This is the product of my fertile thoughts. I am recreating them here and am sharing them with you, dear bloggers, for whatever benefits, if any, you could derive from them. I wish you could be more open and share with me your comments and suggestions so that I can improve on my blog. Thank you, God bless and have a nice day. Mel Avila Alarilla
The mind is the receptacle of our thoughts, both good and bad, sublime and inane, fanciful and serious. The mind is like the most powerful computer man ever assembled. But the mind is limited to what we feed it. Just like any computer, it's garbage in, garbage out. We do everything to keep our physical body healthy. We eat the right food, we exercise it and we give it plenty of rest. But we forget that the mind too needs our utmost care to keep it healthy.
Most of the time, we let it wander like a wild horse amidst the random and collective thoughts in the atmosphere. We do not give much thought to what we think- good or bad, sublime or mundane. But what we think most of the time affects not only our mental health, but our physical, emotional and spiritual health as well.
We are the products of our thoughts. Or as the philosophers say, we are what we think we are. Out of the collective thoughts that we accumulate in our minds mold that substance that goes to our heart and molds our character. And out of the preponderance of our heart's contents determine what we do or say.
The mind also acts like a powerful magnet. It tends to attract like minded thoughts and repel opposite ones. Just like the old saying, "birds of the same feathers flock together," minds of the same wave patterns attract one another and band together. How often do we feel the holiness of a monastery, the rarefied air we feel there as though we are walking in a heaven like state? And how often do we feel the dread and terror in a prison wall, especially where tortures, riots and summary executions take place? Why? Because negative thought patterns pervade the atmosphere of that place.
So let us think pure, positive thoughts. Let us think of God, not only in our prayers, but in everything we do. Let us think of the welfare of our fellow men, how we can contribute to that welfare. We are limited physically by what we can do for our fellow men, but such limitations do not exist in the mind. We can pray for everybody and that is a powerful tool the efficacy of which is mind boggling and unlimited. Nothing is impossible to him who prays and believes. The Rainbow Connection - The Carpenters (1970s) USA
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Spiritual/Inspirational
How often do we read about articles lambasting the great inequality of the sexes? How women are treated as second class citizens in their own countries? How wives are abused physically, mentally and emotionally by their own husbands? How in some countries, women are looked upon as mere sex objects by the male populace? And how often do we see female libertarians stand up and cajole their female constituents to band together and fight such discrimination and abuse in their countries to no avail?
Why? Because females by nature are docile and timid. They would rather suffer in silence than go against the established norms of society, where females are perceived to be inferior to men. Tradition and culture play a significant role in this acquiescence of the female populace to the roles delineated to them by society that were mostly crafted by men. Women must learn to stand up and fight for their own rights. Gone are the days when men looked upon them as mere wives and mothers of their broods who must be the eternal slaves of the home and the marital room.
Women must first treat and respect themselves as co-equal with their men and stand on their own. Women must assert their inalienable rights by learning to say "NO". And they have to stand by it no matter what the consequences may be. Remember wives, the first step to emancipation from abusive husbands is to learn to say "NO" and standing by it no matter what happens.
I Am Woman - Helen Reddy (1972) Australia
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Human Rights/Female Emancipation
Footnote: This article was inspired by a similar article written by Ms. Sameera of India. We are glad to note that such discriminations are less in developed countries but they still prevail in third world and developing countries, particularly in Asia and Africa.
Tolerance is a human attitude that favorably reflects our relationship with our fellowmen. Patience is also a human attribute whereby we do things to achieve a certain purpose in life. It is akin to persistence or sticking to a certain goal until its eventual fruition.
But perseverance is different. It is a godly attribute. It is the conscious decision of a person to willingly accept trials and testings in his life with the hope that his Creator has something sublime in store for him at some future time.
Perseverance is anchored on a living faith and an unshakable hope that the words (promise) of his Creator will come to pass no matter what the present situations maybe.
Perseverance is to go against the common directions of man. By nature, man will always throw off whatever yoke is placed on his shoulders. Not so with the person who perseveres. He willingly accepts the yoke (burden), trusting in the faithfulness of his Creator to accomplish His purpose for laying it on him.
Man may have his own individual reasons for willingly and humbly accepting such yoke on his shoulder. Some would feel liberation from the heavy load of guilt and shame caused by past misdeeds in life. Some would consider it a sacrifice and an offering to be at peace with his Creator. Whatever it is, perseverance is done with a godly intention in mind.
And perseverance produces a godly character- one who looks tenderly at his fellowmen and share in their burdens and toils in life. Fasting and prayer is a form of perseverance.
Climb Every Mountain (from The Sound of Music) 1960s
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Spiritual/Inspirational
Love is the most powerful force in the universe. As they say, love makes the world go round. The purest and the most sublime kind of love comes from God.
Selfish or egotistical love is self centered. It will only exhibit a form of love for others not because they really love others, but they love the affection, attention and and adulation that the object of their selfish love will give back to them.
