Alone in the dark

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 Mindanao Daily News

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June 10, 2026

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One impact of being in complete darkness is that it can wreck your sleep cycle. Two of the key mechanisms for sleep cycle regulation, the hormone melatonin and the brain’s suprachiasmatic nucleus, both rely on light to function. Daylight reduces our levels of melatonin, helping us feel awake.
When I was still hosting my radio shows with classical music  on different Philippine radio stations, I really got surprised how many people tried to come in touch with me after listening to not only the (wonderful?) classical music as well as my inspirational thoughts in between. Yes, I really felt glad and honored to be on air and getting the chance to share my passion for classical music with a really great listener ship. Once upon a time –  already many years ago.

In total darkness there are many people right now because of the number of cases increasing to astronomical heights all over the world. Strategies against darkness?  “Why am I so sad? What am I so troubled about?” (Psalm 42,11).

If it’s becoming dark, we usually turn on our lights. But, it’s still daylight. It’s a magnificent and wonderful day! The sun shines with might in the sky. The flowers are ablaze with amazing colors; the birds are chirping cheerfully. – “Yet, why am I so sad? Why am I so troubled?”

We experience feelings, as if darkness lies onto our souls, and light cannot get through any more. Yes, we make head or tail of it, because some really bad things happened since a couple of  months in many of our life and surroundings:

Several good friends passed away unforeseen; a wish, carried with us in our hearts never became true; all doors seem to be locked forever; financial problems bother us and don’t allow the chance for three daily meals; and arduous illness seems to become incurable.

Why are we so sad? Why are we so troubled? The psalm’s poet voices out innermost feelings and emotions during those times. 

A very good friend ( a really very good one!) asked the following question: “How can you praise and worship this God, who allowed me always to get into a never-ending darkness?” Is my friend a dyed-in-the-wool-atheist”, who underpinned his opinion with even the Psalm: “Day and night I cry and tears are my only food; all the time my enemies ask me, “Where is YOUR “God”?””

I was trained how to survive such periods of life. Even in this pandemic situation. Be patient and pray. Yes, pray! Or: “Quarrel with your soul!” No, it’s not nonsense, it really works. 

“Don’t make such a fuss; get out of your dump and be happy!”

Or, read Psalm 103: “The Love of God”.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

Freedom of information (FOI) is a fundamental democratic right that allows citizens to access records, transactions, and operational data held by government bodies. In the Philippines, this mechanism promotes transparency, prevents corruption, and empowers public participation in governance

Freedom of information is freedom of a person or people to publish and consume information. Access to information is the ability for an individual to seek, receive and impart information effectively.

Every Filipino shall have access to information, official records, public records and to documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for policy development.

I have loved writing for almost 50 years now for several publications all around the world. I started my first simple article for a high school paper. In a recently published article I learned that the stark reality is, that everyone is a writer. In all likelihood, we face a blank sheet every single day – a new slat, so to speak, where we, good (?) writers, bad (?) writers, writers-by-heart or by profession, and non-writers jot down to our agendas, our goals, our itineraries, our repertoire, our life… .

 Of course, every new page marks a beginning, a fresh start. We have the choice of writing down what is expected of us or we can challenge ourselves to turn a new leaf and write down something that is completely new.

How is it in the Philippines? Here is the thing: the freedom of information and expression has indeed a thin line between maligning people’s reputation and extortion. Telling the truth sometimes throws one into hot water or lets one dance on eggs. When it comes to journalism, one sees the three “C”s, the fundamental factors: catastrophes, crime and crisis.

Apropos journalists: I enjoy reading the news, that journalism and mass communication graduates OR ANYONE who wants to join the media industry can do so if they will pass the examination to be given under the proposed “Magna Carta for Journalists”. Under the proposed magna carta, journalists will be classified as accredited and non-accredited.

Yes, writing with a wicked pen and having a sharp tongue doesn’t mean that a journalist should walk disrespectfully through others’ lives. On the other hand, it’s a journalist’s duty to uncover, disclose or reveal, what the public should know. Indeed, eternal vigilance is important, even with a wicked pen and a sharp tongue. Freedom of information and expression – but with borderlines… .

