoned do not matter. These seem to be insignificant since we like living the life we define it to be. But what would Jesus do even if he is busy? Would he visit them?

Our lives are fleeting. We do not know when is our last breath. We find the meaning of our existence and most of the time, we equate this to material things. We are so busy looking for money to be able to acquire things. We want to have lots of resources to be able to travel and be at par with the rich. We could not look beyond ourselves since we are feeding the unmet needs we have. We are driven by FEAR. We are afraid not to be recognized and appreciated that we have to look good and achieve. We fear to be left behind that we also put on masks showing that we are successful. We are afraid that our friends are better than us, that is why we indirectly publish our own achievements…

But in the end, would all these matter? What did Jesus do when he was here?

Service and Love

Seeing the students rehearse for their graduation, one could ponder on the efforts their parents displaced for them to arrive this part of their lives. We could sense the difficult times they exerted to come across. The dynamic demand to cope with technology and the expenses they incur to allow their children to be at par with the present standards  could sometimes overwhelm a mere observer. Yet, they were able to do their duties and responsibilities.

We could not discount the efforts of the learners themselves. How many hours did they spend in acquiring knowledge and honing their skills? How many times when they were exposed to stressful situations when they coped with the requirements? They were able to cry on their failures and bounced back. There were even those who gave up and surrendered to mendicancy and hopelessness. But the majority seems to submit to the belief that all would be well if they toil hard.

One way or the other, there are teachers who inspired these young learners. They are those who unconditionally displaced their time, talent and treasures so for the student to reach their full potential. These teachers realized their role in the lives of the learners: that is to love them without anything in return. They see the young ones as the future builders of the community and the country. They see them as the future parents of the children who need to be nurtured. They see the students as the people who will also displace love and affection to others that’s why they give them something of essence: loving service.

Self-mastered parents and teachers help children choose their own goals; They help children visualize the positive results of achieving their own goals and the negative results of not reaching their goals; They remember and employ the power of praise and affirmation to the young; They also help children develop a more positive self-image; And best, they nurture the spirits of the young by allowing them to see the importance of linking oneself to the divine.

The aforementioned things might not be the template for raising and educating young people but they seem to be effective. There are those who lack some of those things and they are having difficult times with their studies. It has been proven by countless studies and researches that there is a significant relationship between parental support and the academic achievement of the learners.

It is in this time of the year when we look back and count the efforts we have in our roles in making the society we belong a better one through our individual efforts. Since we belong to the molding of the learners mind and character, that could be our great contribution to the country we truly love.

Love of people (Maka-Tao), love of country (Maka-Bansa), love for the environment (Maka-Kalikasn) are all attributed to the nurturing powers we have in our hands as parents and teachers. All of these are done because we owe so much from the divine interventions our creator has blessed us. (Maka-Diyos)

Transcendence

Why can’t we be natural? That’s one of the most difficult questions to answer since all of us wear our own masks to conform what is expected of us. There are instances when we even project someone which is really the exact opposite of the person within.

There is this metaphor about the flower. It blooms with all its beauty without any expectation that someone will appreciate it. It is just there in full regalia without any pretensions. When it reaches its time, it wilts and dies a natural death. It may sound insignificant but if we can live our lives similar to it, less pressures and conflict happen.

We dress up and find time to make ourselves presentable so to make others appreciate us. Affirmation seems to be an insatiable hunger that we even try to augment our skin into the fairer hue. We like to “improve” our looks for us to be liked. We dab expensive perfumes to our skin and we buy expensive accessories for us to stand out, to be different.

There are instances that we even acquire education for us to use this as a means of elevating ourselves from others. We like to be on the highest part of the ladder so for power to be acquired. We don’t want to be ignored so we raise our voices to be heard, to be singled-out as intelligent.

In the real sense, we are always enslaved with fear. We are afraid to be rejected that’s the reason why we constantly seek for affirmation. We consider people as our friends if they patronize us. We are afraid to be placed on the margin that is why we do not associate with the marginalized ones. Others might think that we are like them; they might see us like those people so pitiful we will not have a niche in the society.

In the social media sites, we promote ourselves so that people will like us. We are products that need to be packaged; to be ogled and eventually, to be considered as a commodity worth acquiring. The more beautiful ones are the expensive types.

But who is really the inner person? He or she is the one who tries to connect to the divine. With or without religion (which is just a mere path to reach divinity) this faceless person is capable of INNER REFINEMENT which allows him/her to see others as well without labels. In short, there is equity of love, respect, justice and all the universal values among them since they know that the divine resides in all of the people.

But then, we could not help if EGO is going to overpower us since this could be the one which SEEM to motivate us to make our lives better. We give in to the satisfaction of our appetites but fail to understand why. We continue to live a superficial existence trying to convince ourselves that we are doing it right.

Still we embrace the fact that life is a CONTINUUM. It is in this belief that the inner SELF could be discovered if we transcend from the EGO to the inner us. Our journeys could be different in arriving to the direction yet if processes are attuned to the common good, a natural course can be found and trekked.

Just like the flowers on the side roads and wilderness, we bloom without expecting anybody to stop and appreciate us. But inside us, we know that we have contributed something beautiful to the world. When the former insignificance could now be considered as resonating force to be ONE with the universe, that is when life would be meaningful.

Queer

                            (photo: Suburban Living Magazine)

Bullies. They exist anywhere. We could not eradicate them from our system. During our elementary days, we often experience being bullied by someone who saw you as “different, small, fragile, queer” or anything they see as NOT normal. A lot of us cower on the power they feign and we often pray that we won’t encounter any of them on the streets or near the classroom.

