Stimulus

Between stimulus and response, there lies choice.

We may find ourselves in different environments. The road may be sometimes easy, and at times, it could be rugged but it would always be beautiful. Depending on how we see things, react to situations and respond to challenges at hand.

Choices abound. Everything lies on our responses. The stimulus will always be there.

Celebrations

Counting blessings.

When impatience starts to dwell in, workplace situations becomes an irritant and relationships with other people become a challenge, it always works to count blessings. As simple as being able to wake up and walk each day to do our tasks, become productive and contribute to the welfare of the community. To share laughters, bask in the warmth and love of our family and close friends, to have the chance to acquaint ourselves to new groups, new faces and new challenges. To live and breathe life, and share the blessings with others.

When the 24-hours have been over and done, we sit back and look into how we have spent the hours in the day. Was it totally wasted over mundane matters? filled with laughters and joy as it is shared with other people? or productively used in such a way that the soul celebrates?

Its time to step back and reflect.

Stretching Patience

People come from different backgrounds-- sometimes there are painful experiences from childhood and challenging environments. There are those who are loved and affirmed as a child and grow up to be gentle and supportive adults. Whatever it is, the more better we are able to try to look at their situation, understanding and empathy comes in.

But this is better said than done. Understanding others and stretching our patience sometimes becomes a challenge in itself. We find ourselves in situations which asks us to become more understanding, to accept differences and to unlearn our biases.

I am still learning to empathize and understand others. As a start, I have learned to be quite and to listen to myself. Controlling my temper have produced better results and have spared me from stresses and emotions. I am learning better. Slowly.

Yearnings

"How does one become a butterfly?" she asked. "You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar."

It is the beauty of growing up and aging gracefully that we learn to let go of mundane things and embrace wholeness. But it is never easy. We get broken and our trust is continually challenged. Today, I commit myself to silence to be able to listen inward to the yearning of the heart. Dreams are there to lead us to be where we are meant to be.

By shedding our guilt and that constant need for perfection, we allow ourselves to become what it is meant to be.

Gratefulness

How many times have we caught ourselves complaining?

It is as if everything that we do is never enough. There are tasks to do, and insurmountable it may be, we manage to get it done. We not only pull it through, we walk the extra mile to do it great! But how many of us are willing to give ourselves a pat in the back?

Consciously living life is not about our to-do list. It is about making time for ourselves and learning when to stop. It is not only recognizing our weaknesses but also affirming our strengths. There are several things to be grateful. Its a matter of recognizing the blessings in the every day.

Online Pages

Happiness is stumbling on this relatively old blogsite.

For years, I was hopping from one site to the other and experimenting with new forms and sites, as well as colors and themes. Sometimes, I get too focused on the network that I am using that the other sites fade and sit on the backside.

The universe has its own way of resurrecting it.

Few hours ago, I turned to google for free blogsites to host another space for my ideas. I was thinking of devoting one site to daily reflections. Sort of 365 days of reflections type of work. Then the site popped up. I was grinning.

May be its the way we forget things that are dear to us, or how we are caught up with the little dandies of life. Sometimes, clutter abounds and it seeps into our creative time. There is no hurry for the creative muse, I told a friend a while ago.

And when energies abound. Things turn up. Its nice to re-read the pages and take stock of what had been and be invigorated. It takes courage to focus and look inward. The daily reflection is my way of taking cognizance of the infinite goodness of the universe and sharing it with you.

Responsiveness

FEW days left for the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill which may be considered to be a test of national commitment to transparency and accountability.

The ability of peoples to meaningfully participate in governance is dependent upon the access to information. Most of us may have experienced difficulty in dealing with government institutions, especially in accessing information.

The Constitution provides the right of access to information. It says: “The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized. Access to official records, and to documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to such limitations as may be provided by law.”

Yet, one of the biggest problems facing democratic institutions is the dwindling interest and participation of people fuelled by the sense of helplessness face when relating to institutions of governance.

The proposed Freedom of Information Act seeks to address the absence of the necessary substantive and procedural details for the effective implementation of the people’s right to information as well as of the state policy of full disclosure of government transactions involving public interest.

This is in contrast with the Bill of Rights provision, where the interested party must first request or even demand that s/he be allowed access to documents and papers in the particular agency. The duty to disclose without demand covers only transactions involving public interest, while the duty to allow access has a broader scope of information which embraces not only transactions involving public interest, but any matter contained in official communications and public documents of the government agency.

Unfortunately, there is no enabling law that provides the mechanics for the implementation of the compulsory duty to disclose transactions of public interest without demand under Article II, Section 28 of the Constitution. The bill addresses this by mandating all government agencies to upload on their websites all the steps, negotiations and key government positions pertaining to definite propositions of the government, as well as the contents of the contract, agreement or treaty in a number of enumerated transactions involving public interest.

Almost 10 years ago, the proposed FOI bill was drafted in the hope to change the landscape. Congress goes on recess for the election campaign few days from now and their inaction only serves to strengthen the lack of accountability of public officials. Beyond grandstanding, it should move and enact the bill.