PIA Wurtzbach, the newly crowned Miss Universe, the latest pride of the Philippines, has become a celebrity with her interviews on almost every television channel here in the US. Her physical beauty and grace, of course, has impressed the world, but what has impressed me more is her strong determination to succeed in life. She’s a hardworking and a highly driven person. She never felt embarrassed to say that she tried three times to become Ms. Philippines for Ms. Universe Pageant. She worked hard to fulfill this dream and she got the title, not just for herself but for the Philippines.
Pia has become a role model for many of us, both young and old. Like her, we should never be discouraged to achieve in life, be it in one’s profession, relationship or health. We have to be determined to achieve our goals with faith in God and with the support of our families and friends.
That’s our strong message from Pia this New Year. Each one of us can achieve something in life and the entire universe would collaborate to fulfill our dreams and goals.
I say that this is true even for us, middle aged or older people. We may feel that we have already gotten all our wants and are ready to retire, but I’m sure that we still have longings for other things, if not here on earth, in the afterlife.
Our energies or zest may have waned down, our bodies may have gotten old, but our spirits still long for renewal and strength. If we honestly look at ourselves, we would say that we do not stop growing or developing into more mature and spiritual individuals. We’re constantly discovering and rediscovering certain aspects of our personalities and life that need to be strong.
A more disciplined life is what we need–discipline in eating, exercise, study, work, and prayer. Even our minds need to be disciplined to remove negative, depressing and dissipating thoughts that suck away our energies and joy
Our relationships such as marriages, families, and friendships can evolve into something deeper. We can refashion or bring them to a higher level of existence, much more spiritual than physical. Of course, this requires mutual respect, appreciation, and understanding. We achieve this as long as we practice self-sacrifice and restraint in speech and emotion.
Older people have more edge than young people because they have learned hard lessons in life. As many of them say, they have learned to choose their battles because of the wisdom they have gained through past experiences.
So, as we face the New Year, let’s follow the example of Pia Wurtzbach. Let’s never give up our dreams for a better, richer and healthier life. Let’s keep working on our goals. As I said, God and the Universe will do its part to fulfill them and to make our dreams come through!
Thank you, Pia!
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From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (1999-2001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.