Earthquake Hits Gensan

 Mindanao Daily News

I feel I’m not good enough

 

Feeling like you are not good enough is an incredibly heavy burden, but it is also a nearly universal human struggle. It usually stems from self-doubt and conditioned thought patterns rather than actual truth. You are inherently worthy of love, belonging, and respect just as you are.

Often in life we come across such relationships and people, who are never happy with you. There may be times when you have given your all but you still realize that you’ll never be good enough for some people.

Feeling like we’re “not good enough” is negative self-talk that is underpinned by feelings of inadequacy. At its core, feeling not good enough boils down to a struggle with self-esteem and feelings of unworthiness. Fortunately, there are ways to overcome these negative feelings and develop a healthier mindset.

This feeling is really sad and hurting which makes you doubt yourself. This is when you feel the world will never be satisfied with you, and there could be days when you feel like a failure.

But life is not about perfection, it’s about accepting people we love as they are. When the expectation of one person is too high it’s not possible to be every good enough for them no matter what you do. Never let this feeling make you depressed and feeling low.

Among daily changes within the world of work, there’s never been a better time for employees to cultivate skills to help them better manage workplace challenges. This is where the idea of the ‘growth mindset’ comes roaring in – the belief that workers are capable of actively improving their abilities, rather than being innately able or unable to complete certain tasks.

Yet, this ‘can do’ mindset can be more difficult to harness than it seems. Doing so means getting comfortable with embracing hurdles, learning from criticism and persisting when things get difficult.

Even if we believe that such tenacity is worth developing, in practice, doubts and fears can dominate. “We’re wired to believe our emotions,” says Elaine Elliott-Moskwa, psychologist and author of The Growth Mindset Workbook, based in Princeton, New Jersey, US. “When a person says ‘I feel I’m not good enough’, that feeling is very powerful, even though that is a belief about their abilities.”

At the heart of the growth mindset is learning to overcome such feelings of inability or inadequacy in the face of obstacles, and instead recognise an opportunity to learn. And there can be profound benefits to cultivating this approach. Employees with a growth mindset can tap into useful skills to manage stress, build supportive relationships with colleagues, cope with failure and develop attributes to help further their careers.

Approaching a challenge with a growth mindset over a fixed mindset is a choice anyone can take
Stanford professor and psychologist Carol Dweck narrowed this concept down to two approaches that can determine results: ‘fixed mindset’ and ‘growth mindset’. “Fixed mindset is the idea that your abilities are high or low, and there’s not too much you can do to change it,” says Elliott-Moskwa, “whereas the growth mindset is the view that your abilities are malleable or changeable.”

While some people may naturally lean more one way than the other, people don’t outright have either a fixed or growth mindset to all problems, full stop – instead, approaching a challenge with a growth mindset over a fixed mindset is a choice anyone can take.

For many people, though, moments of difficulty often spur fixed mindsets. For example, says Elliott-Moskwa, when people take in criticism from a boss, or struggle with a new task, they might feel a sense of inadequacy. In these situations, a fixed-mindset response might be “I’m not good enough”, or “I can’t do it”, she says.

By contrast, a growth mindset approach takes a different tack on the same situation. People with growth mindsets don’t interpret such moments as personal failings, but instead recognise a need to improve. Crucially, people working with a growth mindset believe they are capable of such improvement, and are able to break down challenges into achievable steps.

This means getting out of the comfort zone and accepting a certain level of risk, uncertainty and the potential for failure that comes with trying something new. “It feels a little bit uncomfortable, and also a little bit exciting,” says Isabella Venour, a London-based mindset coach, who helps professionals understand the role their beliefs, values and patterns of thinking play in the workplace. “You’ve got a bit of risk that it might go wrong, but you’ve also got the potential to learn something and to grow as an individual.”

Why is the growth mindset important in the workplace right now? A can-do approach is always a plus in the workplace – it demonstrates that workers are adaptable and willing to evolve within their jobs and organisations. But fostering a growth mindset plays an important role in helping workers navigate turbulence as well as improve resilience as they feel more confident and capable of handling difficulties.

How can you improve your growth mindset? The first step towards encouraging a growth mindset is personal awareness: the ability to identify fixed-mindset thinking when it occurs, which often manifests as feelings of discomfort or inadequacy in the face of a challenge.

