Being “indispensable” is the antonym of being “expendable.”
Hardly noticed by perhaps majority of our countrymen is the fact that people have become ordinary and dispensable under the present time.
“Ordinary” is the adjective to describe the appreciation of people of the conditions prevailing today even as they themselves see that they have become the victims of their own choices and appreciation of life.
This could be a sweeping statement but nonetheless reflective of what I call the nonchalant acceptance of what there is that prevails today, unmindful of the degenerative effects of such a mindset.
The majority of human kind is, in fact, lost as to whether they are coming or going. The world is in a tailspin. But let us compartmentalize this issue as to concern only the Filipinos and their awareness of things – and the stimuli – around them is more proper and fitting to discuss and debate.
From the hollow and glazed eyes of the poor and the homeless who I get to see and come across every day, I can feel that these souls are trapped in the dark wilderness of ignorance, thoughtlessness and depravity.
Life is not only about inhaling and exhaling, getting a breath of fresh air and taking a day off every week.
People have heart and souls, capable of feeling the joys and the hurt, possess creative abilities and capable of translating negative things into positive.
We are not zombies who walked aimlessly about nor are we dumb animals caged in the zoo.
We have dreams we want to pursue and achieve. Only human beings are gifted with such.
Therefore, we must be able to consciously live in the full power of our being and bring the full might of our conscious mind against the onslaught of fear, doubt and misunderstanding.
Life is sometimes viewed only in the material plane.
This is a narrow-minded concept because the real riches that beckon to us – joy, love, harmony, peace, kindness and compassion – are not tangible possessions.
Yes, they cannot be seen by the naked eye.
They can only be felt.
To be indispensable, a person must possess and develop these human traits.
Here are two quotes which you may find interesting about life.
English poet John Keats said: “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”
Alfred Lord Tennyson quipped: “To strive, to seek and not to yield.”
What about this one from Chinese philosopher Laozi: “Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”
We seek in life what we want to become. We can choose what role to play, can we not?
If we can correctly direct our energies, our awareness of how to utilize power and consciousness, then can we not drive away and repel discontent and dissatisfaction that are now besieging our vulnerability and dreadfulness?
Therefore, it is imperative for us to get rid of our half-mindedness and naïve comprehension of our daily existence. People who are in this state of being are liable to suffer the misery and fate of those choosing not to fully and actively participate in the game of life.
A half-interested and half-engaged human being will not know when golden opportunities and key moments are passing by. He will be oblivious because he has nothing to care for.
Indispensability comes with enlightenment.
With enlightenment comes the recognition that tragedy is not about death and dying but more about the quality of life one has lived before crossing the Great Beyond.
Writers are not hailed simply because they write great stuff.
Anton Chekov describes a writer as: “A writer is not a confectioner, a cosmetic dealer or an entertainer. He is a man who has signed a contract with his conscience and his sense of duty.”
Am I indispensable? Are you indispensable? (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) 2 Cor. 10:18: “For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!
