There’s a peculiar kind of wisdom in juggling loans alongside bills. For some, it’s an unnecessary burden, a debt trap waiting to swallow the careless whole. But I believe otherwise: when handled wisely, loans can light a fire under one’s feet, pushing them harder and faster toward dreams and goals they might otherwise dawdle about. It’s pressure, sure—but sometimes, pressure is what keeps us alive and kicking.

I’ve seen it in myself. The first time I signed my name on a loan agreement, my palms were sweaty, my heartbeat pounding like an amateur drumline. The thought of owing someone money terrified me. But the moment the funds hit my account, I didn’t feel like someone sinking into debt; I felt like someone had given me wings—and maybe a bit of firepower to boot. Every bill and every repayment date circled on my calendar became a reason to get out of bed earlier and stay up later. The fear of failure, of defaulting, of shame, was the whip I needed when my usual motivators—like self-improvement or even the love of family—weren’t quite enough.

There’s something about the concrete finality of debt that makes you take life seriously. When you know the collector will come knocking if you slack off, laziness feels like a luxury you can’t afford. I remember a friend of mine, a tricycle driver, who took out a loan to buy a second-hand multicab. Before that, he was content to take five, even six breaks in a day, chatting with his barkada by the corner sari-sari store. After the loan? He was out at sunrise, chasing passengers like a man on a mission. He paid off that multicab in record time, and his daily grind turned into a habit even after the debt was cleared.

Now, I get it: some will argue it’s risky, and they’re right. Borrowing is not for the faint-hearted or the faint-minded. If you’re careless, that fire under your feet can burn you to a crisp. I’ve seen people lose sleep, relationships, and even their sanity because they took on too much debt without a plan. But the same is true of a machete—it can clear a path or it can cut you. The key, I’ve found, is respect: respecting the weight of the loan and your ability to carry it. It’s not for everyone, but for those who can keep their balance, it’s a tool, not a trap.

Oddly enough, loans teach discipline. They force you to think long-term, to make sacrifices, to say no to fleeting pleasures in exchange for something bigger down the road. I used to love dining out, buying things on a whim, and indulging in small luxuries I “deserved.” But when you owe money, you start counting every peso. The latter becomes a sachet of instant coffee; the weekend getaway turns into a walk at the plaza. Something is humbling, even cleansing, about that kind of self-control. It’s like forced minimalism, a reminder that most of the things we think we need are just distractions.

Of course, loans also give you something to look forward to—an endgame. That motorcycle you’re paying off, the tuition for your child, the business you’re building—all of it becomes a tangible reason to push through the hard days. One of my neighbors borrowed money to start a small eatery after years of just selling meriendas from a cart. I’d see her working late into the night, the glow of her stove lighting up the small corner of her borrowed lot. Her loan wasn’t just a debt; it was a stake in her dream. Today, her eatery feeds half the barangay and employs people who once dismissed her idea as a gamble.

Still, it’s not just the dream that drives you—it’s the fear of falling. There’s no safety net with loans. If you don’t pay, there’s no sweet-talking the collector. And that fear, as harsh as it sounds, has its uses. Fear makes you creative. It makes you resourceful. When the usual income sources dry up, you learn to improvise, to hustle harder. A deadline hanging over your head sharpens your mind like nothing else.

But here’s the thing: while I believe loans can motivate and even transform lives, they shouldn’t be taken lightly. Borrowing should be a calculated risk, not a blind leap. We need better financial literacy—more awareness about interest rates, payment schemes, and contingency plans. Because in the end, loans are like fire: a source of light and warmth when handled with care, but a consuming blaze if left unchecked. If we approach them with respect and strategy, they can be a tool for growth, not a burden to bear.

“HE touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith, be it done unto you.’ And their eyes were opened.” (Mt 9,29-30) That’s what Christ told the blind men who begged him to cure them of their blindness.

We need to realize that it is faith, more than anything else, that would cure our real blindness which is not simply a physical thing but more of the spiritual and supernatural kind. Let’s remember that the reality that governs us is not simply the material and the natural, where we may have a perfect vision, but also and mainly the spiritual and the supernatural.

In this regard, we have to imitate the example of the two blind men who begged Christ for a cure of their blindness. Obviously, we have to first of all acknowledge our own blindness with respect to the spiritual and supernatural realities that govern our life. We cannot deny that with our proneness to fall into all forms of carnality and worldliness, we become blind to the spiritual and supernatural realities.

Our main problem is that we often fail to acknowledge this fact of life, especially when we happen to be gifted with high intelligence and other talents. With such condition, we fail to realize that our intelligence and will, our talents and the other gifts God has endowed us, are actually meant to enable us to enter into the spiritual and supernatural world, and ultimately to God. We are actually poised for that purpose.

