Mental Health and Coping during Covid-19 Pandemic

Today's world is full of stress that makes us tired and sick. That's part of living, but we need to stay healthy and full of vitality. We need to let go of the stuck energies, such as negative thoughts, past traumas, and self-doubt, affecting our health. We have to release what's unwanted on our bodies. We need to be well.

How can we become healthy when our world becomes smaller, yet only a few choices are left? How can we show vigor when we're not feeling confident, positive, and at peace with ourselves, which is what it means to feel about our best selves?

The Covid-19 pandemic is an addition to our stressors. It's making us sick day by day. The news updates we read and hear regularly cause anxiety and sadness. 

We can't just ignore the news and stay calm at all times. To feel empathetic is fine. It's normal to feel the suffering of other people. It's normal to sympathize with those whose lives were lost and who are still fighting for their lives to survive.

We can't just be feeling that way again and again. We can choose to stay above our lower emotions, and we can start to build up ourselves to become strong and unbreakable.

Dealing with our mental health during this pandemic is essential to our well-being. We need to continue living with sanity and clear consciousness. A sound mind is what we need for clear and best judgment. 

We can always release our stress, anxiety, and fatigue wherever we are. We don't need to physically go to the beach at this time of the pandemic. We can sit still in the comfort of our homes or lie in bed.

Meditation is our best tool to release stress and find peace of mind. Even though we can't travel to our favorite beach destinations, we can still harness the power of our minds through meditation. It's a powerful way to find relief and calm in the midst of chaos.

We always choose an ocean or a beach whenever we meditate. The saltiness of the water extracts the stuck energy from our bodies. 

When we think of an ocean or a beach, its saltiness becomes a powerful extractor of our negativities. Same as physically visiting an actual beach, but this time we imagine and recall vividly the beautiful memories, such as a peaceful sunset or a joyful day with loved ones, that made us feel good about ourselves. 

Releasing the stuck energies in our physical, emotional, and mental bodies enables us to plan and energize our future. 

This pandemic shouldn't make us feel bad about ourselves and the world that we're living in. We always have the power to feel good and choose our thoughts, emotions, and intentions wisely. It's our choice to prioritize our mental health and wellness, even in challenging times.

We may be unable to do as much in our community or help save as many people as possible. However, in our little way, we can start the healing on ourselves first. The healing always starts within us. That's our gift to ourselves and our contribution to our community -- to stay healthy and happy.

Despite the pains and sufferings, we can choose to be our best selves by prioritizing wellness over illness. By staying physically fit, emotionally stable, and mentally healthy, we can navigate these uncertain times with determination and resilience.

©️ 2021 Del Cusay

Boracay's Environmentally Conscious Tourism

Boracay Island in the Philippines is a mesmerizing paradise. It stands as one of the top tourist destinations and continues to be hailed as one of the world's most stunning beaches. 

Boracay Island in the Philippines is one of the top tourist destinations and remains one of the top beaches in the world. Various international magazines and travel websites recognize this island annually as one of the world's best, which has contributed to the influx of tourists from all over the world.

What I like about Boracay is its diversity, from different nationalities and locations where it suits the tastes and preferences of the tourists. It's like a melting pot of cultures and personalities, making it a world-class tourist destination.

However, beneath its picturesque facade, Boracay Island harbors some less appealing truths. During my visit in April 2016, I witnessed the environmental degradation that had taken hold, two years before President Duterte's decisive action to close the island for rehabilitation in April 2018.

For years, big businesses like hotels have deceived tourists and guests by providing reading material explaining the algae that make the shoreline dark green and unsightly. I can't believe how they disseminate disinformation by making it appear to be a natural occurrence.

I saw the big pipes from establishments that excrete wastewater to the shore, where untreated sewage is flowing, making the water in the area dark green and dirty.

The president called it a cesspool, and that observation is very evident. Then, he ordered a 6-month closure of the island. That move was a big sacrifice for the thousands of businesses and island workers and the number of affected tourists. The projected billions of pesos lost for the island's tourism paved the way to pursue its rehabilitation for intended revitalization.

How can we help our tourism significantly impact its sustainability and environmental protection? I believe that the 6-month rehabilitation of Boracay made us realize that money from tourism alone won't make us truly rich and progressive. However, our environmental consciousness as tourists will help destinations like Boracay become sustainable and highly livable.

