Opportunity in Crisis

We feel people's fear. This pandemic teaches us to be sensitive to different kinds of emotions. Anxiety, panic, boredom, anger, irritability, and depression are some of our common reactions. People may not say it, but we sense the negative vibe of people's lower emotions. 

We sense fear because our consciousness detected a new threat to our being; in humanity. Hence, what we feel is just average and expected.

But how can we escape this threat? How long shall we feel fear? How can we go back to living an everyday life?

During these times, education experts say we live in 3 different crisis zones.

Fear Zone. This is our initial tendency to threaten. It's normal! Feel the fear. Acknowledge this feeling and not be in denial. Our physical expression can't mask our feelings deep within for one main reason we are all together. We are wired to feel for each other.

Learning Zone. This is an excellent opportunity in times of crisis. We make use of the time we are in isolation. Most people might still be stuck in a fear zone, but learning shouldn't stop us. Students, working professionals, parents, young kids, and even old retirees can learn something new during this time. New knowledge and skills are our weapons as we return to living a 'new normal' during and post-pandemic.

Growth Zone. This is about taking control of our emotions and mind.
When we achieve a certain level of self-mastery, we grow and transform into a more fantastic version of ourselves. We succeed because we refuse to remain a victim of circumstance and prisoners of fate.

So, in what zone are we now?

From the 'fear zone' during the first few weeks of quarantine, I am now in the 'learning zone' where I feel a lot of positivity and personal empowerment. 

I have attended several webinars offered by local and international organizations and have learned from Thought leaders about different subjects of expertise.

I listen to educational podcasts and read valuable insights from online articles. I keep on learning and auditing existing knowledge and beliefs. I keep on pondering and updating obsolete information that hinders growth.

There's growth in learning.

Soulful Sunday is a great opportunity not to be stuck but to learn to adapt and engage in new interests and habits.

Farming has been a great activity for us even before the pandemic, and we continue to plant seeds for a bounty harvest in this uncertain time.

This is an opportunity to cultivate, develop and create sustainable living. Organic farming practice is what we need for a healthier body and immunity to fight the unseen enemy.

Life in the countryside will always be exciting. It's just a matter of changing our mental state and the definition of success. There's a lot of learning and an opportunity to live a more comfortable and healthier life. 

As we move on, we will look back to realize that fear sabotages and taking in control of our destiny. And so, our antidote is a dosage of learning to become better and bounce back more vital than ever.

© 2020 Del Cusay

Positivity in Uncertainty

Energy follows thoughts and intentions. That's one of the most essential pieces of wisdom I have learned and adopted for years.

We can make things happen when we pay attention to our thoughts and with a higher level of optimism. We can let almost impossible things happen.

But how can we stay positive in a world full of negativity? With the recent global crisis due to the pandemic, people get scared and anxious about what lies ahead of our uncertain future -- the coming days and years.

We are all at risk. But at this time, somebody must be ahead of us. Somebody must not be so scared as we are. They are our elders, our parents, and our grandparents.

What makes them have the highest level of positivity is the struggles and life experiences that they have survived through the years.

Yes, they may be the most vulnerable, but they have the most positive spirit all through these times.

They are not the weakest but strongest because of their faith in the highest Divine power. Their religious or spiritual affiliations and activities are what make them truly alive.

My Soulful Sunday is spent at the farm, and on this day, my parents show us how to live and survive this crisis.

The striking statement I have heard from them is that extensive farmland only serves its purpose if cultivated for sustainable farming.' That's the reason why they put their energy into it.

As I visit the farm after a week of home quarantine, I am glad to see the vegetable farm, which they have spent most of their time and energy on.

They may never know what tomorrow will bring, but they know how to survive and thrive. There are no excuses, but only developing habits and a positive mindset.

In days and weeks to come, we will harvest vegetables and fruits that will give us nourishment and a healthy body. Our goal is to strengthen our immune system, starting with healthy food on the table. Farm-fresh produce for better health and stronger immunity is all we need.

A lot of positivity for today. A lot of flashbacks and realizations. A lot of energy, but with positivity in uncertainty.

© 2020 Del Cusay

A Hopeful Easter

In the absence of fear, we live with courage. We live with hope. For us, this happening in this world, where we live with uncertainty, is a test of faith and our humanity.

The holy week that we celebrated was a new world experience. A totally different dimension on the physical plane of existence.

Even if we are in lockdown and quarantine mode, we are still blessed to have expressed our faith digitally; in an online world. We have celebrated the Holy masses through online streaming and on television from a live broadcast of different parishes in the Philippines, and the Holy See in the Vatican.

Our Parish Priests, Bishops, and the Pope sent us a message of hope in these times of global crisis. We are not alone, and God is with us in all these trials. 

God may not show his wrath, but we are tested with perseverance, endurance, the will to abide faithfully, and the will to survive.

