THE NATURAL POWERS OF MEN

An Inspirational Message

Last Monday and Tuesday, I went from one room to another bidding the students good luck on their final examination. In those two days I was also able to share some insights about success, failures and foolishness. The latter, foolishness, is to encourage those with failing grades to study harder and pass the exam.

I came across one good definition of a fool. A foolish person keeps on doing the same thing everyday and expects a different result. In a contemporary fable by Robin Sharma, failure is simply a bad decision done each day which grows to be a disaster later on. On the contrary, success is a good decision put into action daily which later becomes a tsunami of victories.

This afternoon you, our dear students, are recognized for the outstanding work you have accomplished. You were no fool and you made every failure a stepping stone towards success. You turned out to be the best among your classmates. However, you should more than know right now that with the honor you receive today comes more responsibilities. These responsibilities are the true measures of your being human. It is not the medal that will be hanged around your neck that makes you human. All of us were endowed with natural powers to be the best. I am now going to tell you the four natural powers we were all given:

1. Being alive and human, you have the power to work each day and express the absolute best within you. All of you here this afternoon have fully harnessed this power. You came to school everyday and worked hard to better your best self next day.

2. Being alive and human, you have the power to inspire, influence and elevate each classmate you have by the gift of great example. Now, this may be your problem. Have you inspired your friends to study as hard as you did? Did they succeed in all the subjects just like you did? Have you influenced your classmates to perform the assigned tasks to the best of what they could? Have you been a good example to your classmates?

3. Being alive and human, you have the power to create positive changes in the face of negative conditions. And this, my dear students, does not need a medal around your neck. Have you been a positive driving force in your class? Have you made a positive change in the family? Kahit wala kang medal na nakasabit sa leeg, kaya mong gumawa ng mga kanais-nais na bagay galing sa wala o’ kaya’y galing sa isang napakapangit na sitwasyon.

4. Being alive and human, you have the power to treat others with respect, appreciation and kindness. This last power sets us apart from other animals. We do not just have the intellect. We also have souls and the heart to love others just like what Jesus Christ did to the last, the least and the lost.

Because of the medals that will soon be hanging around your necks, the challenge to prove among yourselves these powers becomes greater. Yes, you have worked so hard each day. Yes, you have inspired others to achieve more. Yes, you have created a positive change. Yes, you have the heart for the unloved and the unfortunate. Pero itong lahat kayang gawin ng maski sinumang tao, may medal man na nakasabit sa kanyang leeg o’ wala. But because you are recognized to be more than your classmates, you are honored this afternoon, then you share the same dilemma with Peter Parker a.k.a. Spiderman: with great power comes greater responsibilities. Yours beginning this afternoon is, “With great honor, comes greater tasks…and what are these tasks?

Work harder each day and be the best always.

Set a good example to inspire others.

Create a positive change whenever opportunity presents.

Manifest God's love to others.

KAYA BA?