Last year, I had issues with my own integrity and eventually with the people who I surrounded myself with. Of course, as we are all mirrors of each other, whatever we see (or need to see) in ourselves we see (and project) onto other people. Others reflected what I needed to see, and of course I would have reflected to them back what they needed to see (but, only if their eyes and souls were open and not blocked by their own “shadows”).

So, what were the grains of wisdom that I’ve gathered, experienced and are now (hopefully) living by with regards to integrity?  Like everything spiritual, integrity is very subtle. It is about wholeness, it’s about balance, it’s about being who you truly are and embracing yourself completely and sharing or presenting yourself “naked” for others to see and experience, no excuses and no promises. It is about following your heart, silencing your mind and doing from your gut. It is about meaning what you say and think, being true to whatever words and thoughts you release into the air. It is about being the same person in all areas of your life. If you are a fun person then you are a fun person at home, at work, in the park, at the gas station, even during meditation. There are no gray areas because the gray area is part of the whole and the whole is about being yourself, being who you truly are.

Integrity is alignment to your true Self, to Spirit and fulfilling your Divine Purpose. If you are a different person to your family, another identity to your friends, and changes to several more to other people then woah..you are cutting yourself to various pieces to accommodate what others want you to be, only fragments of your true Self. If you are doing something now and you’d rather do something else, then again you are not in alignment.

If you are a good person and you did a bad thing, don’t pretend you didn’t and don’t flagellate yourself for doing a bad thing. You are a good person and you did a bad thing. If you are a bad person, don’t stop yourself from doing something good, if your whole being is telling you to do so. We are all good and bad inside, but that is only because we are judging the act and experience as such. Everything is good and bad. And nothing is good and bad. It all depends on what it means to us, to our lives, to our paths, and the lessons we hope to learn from these experiences.

Integrity is very, very subtle. It is very, very complicated…yet very, very simple when you get the hang of it. It is part of just BEing. And, it all starts with ourselves. With our own inner dialogues, our own inner lives. Most of us wake up and already we have to repress what we truly feel, like simply wanting to stay in bed to sleep for another hour. We have to go to work, we have to earn this much, we have to finish our reports, we have to prepare breakfast, we have to do everything else but listen to our hearts, our bodies, our inner voices. Understandably this is how we allowed the outside world to control our inner lives. The predominant educational system has taught us that reality is composed of the world we see, of the tangible, of the “have tos”, “shoulds” and “musts”.  As Sir Ken Robinson said in one of his TED talks, the educational system has educated us out of ourselves. We have been taught concepts that take us out of our inner realities, of what lives within us, what we are to share and contribute to the world. And it is only with much courage and strength that we can step out of the mold and back to our true desires and calling. Yes, we are not in alignment and out of integrity because we live in a world, a society that has not taught us to embrace our true selves. Knowing this is one step to help us awaken, the next important step is to live it. Do what we want to do, be who we want to be.

Have you asked yourself the existential and most basic questions though?

Who are you? What do you want?

If you have and you know the answer to these two questions, then you can always go back to this to check if you are living in alignment or not. That is on a concrete, tangible, intellectual level. On a simpler, more basal, and deeper level, you will feel at peace, light, expanded (and expanding) and utterly happy with who you are and with what you are doing.

No excuses, no promises.

Ang Forum na iyon, kung saan inimbitahan ang mga kandidatong may Green Agenda ay isang magandang simula, ngunit tila marami pang dapat na ayusin, at higit sa lahat PANINDIGAN. Hindi puwedeng abstraction lang ang ideya ng Green Vote. Kailangan ang WALKING THE TALK sa lahat ng aspeto.

Matingkad ang isang kandidato na bago umalis ay napuna sa paggamit ng kanyang SUV, na “gas chuggler”, at nakabukas ang makina habang hinihintay ang kandidatong ito. Nariyan pa ang mga pinamigay na sandwiches na nakabalot sa di mabilang na mga plastik na pagkatapos ay itatapon na (at itinapon nga) ng mga kumain.

Ang pinaka — hindi ko na natiis –ay ang NOISE POLLUTION! Grabe, nasa loob ka ng isang lugar kung saan inimbitahan mong magsalita ang mga tao tungkol sa kanilang mga programa para sa kalikasan pero kuwentuhan nang kuwentuhan ang mga dapat na nakikinig. Haller talaga! Marahil ito ay isa na rin sa mga sakit ng Pinoy — di marunong makinig!