During the high school years, the bullies continue to hold on to such artificial power for them to feel complete. Later in life, we understand them as insecure people who lack the love, affection and care from their parents or families. We later realize how pitiful their lives are and bullying is the only activity they are good at since academics, skills-oriented events and the affective side are deprived of them.

When young adulthood happens, the bullies feed on body shaming, gossips and even aiming for a better status. Social climbing is not alien to those bullies who deny their meager backgrounds. They will join friends who could be considered as the IN crowd and laugh at the nerds and the “trying-hard”. They could not grasp the idea that studying and perseverance are not disabilities but requisites for success and a secure future.

It is only in adulthood when the bullies realize that the people they bullied are better than them. There are those who are well-off than their meager existence. And that is the sweetest revenge that the bullied one could offer. Inner strength must be developed by the so-called weaklings since this will allow them to become resilient with emotional turmoils. Again, in reality, bullies exist so we need to prepare ourselves for them.

If someone call you UGLY since they feel beautiful/handsome now, let them be. They are prone to be courted in high school since they are physically-attractive. Chances are, they are often in and out of relationships they could never concentrate with the development of their brains. Or, they will get married at an early age since they look good! Later, you will become more beautiful/handsome than them since you could then buy things they could not afford!

If someone tags you FAT, let them be. The reason why you are probably fat is that you have plenty of food provided by your parents. Or, you are genetically-designed to be that. Being fat will not hamper you to pursue your goals. In fact, in a politically-correct environment that we have now, boutiques for plus size persons are thriving. Let them wallow in their ignorance.

There are those who scream FAGGOT to you if you’re gay or queer. You could scream back their grades to their faces or keep your cool. They will be the ones to need your services in the future for make-up or clothes and hair. You could make them look like a fashion victim and tell them that they are NOT worthy of your creations. Or, you could ask for a very expensive fee: those of which they could not afford.

But these things could be unhealthy. The best thing to deal with them is to allow them to wallow in their inefficiencies. They are not better than you. You are better than them. Do not allow depression to assault you since this is counterproductive.

In the meantime, we could sit at the corner and let the “confident” ones have their moments. We could keep our own company and read. We could write on our journals or cut clips. We might as well utilize our time by honing our skills rather than wasting our time on the streets. We could allow them to call us names but we will not get affected.

In the near future, we could have our own laughter, more sincere than their superficial existence. 

Eject

                            (photo: IndyStar)

Lately, the brouhaha over the proposed impeachment of another Chief Justice in the judiciary escalated. One reason of its validity is the so-called psychological capacity of Sereno to lead the department where checks and balances are of essence.

Geraldine Tria, a clinical psychologist said that Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno manifested grandiosity, unlimited power, sense of entitlement, lack of empathy and has the trait to take advantage of others. Her statement is based on an assessment they conducted prior to Sereno’s appointment.

But then, aren’t these things manifest in other leaders of the government offices both elected and appointed?

Let us linger on this aspect especially in other sectors in the governments where there are heads whose mental stability could sometimes cause the gravitational pull of the earth to be inconsistent with its acceleration (which in that case is 9.8 m/s2).

In the education department, schools are being led and managed by school heads either designated or those who passed the Principals Test. But how many of them are capable enough of understanding the ecology of the school in terms of the demographics and data based on the schools’ profile? There is what we call as the psychological blueprint of the schools based on the cultural background and the influences of the community the school is located. Are they equipped with the impending “moods” a school might acquire? Then if not, would it be ground enough to expel them from the system? What if their purpose of becoming a head is solely for power and fame? You see, just like the judiciary, this sector is strong and influential enough to dictate the future of the country.

In the local government units, how many legislators could be considered as strategic thinkers? Do they base their legislation on the psychological make-up of the social spectrum of the micro community they are elected into office? Are they considering the psycho-social impact of the ordinances they file and defend? What if the local chief executives do not have empathy? Are they going to be exposed to an activity which is similar to an impeachment?

For many years now of observing the movements in government offices, one could  cower on the insensitivity of the so-called servants to the clientele. How many hospital personnel are there who denied the patients to their rights to be treated with their illnesses? How many nurses who were trained to give tender love and care to the patients who leave such traits to others? How many teachers are there who only see their learners as their tasks? How many elected politicians are there in the different parts of the country who only see the people as “votes” which will place them in power? These things and actions are being mandated by the psychological capacity of these persons in rendering their services. Another, of course, is their morality.

The point is this: How do we measure psychological capacity? Is it from the opinion of the experts? What about the direct evidences and hard realities which could be directly observed?

In the evolution of conducting researches and dissertations, the statistical tools used and the qualitative way of getting data are now being married so not to limit only to perceptions but could lead to a scientific inference. The data gathered are being treated in a keen and analytical manner to arrive to a certain theory or a recommendation.

Direct observations to social media accounts and even looking at the journal entries of a person could lead towards an assessment. But what if this assessment will only fall on the perceptive “truth” which later could lead in the forming of an opinion?

We could not discredit the psychologists and psychiatrists with the science they have been studying and mastering. But wouldn’t we rely more on the so-called common sense by looking at the hard facts the person is displacing?

Yet, the talk is centered on the impeachment of a leader. Of course, we dislike being led by someone who could thwart future realities. His or her line of thought could mar the direction towards the common good. Yet, we might as well consider this event to arrive to a deeper reflection on the conditions of the other sectors in our society and even in our own selves and families.