Tourism is our number one industry, booming before the COVID-19 pandemic. When the lockdown happened, tourism was down and almost dying, but we've seen the clear waters of Boracay. Business establishments and tourists mainly contribute to the island's pollution.

Do we need to rehab our topmost islands every six years for six months? Well, that would surely hurt tourism, but it's for the good of the environment. We must balance tourism and its environmental impact to call it a paradise.

There's progress in Boracay compared to the first time I visited the island in 1998. However, it's becoming too commercial, and due to its fast-growing present-day development, the island may have lost its serenity and ambiance.

We need to amplify our tourism efforts and promote responsible practices. We are blessed with the most exquisite islands and beaches but also need environmentally conscious tourists and accountable businessmen. Let's leave no trace but footprints and wonderful memories, and this is how we can make a significant difference. 

When we can travel again without restrictions, we'll become better tourists. And together, we can help revive our tourism and our God-given paradise, knowing that positive change is not just a dream, but a tangible reality within our reach.

©️ 2021 Del Cusay

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Easter Sunday 2021: The Promised Land

Where will our destination be after this Covid-19 pandemic? Will a promised land be waiting for us, just like God's command for the people's great exodus in ancient Egypt? Will our top leaders become like Moses, who will make a great sacrifice and lead its people safely away from threats and destruction? We must trust that our leaders, like Moses, will guide us to safety.

The hostility and uncertainty during this pandemic brought misery and deep suffering to modern life. The powerful and influential became more substantial, and the weak and poor became poorer.

That's our current reality. With billions of people suffering, we feel the oneness of humanity for a great plan of the massive exodus. This time is to end the pains and suffering of the pandemic that's killing us.

Moses, a figure of outstanding leadership in history, protected his people under his guidance, and they reached the promised land. Today, our leaders must emulate Moses's courage and wisdom and listen to the collective voice of their people to protect and fight for them against the unseen enemy.

The world's religions, with their teachings of compassion, unity, and service, can guide the decisions of our nation's government and leaders to save us and overcome this great challenge of our time. 

Our leaders should keep going even after the end. We may never know how long we will fight and remain steadfast, but one thing is sure: God speaks to the leaders of our land amidst the noise and chaos.

As we face the greatest challenge of our time, we must remember that God is testing our faith. Our leaders will guide us through this trial if they listen to God's voice and accept the crosses entrusted to them. We all have our crosses to bear, but with unwavering faith, we can overcome. 

We will find ourselves in a promised land when we finally emerge from this pandemic. Having weathered this storm, our nation and leaders will have grown wiser and more resilient. We will become great believers and enrich our lives in ways we cannot yet imagine.

©️ 2021 Del Cusay

Holy Week 2021: The Path to Salvation

We live on earth for a purpose. We have a mission to fulfill for the glory of God and our salvation.

Remember, this is the promise of Christ. We're here to do good, to find a deeper meaning to our existence, and then to live in eternity when we pass from this life.

But how can we find a meaningful living amidst the threats and chaos in our times? With the Covid-19 pandemic, we all seem to suffer, and many people are getting sick and dying.

Have they fulfilled their purpose? Their mission? 

The rich and the poor, the young and the old, the weak and the strong are dying. Once infected by the deadly unseen enemy, no one seems spared.

As a year has passed, it's disheartening to see us repeating our mistakes. It's as if we're stuck in a cycle of suffering, waiting for a lesson to be learned. We're experiencing a predictable turn of events, knowing what will happen next. It's like we're watching a rewind and another season of the same circumstances.

It's natural to wonder, are we truly in control of all of this? Or is it God who is in control?

One thing that Christ sacrificed is his passion, death, and resurrection to save humanity from sin. He endured suffering so that we could understand our nature of living. And not to be cowardly or defeated by our demons and weaknesses.

If the world is doing its cleansing, we all suffer; either we survive or die. We're the first or the last in line. Eventually, our fate is that we die. Not our will, but His divine will, which is the plan and purpose that God has for each of us, even in times of suffering.

Who will save us? What happens when we die? Christ's teachings offer us reassurance. He is our savior, and when we die, we can find comfort in the promise of eternal life in His presence.

Christ taught us that He is the way, the truth, and the life. He'll be eternally in our hearts and minds when we listen and follow Him. Our path to salvation will always have Divine guidance. Our salvation is to live each day with faith in our hearts. To track and be guided, to suffer and survive, to be crucified and resurrected.

©️ 2021 Del Cusay

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