Kung iisipin, parang ang mga forum na ganito ay nagiging “show”, “performance”, “for the sake of”. Sana kung totoong gusto nating makilala ang mga taong pinapapunta natin dito, kung totoong gusto nating alamin kung meron ngang Green Vote, kung gusto nating matututo — makinig tayo, at magbigay respeto sa mga taong nagsasalita, katabi at kasama nating nakikinig, at lalo na sa lugar na ating pinagdarausan. Maging totoo tayo sa lahat ng aspeto.

With the reinstatement of Nicanor Perlas, and the obvious message of recognizing the new force in Politics, people are continuously awakening and getting inspired to be part of the real change — from a corrupt government, to a true democratic governance. A politics of principles, integrity, authenticity and dialogue –where everyone has a voice, and has the power to govern our way of life, our country, out of pure intentions for the common good.

Gogogo na talaga tayo! Tayong lahat para sa Panibagong Pulitika in 2010! At para sa Panibagong Pilipinas sa 2010 and beyond…

But to me the real question is not about COMELEC or about this government. The real question is WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? We are not called Filipinos if we will let corruption and apathy kill the very essence of who we are, and destroy the land we call home. In the name of “slacktivism” we continue to challenge in thoughts and in words, but we fail to ACT and and MOVE towards change. What we think we can do, we must begin, and see through to the end. We cannot be sitting ducks waiting to be killed by the onslaught of abuse, corruption, injustice, natural and man-made disasters. We must overcome our fear, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW! Let us converge towards the light, follow the leader who will bring us ever closer to our vision of a Philippines where we are the true healers of the world, talented and creative, successful and ONE with the rest of humanity as stewards of the Earth, and of its inhabitants.

Support Nicanor Perlas! Seek his reinstatement. Then follow him and install him in 2010 as our most conscious Filipino president that will help bring out our potentials, and our true DANGAL!

Ipagdiwang at patuloy na suportahan ang Mararangal na Pilipino ng bayang Pilipinas! Ikaw ay isa sa mga iyon, at patuloy na kumilos batay sa iyong marangal na sarili at matayog na prinsipyo at hangarin!

Ito ay kitang-kita ngayon sa insidenteng naganap sa Maguindanao. Paulit-ulit na sinasabi ang due process ngunit hindi ito ang ipinatutupad. Dapat ay kinukuwestyon na ang mga suspek pero kung anu-anong excuse ang binibitiwan ng mga alagad ng gobyernong ito. Ang kandidato ng administrasyon ay ginagamit pa ngayon ang insidente para maitaas ang kanyang popularidad at gayundin ay upang gumawa ng heroic act.

Hindi ako magtataka kung ang lahat ng ito ay bahagi ng isang mas malaking plano ng administrasyong ito, isa na namang palabas upang bilugin ang isipan ng sambayanang Pilipino.

Pulitika ng Takot

Ang mga taong may kapangyarihan, imbes na gamitin ang kapangyarihang ito upang tulungan ang mga taong hanapin ang sarili nilang lakas at tumayo sa sarili nilang mga paa, ay isinusulong ang sariling interes at sinisiguro na ang mga taong nasasakupan ay magiging dependent sa kanila at sa kanilang pamumuno. Ang kapangyarihan ay ginagamit upang pasunurin ang mga tao, at mapasailalim sa kanilang impluwensiya at kapangyarihan –sa anumang paraan. Machiavellian ang konseptong ito, na ang respeto ay makukuha sa pamamagitan ng takot.

Subalit kailanman, ang mga taong kumikilos batay sa takot ay di makakamtan ang pagbabago, sapagkat ang takot ay nanganganak lamang ng iba’t-ibang uri ng takot: guilt, worrry, doubt, anger, pride, inaction, indecision, lack of creativity. Hangga’t takot ang nananaig sa puso at isipan ng mga tao ay walang puwang ang pagmamahal, katotohanan at kaligayahan sa kani-kanilang buhay. At magpapatuloy ang vicious cycle ng oppressor vs. oppressed o ng mga mambibiktima at ng mga biktima.

Pulitika ng Utang na Loob

Ang utang na loob ay matagal nang konsepto sa kulturang Pilipino, pero ang tanong sa aking isipan –atin nga ba ito o ito ay isang konseptong naimbento ng mga taong nais tayong pagharian at pasunurin? Sapagkat ang konseptong ito ng utang na loob ay isang konseptong nakatali sa tradisyunal na kristiyanismo na dala ng mga dayuhan, yaong base sa ideya ng original sin, na nakatali pa rin sa ideya ng isang diyos na may kapangyarihan, nagpaparusa, at may power-over sa lahat ng mga tao.