When we use our faculties to engage only with the natural things, which we often do, we would actually be misusing them. That’s when we become very vulnerable to all kinds of anomalies and irregularities. We would have no ample defenses against the usual weaknesses and temptations we have in this world.

In fact, we can say that we are more blind the more gifted we are, because this latter status usually sheds some light that blinds us from the spiritual and supernatural realities rather than clarifies things for us. It tends to take us away from God rather than lead us to him.

We have to be most careful when perhaps because of our education, our experience, our position, among other things, we feel that we would already have enough reason to make ourselves our own standard of what is true, good and beautiful.

It’s always good to acknowledge our blindness so we can see things clearly through God’s grace. That’s simply because it’s when we acknowledge our blindness, deficiency and inadequacy to tackle our temporal affairs that we attract God’s grace, his light, his wisdom, his strength.

That is why we should always feel the need to pray, to do many other spiritual exercises, like having spiritual direction and confession, availing of the sacraments, undertaking continuing spiritual formation and ascetical struggle, to keep our natural faculties properly animated by faith and God’s grace, enabling them to enter into the spiritual and supernatural world.

If our worldly knowledge does not make our faith in God grow stronger, it would be a dangerous kind of knowledge. We have to correct and purify it immediately, giving it the right motive and purpose which is none other than to give glory to God. Otherwise, it would be a knowledge that would simply be at the service of our self-indulgence.

And when that knowledge cannot cope anymore with the challenges of our life, that’s when we would enter into all kinds of anomalies and irregularities leading us to issues of mental health, depression, and all kinds of justifications to rationalize acts and positions that usually are considered by our common sense as perversions.

The Roman Catholic Church celebrates today, 08 December 2024, the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a solemnity in accord with the Roman Catholic Marian dogmas, namely: Divine motherhood, Perpetual virginity, Immaculate conception and Assumption of Mary both to heavenly glory, body and soul as declared in 1950 by Pope Pious XII.

The Blessed Virgin Mary was born sometime in the 18th century Before Christ (BC) from the couple Saint Joachim and Saint Anne who were infertile and prayed to God for a child. The observance of this feast began with a Papal encyclical by Pope Pius IX, when he formally defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, Ineffabilis Deus, on December 8, 1854.

About four years later, in 1858, the Blessed Mother gave her name to Saint Bernadette at Lourdes stating, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” The Blessed Virgin Mary was bord around 18 BC in Herodian Judea and died after 33 A. D. (Anno Domini) in Jerusalem, the Province of Judaea, or Ephesus, the Province of Asia. The birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary was prepared by God to be immaculate for she will bear the son of God, the Word that was made flesh and became man to save mankind from the wages of sin.

There had been many apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary that had been recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, among them are is the Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531 in Tepeyac, Mexico whose feast day is celebrated every December 12, the Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in 1830 in Reu du Bac in Paris, France, Our Lady of the La Sallete in 1846 in Mount Sous-Les Baisses in La Salette, Fallavaux, France and many more.

These apparitions are manifestations of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s love for mankind and her great role as intercessor between our Savior Jesus Christ and mankind. The message in such apparitions is for man to repent and obey God’s will, maintaining respect for our Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ and to pray the Holy Rosary. The Blessed Virgin Mary had also brought many miracles, with over sixty medical cures associated with our Lady of Lourdes have been certified as miraculous by the Catholic Church which established its own Medical Bureau in 1883 to review and evaluate claims of cures. An independent study of cures published during 2012 concluded that some of the cures were “currently beyond our ken but still impressive, incredibly effective, and awaiting a scientific explanation.

It is apt to renew the call for all of mankind to repent and renew their lives in accordance with the will of God. We ought to respect the Blessed Virgin Mary as the mother of our savior. It is well to ponder who we can approach and pray to God for all our needs if we continue to disrespect, or at time do acts of blasphemy to her mother. May this year’s celebration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception bring us closer to God through His only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
comments to alellema@yahoo.com

The present administration is just trying to ferret out the truth and sadly the truth is elusive and wars comes as an offspring.

That is how Waray Language hammers this point! How political wars robbed our progress and how it threaten our peace ? Latvian says it better , KĀ LAUPĪJA POLITISKIE KARI .
In all the babbling reality war in political forms robbed us of the harmonious and seamless delivery of service and undivided attention in relation to our problems. This time its not anymore posturing but full blown war with investigations and impeachment and threats bordering grave threats or more.

Political wars and misunderstandings can significantly undermine progress in the Philippines in several ways:

Policy Instability: Frequent political conflicts lead to changes in policies and priorities, disrupting long-term development plans. This instability makes it difficult for businesses and investors to plan and commit resources, hindering economic growth.

