Lyka Rivera

1BSA – 7

Values Development and Self Awareness: A Reflection

Who am I? I’ve been living here on Earth for almost nineteen years, yet
I’m still unsure of how to find a justifiable answer to that million dollar question. Is
that even possible? Defining your own self to other people without stressing
either how much of a good person you perceive your self or how much of a
flawed person you are. Is it really possible to define a person? Because if that’s
possible, then what do you call someone who is so broken but don’t want to be
fixed, someone who is torn between pain and trouble but don’t want to be healed,
someone who wanted to be valued but is blind enough to not see her worth?
Honestly, I don’t really know what is worst. Being oblivious of the person you
really are or finding out that you’re not the person you expect yourself to be.

We rarely take the time to contemplate the real nature of our existence; to
ask the question, "Who am I?" And we often hear people talk about “being true to
ourselves” as one of the significant factors of success. But how can you stay true
to yourself if you don’t know who you are? This very thing here, highlights the
importance of being aware of who you really are. Self-awareness is being
conscious of what you're good at while acknowledging what you still have yet to
learn. This includes admitting when you don't have the answer and owning up to
mistakes. All of us have those silent battles happening inside our heads as to
how should we translate ourselves for everyone to understand us. But the
understanding, the comprehension, should start within us then it’ll flow eventually
to those people around us. In this way, we’re also able to have more honest and
genuine relationships because the people that we’re attracted to will be attracted
to us for who we actually are. Once we began to understand this concept, then
that we have earned the opportunity and freedom to change things about
ourselves, enabling us to create a life that we’ve always wanted. After all, it’s
almost impossible to change and become self-accepting if you are unsure as to
who you are.

All of us have our own different versions of who we are, though some may
find ours a bit difficult to grasp, remember that there is someone who
understands the depth of our character more than we do. He knows even the
tiniest of our scars, and where each of them came from. He knows us very well,
and loves us unconditionally. We may have our differences, we may not fully
understand each other, we are all united by a one, loving God. Who created us in
beautifully unique ways.
Lyka Rivera
1BSA – 7

Alay Lakad: A Reflection

In this crazy world, we will find ourselves stuck in the middle of pain
and trouble. But the good thing is, no matter how tragic the pain I am feeling right
now, it can’t compare to the joy that is coming. While walking along with my
friends during the Alay Lakad, I can’t help but to think of all those unfortunate
ones who have experienced the noxious truth of this world. Maybe for them, the
world now is as vile as their perception of life. For them, hope is something that
keeps us breathing and ironically, will just kill us in the end. And then it dawned
to me, that this walk represents our journey, it is a vivid reflection of our life that
the suffering may seem endless and the obstacles may seem insurmountable,
someday we will finally arrive to our final destination and all those pain will be
worth it. I always pray to the Lord to make me a blessing to other people. To give
me a righteous and humble heart, that I can be able to share His words, His
hope, and His love. To remind other people that God will come again, so beyond
all the pains and sacrifices there will be eternal happiness with Him.

I’ve been living in this world for nineteen years and all I’ve wanted is for
my life to be a living testimony of God’s love. From the moment of my conception
down to the point where I am now, He had never failed to amaze me. He filled
my emptiness with blessings, He fixed my brokenness with His love, He changed
my life with His words, and that’s what I want people to see within me. I want to
share hope, I want people to see how amazingly beautiful life can be when you’re
life is in Jesus. I don’t have the words to describe the feeling, but it is truly
overwhelming to know that I can be loved by the one who can make everything
disappear in just a blink of an eye. All things pass away, because the only
permanent thing in this world is change. All the material things I have now, even
my life, this is just temporary. But Jesus, He’s eternal. The power of His grace
can change anyone from within, and erase every single sin. Just have faith. I’ve
learned that when I’m in Jesus, I can already call myself victorious. He already
conquered death for me, He already prepared the paradise for me, what else can
I ask for?

The experience is tiring as it is inspiring, and most of all it had made a

significant change to the lives of each of the participants as satisfaction is evident
to all of our faces. That walk may seem meaningless for other people but I know,
it had brought hope to many.
Lyka Rivera
1BSA – 7

The Final Reflection

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something

else is the greatest achievement. You know what’s interesting about the
universe? It always changes, it always expands, it is infinite. Nobody knows
where it starts or where it ends. And it’s so unpredictable, before anyone could
catch up on it, it changes. It is made up of chances and chaos and coincidence,
beautiful and scary at the same time. You know what’s more interesting? The
universe is like us, incomprehensibly beautiful, unpredictable, and surrounded by
unfamiliar coldness and darkness yet still shines.

So don’t set yourself on fire to keep other people warm. Stop justifying the
things that makes you feel worthless and unwanted. Do not undervalue yourself.
Don’t be envious of other people’s testimony. If you haven’t received your own
blessing, don’t despair. Say to yourself, “My time is coming and when my beauty
hits the faces of the Earth, people shall yield in admiration.” There will be very
painful moments in our lives that will change our entire worlds in a matter of
minutes. These moments will change us. Let them make you stronger, smarter,
and kinder, but don’t you go and become someone you’re not. Cry, scream if you
have to, then you straighten out that crown and keep moving. The problem with
people, is that we have the idea of happiness in our heads but we’re too afraid to
experience it because it may alter the reality we are used to. So we shut
ourselves to all the possible things that could make us happy because we never
really accepted that possibility. I want to be the greatest person I can ever be.
You see, the way we decide, the way we act on different situations, the way we
treat other people, already speaks the person we are. And since we were given
the freedom to choose for ourselves, the turning question is, what will we
choose? What will I choose?

I believe that a great person is the one who can claim his or her power
and say “only I have the power to write my own story, only I holds the answer to
these questions.” Not everyone will like me, but not everyone matters. It is
inevitable, we will all be bruised by the fierce judgement of those who cannot
understand. If I will dispose myself to please everybody I’ll encounter in this life
I’ll surely fail miserably because that’s impossible. But I know, by being true to
myself, I can put something in the world that no one else can. Before I die, I want
to witness myself living so madly and deeply addicted to finding happiness
through the worst, and courage through the scariest.