EVERY day is a gift, and another added year in a life must be a valued blessing: Our mantra for 2020 is, "gratitude, inspiration, focus, and triumph."
Let us start the year with "gratitude" -- a thankful attitude that our mere existence is already a privilege. Often times, we treat our being for granted even questioning why we have to suffer and experience the void and absurdity of life. Such outlook is intensely debilitating, slowly sapping our energy to live another day, and fight another battle. Ungratefulness drains productivity and steals our passion to do and to become. Hence, our first duty after waking up is to thank our maker, and express our appreciation for another opportunity to live. After all, some people have failed to open their eyes and have ceased to exist in our midst.
Let us find "inspiration." Let us be inspired with people who have overcome, and who have defied the odds. Let us appreciate and replace envy and jealousy with inspiration -- we have to bless in order to be blessed. Since energies are infectious, let us inspire people by also persevering and moving forward despite the struggles and challenges. Let us inspire, and be inspired.
Let us also "focus." Gratitude and inspiration are mere empty words without action. In order to take action, we have to focus even amidst digital pollution and unnecessary social and psychological clouds -- we have to focus our energies towards our goals. "Change" for the New Year is only a lip service until we take control of our lives towards meaning and productivity. As they say, it will be a shame to live a mediocre life when there are those who are sick or those who have died young.
As we sustain these approaches in our everyday lives, may we find "triumph" at the end to face another year. Let us have all ounce of perseverance and tolerance to get by the vicissitudes of the times and the roaring waves in our existence. Triumph is not necessarily an end quarter feat of this 2020 proposed outlooks, but an attitude of being grateful, inspired, and focused every day. Happy new year to all!
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La Trinidad will celebrate two upcoming festivities this first quarter: the Coffee Festival, and the Strawberry Festival. Both are agri-tourism products that have become part of the socio-economic lives of many people in La Trinidad. For updates regarding this event, please add the following Facebook pages: "La Trinidad Tourism, Culture, and Arts", "La Trinidad Guide", and "Mayor's Office-La Trinidad."