Life Lessons Learned in 2013 (@ 30)

I've been doing some form of retrospective since 2008. I found great value on it every time I re-read my old posts. It's like listening to a younger version of you and how he understands the world. 

Here are the posts that I've gathered since I have 4 blogs since 2005 (consolidation is on-going):

• Top 10 Principles that I like and live by (Part 1 and Part 2) (2008)
• Life Lessons @ 27 (2009)
• Biggest Lesson I learned in 2010. (2010)
• Lessons I learned in 2011 (2011)
• I skipped 2012 (for some reason I could not find any post on Life Lessons on 2012. I guess I am still soaking in the lessons I learned from 2012).

Here's what I learned from 2013:

1. Everyone is on a journey. This simple lesson came to me when I started listening to other people's pain. I used to just listen to people's success story but I learned that if you listen to pain you will learn that like you, other people, are also trying to figure this thing called life. Everyone is on a journey to understand life and how to navigate through it. This lesson teaches you to be more patient to others because they have not seen what you've seen and they have not discovered what you've discovered. So you help them see what you see so that they too will learn to navigate that facet in their lives. On the other hand, this lesson keeps you humble and in check since you also recognize that you have blind sides and you need others to point that out. You listen to others who first understands your pain and is willing to help you out. 

2. H.U. G. S. - Helps Us Grow Spiritually. This lesson is about how HUGS can bring us together. I saw this video about a social experiment about a black woman discriminating a white woman around black people. The experiment wants to see if anyone from the those that witnessed the situation would defend the white woman. Some people stepped up but one of them stands out because not only she defended the white woman but she also made the black woman understand why the right path is to move past the feelings "together". She then HUGGED the lady and said, "HUGS - Helps Us Grow Spiritually". This means that side-by-side we can move forward. 

Personally, I experience this with my Tuesday Bible Study Group. When Kat and Sheila joined our group they changed the culture of that group. We did not became a Bible Study group, we became much more - close friends. How did they do it? They taught us HUGS - Helps Us Grow Spiritually. HUGS essentially is saying, "I am not above you nor below you. We are equal and I embrace you and  accept you without judgement. Now let's move forward."

3. Find a point of agreement (not disagreement) and go from there.  If you know me personally, you know that I used to be a close-minded religious person. My journey out from it started in 2010 as the beauty and radiance of God's Grace was revealed to me. In 2013, Grace taught me to find a point of agreement. Yes. Now, I can talk to people who believes differently from me without being threatened or without feeling that they are wrong. This goes together with Lesson #1. Everyone is on a journey. Since everyone is on a journey, my goal is to help them to see what I am seeing. And at the same time, I tried to see it from where they are.

When I talk to Catholics, for example, they usually ask me, "Why don't you believe in Mary?" This is a point of disagreement. This means that if I entertain this question, I will not make any progress in building relationship which is my goal in the first place. I usually answer this way, "I believe in Mary and I know that you know that this is a point of difference but I don't like to start our conversation here. I would like to talk about a point of 'sameness'." Then I would add, "I think you agree that your God and my God is the same." And then I start from there. What is important is I keep the friendship. What is the use of winning in your theology and losing the friendship? Again, we are all in a journey and the more we stay together the more I can share to you what I am seeing.

Pope Francis said, "I believe in God, not in a Catholic God. There is no Catholic God, there is God and I believe in Jesus Christ, his incarnation, Jesus is my teacher and my pastor, but God, the Father, Abba, is the light and the Creator. This is my Being. Do you think we are very far apart?"

What is the Pope saying? We are not very far apart thus we are not very different from each other. Why focus on the difference and use that as the foundation of relationship? Focus on point of agreement and go from there.

4. Continuously Renew Your Mind. Apostle Paul urged for us to have  metanoia (renew of mind) and not be conformed to the patterns of this world. This should be a continuous and on-going reality. To renew your mind is simply to think of another thought. If one thing does not work, change your mind and see change manifest. The changing of your mind  is key personal transformation. For this year, I changed my mind many times. If there are problems I simply ask myself how should my thinking change so I can fix this problem?

I experienced a major change of mind when Grace was revealed to me. I came from a heavy performance-based religion and I have to see God differently so I can see Him in His Grace and Mercy. I have to see Him not as a Judge but as a Father. I have to see Jesus not as temporary patch to humanity's problem but as The Solution that worked for all humanity.

5. I am one with Christ. This is perhaps the message that encapsulates everything for this year. I am one with Christ. Therefore He is in me and I am in Him and He will never leave me nor forsake me. This is an on-going reality in me. I have to renew my mind regarding this. Grace taught me who I am in Christ and in Him. This is not to say that I am now the "New Savior" of the world and I am task to create a "New Israel". No. 

This means that I have an intimate and close relationship with my Father. This means that He hears me when I speak and He speaks to me on a daily basis. This means that ALL the promises of God are Yes and Amen in Christ. This means that I am a son and not a servant. This means that I am forever blessed and cannot be cursed. This means that ALL things are possible for me and much more.

There are many more lessons that I learned this year but I think these five lessons are major. Thank you for reading this post.