by: Michael Jackson
Man In The Mirror - Michael Jackson
I’m gonna’ make a change,
for once in my life.
It’s gonna feel real good,
Gonna’ make a difference, gonna’ make it right . . .
I’m starting with the man In the Mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have
Been any clearer
If you wanna’ make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and the make a change!
When I’m listening to this song (by Michael Jackson) I always see myself as the man in the mirror. But here’s the catch, I’m a also the type who is fond of making resolutions only to find out that I failed to stick to it overtime. This tendency, overtime counts into the many failures I encountered in life. I figured out it has something to do with Ningas Kugon, when the zeal towards a particular goal is gradually being lost, extinguished like the fire of a kugon (coconut husk; blazing with fire once lit but unable to keep it burning).To give you a classic example, every new year I usually create a list resolutions in the hope of ‘starting the year right’. For me, it is as simple as not being late again, or to sleep early or even have a daily exercise as part of daily routine. When I’m younger I used to have more idealistic resolutions from becoming Mr. Perfect to becoming a holy saint even. But then again, as I have said, I wasn’t able to justify [most of] them, even when I resorted to more the ‘realistic’ one, still, I falter along the way. Struggling with this inconsistency, I realized the need to stop, pause and think hard about this issue of mine. It is really good to have resolutions—that is as long as we really commit to it and put our heart in it, so as not to put it in vain.
“Intentions do not count, only actions do”. – Bo S.
The advent of making resolutions usually comes with the intention to make a change. But unless, we take it into our action and in our daily lives it will not transpire as a real resolution, but failure, so that we ask for God’s grace to help us change our ways, then we pray. But when we pray for this(and oftentimes when we need something), we usually bargain and even compromise so that we say Lord give me this first and I’ll quit this or Lord grant me that and I promise never do this again. We become silly to think that we can actually twist God’s arm to grant us something we wanted or to give us a favor. We often see God as someone who will just have to snap His fingers and tada! Goodbye old filthy self! Welcome new me! (Although i’m pretty well sure He can do, but rather not). As the clitche goes, “Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa”, still everything counts on us.
But how can we really change? Some say change can only happen when a person hit rock bottom or after a life threatening experience. Like surviving a deadly disease, or an addict getting tired of his addiction or a rich person losing all the money he has in a casino and decided to quit it. But do we really have to face and get into such trials in order to really, really change? Looking back on how I failed to sustain resolutions; there is one thing that made me commit to some (small triumphs, i consider), and this is the desire to change in the name of love (the romantic type also counts here). And a lot of times it is even automatic, we are flamed and fueled by this desire to love that we often times never even aware how we are slowly (but surely) being changed by it. Fr. Arrupe, SJ has put this great power of love (to change lives) profoundly in the following passage:
“Nothing is more practical,
than finding God
that is, than falling in love
in a quite absolute,
final way.
What you are in love with,
what seizes your imagination,
will affect everything,
It will decide
What will get you out of bed in the morning,
What you will do with your evenings,
How you spend your weekends,
What you read,
What you know that breaks your heart,
And what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in love, stay in love,
And it will decide everything.”
- Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ
27th Superior General of the Society of Jesus
Let God’s love take charge and dictate everything in our lives (this is the challenge). Only trough this we can be molded into the person we are meant to be.
May God grant us the grace to love as He loved, so that we can be able to change our lives and others’ as well.
A Blessed 2009 to everyone!
- TJ Sunga
http://tjsunga.wordpress.com/2007/07/31/man-in-the-mirror/