We learn to go back to what are essentials for our survival. We connect with nature and live in a natural world away from too much noise, stress, and fast-paced living.

Take it slow. Recognize the wonderful nature around you. Touch the soil. Go barefoot outdoors. Take a deep breath. Watch the sunrise and the sunset. Have a glimpse of stars and the galaxy. Listen to the sound of silence. Meditate. These are the messages I received and the fulfillment of my heart's desire. 

We all have different messages from the Divine. Be in solitude and receive the news with an open heart. 

As we continue to learn how to live in this new world, Easter gives us a message of hope. Our hope is that we will adapt to the recent earth's changes. We hope to be protected and healed. We hope for a better world. By God's will and grace, we will hold on. Not to surrender, never to give up. For our hope is more significant than our worldly desires. For our hope is beyond physical. It is eternal.

© 2020 Del Cusay

Holy Week 2020: Faith in Uncertain Times

In observance of the Holy Week, we focus our energies and strength on the solemnity of the passion, death, and the coming resurrection of Christ. 

We leave our worries behind. That's the most respectful thing we can do since we are living by the promises of Christ. GOD is in control, and we put our trust and faith in Him.

The lenten season and the Holy Week this year are extra special. We haven't experienced this in decades since we came into this world. We are confined in our homes and celebrate masses on a live TV broadcast. We can't do the Good Friday procession and be able to celebrate Easter with greater freedom of expression of love and gratitude.

During this Lenten season, families celebrate Sunday Holy Mass at home, we do the virtual Visita Iglesia online, and we get to kneel on our Holy Altar at home.

This year, we can't go to places on a pilgrimage. We can't show our love through hugs and kisses, but we offer a different kind of love in the distance. To show love to people, we need to keep our distance. A tough love.

But in these uncertain times, we are comforted with love through the Religious leaders of God. Our Pope, our Bishops, and our Priests are there to provide for our spiritual needs.

We can gather with our family at home and listen to the words of God. We light a candle and offer a prayer. 

As I make my Holy week retreat in our sky garden, I can see, hear and feel God's Holiness and loving presence through His natural creations and masterpieces. We have been blessed to live in a natural sanctuary of solemnity and solitude to experience God's Divinity.

He is not absent, but He is there with us in the comfort of our home, wrapped in His loving arms. He is forever in our hearts and transforms our lives.

Yes, we may be living in this time of uncertainty, but we are learning to slow down, to live in stillness, and to notice and appreciate even the little things that matter in our lives.

On this Good Friday, we continue to pray and observe the Holy burial through the Holy image of the Santo Entierro. It is our belief that Christ has died to save humanity. Its significance lies in our personal experience and journey when He reveals his Holiness on our being.

May this silence and solitude be a time to realign our hopes and dreams? This is the right time to reassess the things that matter and are of actual value. Is this the time to listen and redirect our lives to living meaningful life?

© 2020 Del Cusay

Related Post:

👉 Holy Week 2019: Our Personal Journey to Calvary

Welcoming Both The Darkness and The Light

When there is darkness, only light. That's one statement from a soulful prayer to St. Francis of Assisi.

Today, the world is full of darkness. Humanity is suffering from the worst of God's wrath. We all suffer the good ones and the bad ones.

We may ask ourselves, why does God allow us to suffer? Why does God put us into the darkness? If God is the world's light, why does He allow the destruction of humanity and the world?

The good and the bad that's opposing qualities we possess and experience in our lifetime. Hence, bad things happen to good people, and bad people continue to live to spread the darkness of the soul.

We are good in nature, but God allows us to experience the dark side to decipher the truth and appreciate the light. If there is no darkness, there could be no light. Same as saying we are good because we refuse to be wrong and embrace the light.

In our lives, we can't say we are perfect. We commit a mistake or sin in our thoughts, words, and actions. Subsconsciously, we harm others with our intentions. We have the tendency to harm other living beings and disobey Higher beings.

That's our human nature. As long as we live, we continue to dwell on the darkness and the light. But, in the end, we choose to stay in the lightness of our being - - of our soul and spirit.

We choose the light because we already know how it is to be in the dark. We choose to be good rather than becoming evil because we don't want to be trapped in a world of endless suffering.

Whatever we suffer at the present time is only temporary. The light is at the end of the tunnel, and we are heading in that direction.

We experience the dark night of the soul. This time, no one is spared. Our collective experience is history to the darkness of humanity until we learn and get out of the dark.

Your suffering is my suffering. Your darkness is my darkness. That's what we are in the spiritual world. We are physically distant but spiritually connected.

This Palm Sunday, we welcome the coming of Christ. We welcome his Divine presence in our hearts. He gives us darkness and can take it away from us. Then, we live to be the light in the world. We continue to be enlightened beings in this world.

© 2020 Del Cusay