Hindi ako sang-ayon sa ideya ng utang na loob, sapagkat nawawalan ng kapangyarihan ang mga tao upang panghawakan ang kani-kanilang mga buhay. Ang desisyon at kapangyarihan ay napupunta sa mga taong pinagkakautangan ng loob, at nagiging bulag na basehan ng pagkilos. Ang dalawang pangunahing kapangyarihan ng bawat tao ay ang PAGPILI at PAGLIKHA. Paano ka makakapili at makakalikha kung nakatali ang kamay mo sa kung ano ang nais ng ibang tao, ng taong pinagkakautangan mo ng loob? Kumbaga, ang ating kalooban ay ibinigay natin sa iba. Subalit ang ating kapangyarihan at tunay na yaman ay ang ating kalooban.

Kaya’t ang pulitika ng utang na loob kailanman ay di makapagpapalaya sa mga tao. Ito ay isang sistemang nagkukulong at pumipigil sa malayang pagkilos at pag-iisip ng mga tao.

Kung nais natin ng Tunay na Pagbabago, hindi na maaaring manaig at magpatuloy ang kasaluyang sistema ng pulitika — ang pulitika ng takot, pulitika ng utang na loob –ang pulitika ng POWER-OVER.

Looking at the rest of our Kapwa-Pilipino, in the malls, in the streets, jeepneys and buses, and most seem to be unaware of the “doom” that will be brought about by Climate Change, and the ecological disaster that we are all facing come 2012 to 2015. Realistically-speaking, scientists all over the world say the same thing, but it seems the world is going on as it does..
The emergence of the New Earth will happen with the emergence of the new and authentic human beings. And we have got to change and act now! Not only in 2010 or 2012. Now!
Kailangan nang simulan ngayon ang maliliit at malalaking pagbabago. Kung puwede ngang mas malaki, mas mabuti. We need drastic changes in our lives, right now. We cannot be sitting ducks unprepared, falling “victims” to a raging earth. Christmas time is coming and we’ve got millions more plastic and trash accumulated. Cars, airconditioners and smokers contributing to dangerous gases and pollutants. Convenience need to take a back seat now. Earth awareness is a MUST.

Napakaingay na ng Pilipinas!

Hindi lang ingay sa tunog, kundi sa marami pang bagay. Ang pollution at “ingay” sa buong paligid ay matindi at malala na. Kaya nga di na natin naririnig ang ating mga sarili, ang ating kapwa at ang bulong ng Sansinukuban, ng Universe. Kaya hirap tayong makinig e, di na natin marinig ang tunay at totoong “guidance” dahil napapaligiran tayo, at punung-puno ng ingay. Mula sa polusyon ng hangin, basura sa bawat sulok ng bansa, ingay ng Telebisyon, mga sasakyan, mga Advertisement na lahat na lang ng lugar makikita mo, wala nang nirespetong espasyo!

Kaya nga’t rinding-rindi na sa ingay ang ating Inang Kalikasan e…at hayan nga’t nililinis ang ingay na ating patuloy na nililikha at hinahayaang sakluban tayo.

Ang hapdi sa mata ng dumi, at dami ng ating nakikita. Ang sakit sa tenga ng tunog, sigaw, at tsismis, “musika” na naririnig natin sa araw-araw. At masama sa ilong at baga ang palagian nating nalalanghap na baho ng basura, baho ng usok ng sasakyan at usok ng sigarilyo…

Kailan ba natin ito gagawan ng paraan? Kailan ba natin paninindigan ang malinis, maganda, at maginhawang kapaligiran? Madali lang naman kung sisimulan at susubukan. Bawat basura itapon sa dapat kalagyan. Piliin ang mga dapat nating pakinggan. Tangkilikin ang mga gawaing iginagalang ang ating kalikasan at pinapanatili ang kalinisan ng ating kapaligiran. Maraming paraan, kung gugustuhin. Para saan?

Para sa kalusugan ng bawat isa sa atin. Para sa ating henerasyon, at sa susunod pang mga magmamana ng ating bayan, at daigdig. Para sa buhay. Nasa ating mga kamay kung paano tayo mabubuhay, at hanggang saan natin dadalhin ang ating buhay. Lahat ay nasa ating mga kamay. Matagal na panahon na tayong nalinlang ng kaisipang hawak ng iba ang buhay natin. Baguhin na natin ang ating isip, at gawin na natin ang tama para sa atin.

Ngayon na! ‘Wag na nating pahirapan ang kalikasan, ang ating kapwa, at ang ating mga sarili.