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We are at our rest house at Taal Lake. We came here for a few days
of rest, relaxation and to catch up on some writing. Just as I sat
down on the veranda overlooking Volcano Island and, behind it, the
Tagaytay Ridge (we are at the base of Mt. Makulot, in Cuenca) the
lights went out. No damage done, at least for now. It is still
daylight and the view is just as spectacular as ever. It will be
another story if the lights do not come back on by nightfall. Then
we will be scrambling for candles, oil lamps and flashlights.
Anything to give us even a bit of light.
As I was thinking of this, a thought came to
mind. Life is like that too. There are times when crises don’t
matter very much because our lives are in order and we are well
prepared to deal with them. Regardless of how difficult the problem,
we tackle it with enthusiasm and a will to succeed that almost
guarantees success. And the more often we succeed, the easier it is
to handle the next crisis. There is a greater self-confidence and a
winning attitude that remains, even in hard times.
But there are moments when the opposite is true.
Every person on the planet has experienced, or will experience some
dark nights when the lights go out and one struggles to find even a
measure of success, times when everything goes wrong and life seems
so unfair. There will be days that turn into nights and even a
candle light is hard to find, moments when even the confidence of
the most successful ones is shaken. Times when traces of despair
begin to creep into the heart that was once so fearless.
It is in moments like these when one needs to
dig deep inside oneself and find the courage that is surely there,
even if it isn’t obvious, time when one’s faith will be severely
tested and perhaps even shaken to its very core.
When one can succeed in drawing upon inner
strength that is there, even in the seemingly cowardly man, there is
suddenly a ray of light that inevitably pierces the darkest night.
Perhaps it isn’t the brightest light, but it is enough for one to
make his way. Enough to hold on to until the dawning of a new day
can reinvigorate the spirit and get one back on track.
What is essential is for all of us to believe
that we have the potential, the capacity to endure and to make our
way through the darkest nights.
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If you have problems about drugs, alcohol and
behavior/attitude call my office at 8206107 or 8251771 or e-mail me
at gvcbuenca@vasia.com or write me at P.O. Box 2099 MCPO, Makati
City.
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