First, Elliott-Moskwa advises recognising and accepting such feelings – instead of beating yourself up about them. “Then, mindfully make another choice to take an action step in keeping with what you would be doing if you had a growth mindset – the belief that you could increase your abilities,” she says.

To help clients approach obstacles with a growth mindset, Venour often breaks down challenges that feel overwhelming into smaller pieces. For example, if a worker feels unable to give a presentation in front of colleagues, “how much of that is emotional and how much of that is factual?”, she asks. “Can they talk? Yes. Have they spoken in front of more than one person before? Yes. Have they done presentation slides before? Yes. So, if there are elements that they can do, [what] is the bit that they’re not comfortable with?”

Narrowing down an overwhelming challenge to a specific point of difficulty helps workers focus, and reduces the element of learning required to an achievable level.

Often, the learning itself requires asking for help. One of the key concepts of growth mindset is seeing others as inspiration rather than competition, an approach that can help foster collaborative teams. “If workers view others as resources and not as competitors, they’re open to sharing other people’s skills and abilities and learning from fellow employees,” says Elliott-Moskwa.

Over time, recognising fixed mindset and practicing a growth mindset can become easier, and the prospect of taking on challenges less daunting. “Growth mindset is an empowering attitude,” says Venour. “You can really develop and grow over time as a person.”

Sometimes you might feel like you’re not good enough or unique enough, but everyone is! Everyone has different personalities.

 

HAPPY EASTER!

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 Mindanao Daily News

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March 31, 2026

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Each year, Easter falls on a different day – and this year it’s coming a little early. In 2024, Easter falls on Sunday, March 31. But why is the holiday coming earlier than usual, and how is it determined? According to experts, it has to do with a full moon.

Easter Monday is a Christian holiday celebrated the day after Easter Sunday.

In many countries in Europe and South America, this day is known as “Little Easter”. The Catholic Church calls it “Monday of the Angel”.

Formerly, it was celebrated as Easter Week in many places but this was reduced to a one-day celebration in the 19th century.

Emperor Constantine (272-337 AD) imposed eight consecutive public holidays in Rome, a period called the “Octave of Easter”. Monday, like other days, was a public holiday. Masses were held every day to celebrate the Easter feast. During this period, pilgrims could also take the opportunity to travel to Rome. This Easter octave, however, came to an end under Napoleon Bonaparte.

From 1801 and the signing of the Concordat with the Pope, the then-First Consul undertook to reorganize the practices of the Catholic Church of France. He also removed public holidays, which numbered 50 at the time. Napoleon chose to keep Assumption, Ascension, Christmas and All Saints. On the other hand, it abolished the public holiday week following Easter, keeping only one day exempt from work: Monday. 

To die is to live! We are always shocked when in the middle of our surroundings, somebody passes away. Our usual questions are: “Why die so young? Why he, why she? A natural reaction, indeed.

When Jesus finally gave up His spirit on the cross after three hours of bitter agony, the Pharisees said: “Finally, that impostor has gone. He deserved to die that kind of death!”

Let’s remember: After the waving of the tree branches by the Jewish crowd and Hosannas of Palm Sunday, the arrest of Jesus betrayed by Judas in the Garden of Olives, the imprisonment and humiliation of Holy Thursday night, the carrying of the cross, crucifixion, and death at Good Friday, – Jesus Christ rose from the tomb on Easter Sunday – glorious and will never and die again!

For Jesus, dying was not the end of everything. It was the beginning of a new life. Symbolically we see the Easter Resurrection of our Lord depicted in various ways, which always point to life after death. Especially in parts of the world where deep winter lets all plants and trees “sleep” for a couple of months, people enjoy the spirit of the new shoots that come out of a big trunk of a tree.

Eggs were usually symbols used in springtime long before Christianity came into existence. The eggs symbolize life, which is causing it to grow. Since Easter usually occurs at spring time (March or April), which is already summer in the Philippines, this egg-symbol was still in use among the pagans of early times when Christian were celebrating Easter.

A blessed Easter to all of you, my dear readers. Walk this day with great confidence in your heart, mind and soul.

And, enjoy your egg hunting with your loved ones…!