In other words, they love the object of their fanciful attraction until it suits them fine. When the fleeting attraction fades or recedes, they jilt the object of their temporary affection as often and as easily as they change their clothes or shoes.
The passionate or obsessive love is, more often than not, a fleeting one because its natural foundation is based on raw passion and obsessive emotions centered mostly on physical attraction and sex. True love, as I said, comes from God. It is centered not on itself but on God. And when that person loves, he focuses more at the object of his affection than on himself because he is extending God's love inside his being to his object of affection. His love is the selfless kind of love and does not depend on the intensity of love of his beloved. In due time, when the partner also becomes attuned to God, she too would radiate the same kind of selfless love originating from her Creator.
This kind of love will surely lasts a lifetime and beyond.
Real Love - Beatles (First Time I Heard This Music Video And It Fascinated Me Very Much)
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Inspirational
The biggest issue confronting the safety and continued existence of our planet as we know it today, is the escalating danger of global warming. Even world leaders are now locked in continuous conferences and brainstorming to find solutions to arrest this impending global catastrophe. It is the result of man's insatiable greed for wealth, comfort of living and the rapacious and over exploitation of the world's natural resources. The once wide ranging and verdant rain forests that have served as Earth's natural filter and converter of noxious and poisonous gas emissions have dwindled to alarming proportions due to the so called march to progress and development initiated by greedy individuals, corporations and even nations.
The intransigent refusal of many companies and nations to totally ban products that emit harmful greenhouse gas emissions to the air have punched a sizable hole in the earth's ozone layer. This resulted in the exposure of large areas of our planet to the harmful effects of ultra violet rays and other deadly radiations from the sun.
Thus we are now witnessing the modern phenomena known as global warming. The results of this calamitous occurrence is the rapid melting of the polar snow caps that have raised the sea levels of the world and have threatened to inundate or blot out of existence islands and nations that lie below sea levels; the sudden changes of the world climate, bringing in stronger typhoons, hurricanes and cyclones; massive earthquakes and tidal waves (or tsunamis); and extreme hot and cold temperatures in different parts of the world. This resulted in terrible loss of lives and the destruction of properties, infrastructures and crops.
Is there no more hope for our world? Would our existence as a planet be extinguished as a result of man's inhumanity to his fellow humans and his unbridled greed for material prosperity, progress and power? Surely, there is still hope if we all work together as one. Let us disregard our differences as nations and peoples, and work hand in hand to rebuild and save this wonderful planet. And let us all pray together as one, that the Supreme Creator (irregardless of whatever religion or beliefs you profess) bless us with one more chance to redeem ourselves and our planet. Please don't give up on us.
Don't Give Up On Us - David Soul
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Inspirational/Current Issues
We may be poles apart in beliefs, customs and cultures But let us not quarrel because we disagree Instead, let us agree to disagree.
Many problems can be solved if only we see through the eyes of our brother who disagree But let us not quarrel because we disagree Instead, let us agree to disagree.
What may be beautiful to you may be ugly to me and vice versa What may be edible to me may be poison to you and vice versa But let us not quarrel because we disagree Instead, let us agree to disagree.
You may be fiery and tempestuous always wanting to get your way I may be placid and cold always seeking peace and reconciliation. Although we may disagree on so many points Let us not quarrel because we disagree Instead, let us agree to disagree.
There will always be individual differences People will have their own points of view, But if only we respect each others' differences And dwell on what we can agree, Then maybe less troubles will arise Let us all agree to disagree.
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Poetry/Inspirational
Why is peace as elusive as the Loch Ness Monster or the Abominable Snowman? There's so much war, strifes and hatred in this world. Man is intolerant of his fellowmen. We only have one planet where we can all live in peace and harmony. If we don't figure out how we can all coexist peacefully, chances are, we are going to annihilate ourselves and our beloved planet as well.
Peace must begin with the very basic unit of society, man himself. Man must first learn to be at peace with himself before he can even seek peace with others and with the world. A man at conflict with himself can never expect to be at peace with his fellowmen. He will always see conflict in others as a reflection of his own condition of being. But how can we be at peace with ourselves? We start to have an internal conflict in ourselves when we develop a warped conscience, when our innate sense of right and wrong runs conflict with our actual actuation in life.
Religious beliefs and philosophies in life may vary from person to person, but if he is not at peace with his Creator, he will never have genuine peace with himself. Man's open response to the overflowing love of his Creator for him will result in the welling up of love, joy and peace in his heart, and this will positively manifest in love and relationship with himself, his fellowmen and his Creator.
Let's clean ourselves before we even attempt to see the dirt of others and meddle in their own affairs. If we want to see the unfolding of genuine peace in the world, let us begin with ourselves first.
Let There Be Peace On Earth
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Inspirational
"Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 4:7b)
DO YOU NEED HELP? ARE YOU IN THE DARK? CAN'T FIND YOUR WAY AROUND? NEED A FRIEND WHO WILL STICK WITH YOU THROUGH THICK OR THIN OR WHEN EVERYBDOY ELSE HAS DESERTED YOU?