Public Distrust: Continuous political conflicts erode public trust in government institutions. When citizens lose faith in their leaders, it becomes challenging to implement policies effectively, as public cooperation is crucial for success.

Economic Impact: Political instability can deter foreign investment and tourism, both of which are vital for the Philippine economy. Investors seek stable environments, and political turmoil can lead to capital flight and reduced economic opportunities.

These are just some of the realities when away pulitika are the main headlines and thus realities.

The present administration is just trying to ferret out the truth and sadly the truth is elusive and wars comes as an offspring . Perhaps things will stabilize, later not sooner, but its prayed that it comes.

Maintaining focus is essential for productivity and success in various aspects of life, whether at work, school, or in personal endeavors. However, numerous factors can disrupt our focus and hinder our ability to concentrate effectively. By identifying and understanding these common distractions, we can take proactive steps to minimize their impact and enhance our focus.

1. Digital Distractions:

In today’s digital age, technology plays a significant role in our daily lives but can also be a major source of distraction. Constant notifications from smartphones, emails, social media platforms, and other digital devices can interrupt our focus and lead to multitasking, which impairs cognitive performance. Setting boundaries, such as turning off notifications or designating specific times for checking emails and social media, can help reduce digital distractions.

Everyone is affected with everyday distractions. Seeing how millennial parents use gadgets to become a tool to ease tantrums of their children may seem an “immediate remedy”, however, its long-term effect can be harmful which can influence how they process certain things which eventually affect the quality of life the children will have.

2. Environmental Factors:

Our physical environment can also influence our ability to concentrate. Noisy or cluttered workspaces, uncomfortable seating arrangements, and poor lighting can all contribute to distractions. Creating a conducive work environment with minimal noise, adequate lighting, and ergonomic furniture can help improve focus and productivity.
Remember how our parents would often tell us to clean up our room? It was then an annoying mantra of our parents, but apart from tidying up the room, it is a way of teaching us how to become organized to have a favorable environment for learning and working.

3. Emotional Stress:

Emotional stress and anxiety can significantly impact our ability to focus. Negative emotions, such as worry, fear, or frustration, can consume mental energy and make it challenging to concentrate on tasks. Practicing stress-reduction techniques, such as mindfulness, deep breathing exercises, or taking short breaks to relax, can help alleviate emotional stress and improve focus.

Seeking out a trustworthy individual with whom you can openly express negative emotions is crucial. This allows for clarity in understanding situations, as the other person can provide valuable insight and support.

4. Lack of Sleep:

Sleep deprivation is a common disruptor of focus and cognitive function. Insufficient sleep can impair attention, memory, and decision-making abilities, making it difficult to concentrate on tasks and retain information. Establishing a consistent sleep routine, creating a relaxing bedtime ritual, and prioritizing quality rest can enhance focus and mental clarity.

As one ages, there might be a tendency to believe that sleeping only four to five hours per day is adequate. Yet, this habit can hamper productivity and have adverse effects on overall health.

5. Multitasking:

While multitasking is often perceived as a productivity booster, it can actually hinder focus and efficiency. Switching between tasks rapidly can lead to cognitive overload, decreased attention span, and reduced overall performance. Prioritizing tasks, focusing on one task at a time, and practicing mindfulness can help combat the negative effects of multitasking on focus.

The concept of multitasking has evolved from a natural human ability to a modern-day myth. While technology has enabled us to juggle multiple tasks, research shows that true multitasking is an illusion. By understanding the limitations of our brains and embracing mindfulness, we can move towards a more focused and productive approach to work and life.

6. Physical Discomfort:

Physical discomfort, such as hunger, dehydration, or discomfort from prolonged sitting, can also disrupt focus. Basic needs like proper nutrition, hydration, and regular movement are essential for optimal cognitive function. Taking short breaks to stretch, hydrate, or have a healthy snack can alleviate physical discomfort and enhance focus.

7. Lack of Clarity and Purpose:

Unclear goals, ambiguous tasks, or a lack of motivation can lead to a loss of focus and direction. When individuals are unsure of their objectives or lack a sense of purpose, it can be challenging to maintain attention and engagement. Setting clear goals, breaking tasks into manageable steps, and connecting daily activities to long-term objectives can provide clarity and enhance focus.

In conclusion, understanding the common factors that disrupt focus is crucial for improving concentration and productivity. By addressing digital distractions, optimizing our environment, managing emotional stress, prioritizing sleep, avoiding multitasking, attending to physical needs, and clarifying goals, we can minimize distractions and enhance our ability to focus effectively in various aspects of life.
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