 

An intoxicating love is a deeply euphoric, often overwhelming romantic experience that mirrors the sensations of addiction, characterized by intense highs, rapid heartbeats, and obsessive thoughts. It involves a surge of chemicals like dopamine and adrenaline in the brain, often described as a “natural high” or a “storm of electrified feelings”. 

US musician and author Ted Gioia argues in his excellent book Music: A Subversive History (2019): “At every stage in human history, music has been a catalyst for change, challenging conventions and conveying coded messages – or, not infrequently, delivering blunt, unambiguous ones. It has given voice to individuals and groups denied access to other platforms for expression. Pop music has often been dismissed as “lightweight” given its young audience, simple snappiness and mainstream status, but those elements are really where its strength is concealed. Pop songs don’t originate themes of mental wellbeing, equality, liberty, activism – but they do transmit them to the broadest platforms possible”.   Snap the radio on, zip to any station, and what are you likely to hear? Love songs. Songs of new love, songs of disappointed love, songs of grateful love, songs of crazy love. I still remember my time as a radio host in Davao City several years ago playing the Hits of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Nothing has changed. Times change, but through history the flow of love songs is a constant.

Plenty of people are surprised or even shocked to find an explicit love song in the bible – complete with erotic lyrics. But “Song of Songs” is exactly that. It shows no embarrassment about lovers. Consequently, intermittent attempts have been made  to rule “Song of Songs” out of the bible. It’s like making it “for adults only”. Imagine, my dear reader, in 16th century Spain for instance, professor Fray Luis de Leon was dragged out of his classroom and taken to jail for four years. His crime? He translated “Song of Songs” into Spanish.

If you start reading “Song of Songs”, you will find out that this book conveys a very different atmosphere from most modern love songs and pop music. Since love songs are always popular, many people approach “Song of Songs” with great expectations. However, readers often find the book much different from what they had expected. One is the poetic imagery. Second: “Song of Songs” is hard to follow. One part  doesn’t seem connected to the next.

Try to explore the “Song of Songs”. One thing is for sure. You’ll learn a lot about the love between God and His people.

Communication – The importance of listening

 By Klaus Döring

A good listener is someone who listens to the speaker to receive and interpret messages accurately. No one likes to communicate with a person who cares only about what they have to say. That’s why, to become a good communicator, you need to be a good listener too.

Active listening is an important part of your communication skill set because it encourages openness, honesty, and success. When you pay attention to your conversation partner, you show that person they are being heard, thus building trust and making that person feel like their words matter to you.

Listening allows us to look within ourselves and become aware of the barriers that inhibit our ability to listen effectively.” As we better understand ourselves, we are then in a better position to understand others and show authentic compassion and empathy.

Do you sometimes feel like this, my dear readers, that you want to discuss something, but the people opposite to you simply cannot listen to you? Sometimes, I would love to tell them, “first, learn to listen”!

Listening is indeed the key in effective communication. A person does not have to speak all the time to be the smartest person in the room. Lack of listening may result in frustration, disappointment, and resentment in our relationships. When we listen, we are able to create stronger emotional connections with people.

Listening is a vital element of communication and it is very much different from the human sense of human. A meaningful communication requires both a good listener and a speaker. However, the effect of a listening style may vary depending on the occasions and situations a listener is in.

However, every time you use active listening, it gets a little easier. It can help you to navigate through difficult conversations. More than that, it helps improve overall communication, builds a better understanding and ultimately leads to better relationships with family, friends and co-workers too.

Listening is an active process by which we make sense of, assess, and respond to what we hear. The listening process involves five stages: receiving, understanding, evaluating, remembering, and responding. Not only in school or at the workplace. But especially talking about the workplace: Listening helps managers to solicit feedback and proactively find out about problems before they escalate. It’s also the only way for management to get to know people as individuals and ensure that they feel genuinely valued.

Not only does listening enhance your ability to understand better and make you a better communicator, it also makes the experience of speaking to you more enjoyable to other people.

Listening and the supreme gift of wisdom belongs together. You can only become a wise person, if you know how to listen. Do you still remember the university lectures in your old student days once upon a time? Anybody can become wise, Proverbs says. Wisdom is not reserved for a brainy elite. Becoming wise requires self-discipline to study and humbly seek wisdom at every opportunity. And allow me to repeat: and, first, learn to listen.