SIMPLE LIVING

I feel…. touched upon reading one verse from the Book of Timothy 6:7-8, that says, “ We brought nothing into the world and we will leave it with nothing.  Let us then be content with having food and clothing.”  The world around us has changed so much.  Media and advertising bombard us from all sides.  These try to teach us a lifestyle that seems so pleasant and easy.  We associate the quality of life to peso-value.  Good quality of life is now dictated and defined by how big the house is, the number and types of cars in the garage and the kinds of clothes worn, etc.

I realize…. that this kind of mentality is evil, that we are ruled by labels – labels that society has imposed on us.  We sometimes are so impressed by the trimmings in life that we turn our head to the source of all the trappings and trimmings.  Some are not even bothered that money used for all these trappings come from corruption or illegal means.  We turn a blind eye, because we think that those who remain honest in our society now, are those who remain poor.

            I also realize that I should make sure I understand the difference between needs and desires.  Each person has his own needs and desires.  What is important here is that we recognize their difference.  What is crucial is our understanding and examination of who we are, where we are in life and what we are in relation to other people. When we know who, what and where we are, only then can we truly say that we know what we need.

I will…. not let myself be shaped by the world where I live but rather be transformed through the renewal of my mind.  I will also change my buying habits to simplify my lifestyle.  Instead of soft drinks, I will drink water or juice from the buko or instead of betting in lotto, I will save in the piggy banks.  These things may be simple but it could be helpful.  Now that advertisements have great influenced on our choices, decisions and buying habits we should be aware of the things that we need.  People usually equate quality with high cost.  So, as we perceive ourselves, as “going up in society” because our earning capacity increases, our contentment level also rises along with our income.  We are never content.  But we should always be reminded that all these things that surround us are temporal.  Everything that we have and enjoy, material or not, come from God.  We are expected to use it properly.  And I am now determined to live a life as a good steward of God’s resources – resources that He has allowed us to use for our comforts and for our needs.

             

How can you show your commitment to public interest?

It was year 2002 when I was elected as Sangguniang Kabataan Chairman in our barangay. As a youth leader, I have tons of functions and duties to perform - to enhance the social, political, economic cultural, intellectual, moral, spiritual and physical development of the youth in the country, just to name a few. There was self-sacrifice on my part, but since I am very willing to serve my community and help address the needs of our youth in our barangay I am eager to bypass my own needs. And this is just one of the many things on how to show commitment to public interest which for me is an aspiration to serve society based on values and responsibility. Being a public servant demands the commitment to public interest.  This is so because once you come into the government service, a relationship between you and the government is created.  I also have to attend our sessions regularly. For if I do not attend meetings, I betray the trust that the public placed on me.

There are many ways for which we can show our commitment to public interest depending on the job that we are in.  They may be simple and common but sometimes hard for others to do.  One more way is by having decisions that should be for the interest of the common good. I will not use my position, information or property to go after my personal interest. I will also ensure that the government’s fund, property and supplies are in good hands.  I want to be identified as such public servant in order to promote good image to public office.