- BE GRATEFUL BUT DO NOT EXPECT GRATITUDE FROM OTHERS. Human beings are naturally ungrateful because of pride. In your life, you will come across individuals who will reach out to you for their needs and concerns, but as they attain their goals, they will forget your efforts to help them. Live a life without expecting anything, especially gratitude. But always have a grateful heart. Value the people who were there for you. It will give you inner happiness. I call this the Thanks But No Thanks App.
- ONLY SPEND TIME FOR INITIATIVES THAT DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME. Human beings and activities will find ways to get the most out of you because of practical reasons. Regardless of your contributions, there will be those who will downplay and undervalue your contributions. They will also put more premium on monetary wealth, instead of the ideas you shares, your time, your efforts – the things you have to sacrifice to support the completion of the goal. Many of these things will be unappreciated or under-appreciated. People will only value money – which is the cheapest of all things. Be selective with your initiatives so you do not waste your precious time. Instruct others how not to waste your time but never exert more than enough energy to lower yourself and become an idiot for the sake of other people. This is the Day and Night Timesaver App.
- TALK ONLY AS MUCH AS YOU WORK. Human beings talk more than they act. Physiologically that is how our body seem to be structured. Our mouth has a only few muscles but it often always out-do our body. Learn to speak only as much as you work or act. And only believe people who have put into action their words. It is not important that they succeed – the most valuable factor is that you know they actually believe in what they are saying enough to do it. Beware of people who say one thing and mean another, worse and does another. Only say what you mean. If by saying it, you will hurt others, exercise the option not to say it. I call this the Talk and Motion Study App. Its higher version is called the Shut App.
- PAY ATTENTION BUT DO NOT GIVE ATTENTION TO THE UNDESERVING. Human beings want attention, even when they do not deserve it. People will be slighted when you forget to greet them or smile back at them. Be careful with those who have an overdose of this nature. They will only fancy the likes of those who are also overly mindful to the point of fakeness. Remember to give everyone his or her due. And only what is due to them. There is grave danger in giving in excess especially to people who ae not aware of what is due to them. In turn, learn not to naturally seek attention – that is how you win over yourself. Remember Confucius’ “seek to be worthy to be know rather than to be known.” This is the Presencing App.
- REMEMBER TO ALWAYS REMEMBER. THERE IS VALUE IN REMEMBERING. Human beings are extremely forgetful. They like to remember events, names and places, but refuse to remember important milestones. Many of us lived in a the moment – one that is fleeting. Just like a social media timeline, you see the present but oftentimes forget the past. Nonetheless, understand those who forget important moments and be kind to yourself – if you likewise forget. Always learn from past mistakes but do not killy yourself for it. Believe me, you will soon find these mistakes amusing. They say the way to be happy is not to live in the past, but I say the way to be happier is to remember the past so that you become stronger as your face the future. I call this the Rememberer App.
- BE AS HUMANLY KIND TO ALL BUT CHERISH THOSE WHO ARE YOUR FRIENDS. Only a few human beings will truly be your friends. Only a few will understand you as much as you understand yourself. In fact, we may even go through life without having a single friend, except ourselves. You will have hundreds or even thousands of acquaintances, but only a few individuals will be there when the storm hits you hard. Pray for your real friends – those who suffer not from any envy, jealousy or mischief against you. Those who laugh with you not with their minds but with their hearts. Those who know the reason for your weaknesses and the source of your strength. Cherish your time with them. All things will come to pass, even friendship.  This is the Fake Friends Tracking Device App.
- BE HAPPY WITH YOUR ACHIEVEMENT NOTWITHSTANDING. Human beings will always think pride is a sin. Pride in your achievement. In your skill. The moment you share your accomplishments, your milestones – the fruits of your arduous rigors, unthinkable sacrifices, seemingly endless debacles – they will call it pride. They will call it pompousness. Believe in your talent anyway. Do not allow one naysayer to pull you down unless his or her thoughts are constructive. If so, evaluate and use their suggestions and ideas, but do not let them get into your head. They would love that. Go placidly, as The Desiderata, yet go purposively in your life. You owe it to yourself and to God who has given you these talents. Use it for good. The bad will come back to you. It is like the trash you throw to the sea today which your children will eat tomorrow. I call this The Desideratrix App.
- NEVER ALLOW ANYONE TO TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE. Human beings are usually envious, fond of comparing themselves with others – something which separates us from animals. The lion never compares himself to the ant and vice versa. But people compare themselves, regardless of their genre. Hence, they will crush your spirit at every achievement, without realizing how much they already have. There will be ants who will constantly be jealous and bite you to death. Usually their death. There will be lions who will constantly be bothered by ants until they begin to think they are also ants. We look at what others have and feel jealous, yet we often fail to realize how much more we possess but never value. Look at what you have today and appreciate it. Both the lion and the ant have each so many things to thank for. Like a true Jedi, “your strength lies within your heart” – not internally. It is not who you are but who what you make of your life – whether you want to be a Skywalker or a Palpatine. Your decision will not matter to the world but it will affect some lives. This is the Rainbow Saber App.
- SEEK THINGS THAT REQUIRE YOUR HIGHER SENSES. Human beings want more color instead of depth. We want to see fanfare or things that can be highly perceived by ordinary human senses – sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell – we commonly shun from things that we need to “sense with our inner being”. In fact, we always say – to “see is to believe”. We have become highly empirical and practical beings – we almost no longer pursue things that cannot be perceived by ordinary senses. This year is a year to open our other senses. Open yourself to the possibilities of the new decade. There is more we can do when we listen, that just hear. Understand, than just see. Speak, than just talk. And there are so many ways to speak. Pray. Always pray. This is the Sixth Sense and Beyond App.
- START. KEEP ON STARTING. Human beings never want to fail. We are want a “fail-safe” life, but sadly there are experiences that can only come when you enter doors that say “you may fail”. So we don’t open it and get to see the sign at the other side of the door that says “you may succeed”. That is why oftentimes they do not want to start anything. We will always say “starting something is the most difficult part.” We should constantly cultivate a culture of “starting”. Every new year is a new start. But we fear to start things. 2020 is another year that is about to start. List down everything you wish to start. Create a “start list” – not a resolution list. You have a 12 month time frame. When this ends and you are still breathing, start again. I call this the Start App.
Jocelle Batapa Sigue 