Successful Living
Successful Living: D3TG
Dr. Oliver P. Cabanag, M.D., FPPS
(Message delivered on August 23, 2015 at the Ǹ Church during the Sunday worship service launching the Ǹ High School Centennial Celebration in 2016.)
We ONLY have one life. We only live ONCE,but as they say,if wedo it rightand if we LIVE LIFE SUCCESSFULLY,then ONCE is … enough!
So, we all strive to do it right; we ALL STRIVE to live lifeSUCCESSFULLY.
Yet, different people have different concepts and different ideasabout SUCCESS IN LIFE. Some people think that SUCCESSFUL LIVINGis when you are able to get what you want. Other people think it is
being able to enjoy what you get!
Still others believe that success is when you are able to rise again, after you have fallen down…and we all fall down,and we all canLOSE our way…and,like Thomas, we might ask, Lord, how can weknow the way?
Success in life is getting to KNOW THE WAY, and that is getting toknow CHRIST, who is HIMSELF the way, the truth, and the life; accepting Him as our Lord and saviour. SUCCESS in life could NOT be
SWEETER as when wehave FOUND our way and, at the end of theday, come to the FATHER, in His HOUSE of many mansions, throughJESUS CHRIST our Lord!
Jesus is the ONLY way.Unfortunately for some, THIS WAY could bedifficult, and sweet success would be hard to come by.
My dear friend Elgie, Mrs. Elgie Melad, has said, and I quote: “Somepeople argue that THE WAY IS TOO NARROW. In reality, it is actuallywide… wide enough for the WHOLE WORLD, if the world chooses to accept it”…and, may I add, if with strength of FAITH, we tear down the thorns andthe barriers that make thepathway APPARENTLYsmall!
Ladies and gentlemen, we can talk lengthily, religiously, andseriously about SUCCESS IN LIFE but for a moment, let us take a turnand tarry on the LIGHTER SIDE.
Let us consider what Albert Einstein once expressed. Einstein saidthat if A is success, then the formula for success is A = X + Y + Z,where X is work, Y is play, and what do you think is Z- Z is, according
to Mr. Einstein, keeping your mouth shut! Of course we know whatthe great scientist actually meant. He must have meant that weshould enjoy our work, much like playing, and not talk, much less
brag about what we are trying to accomplish.
In reality, this could be difficult. Working and playing while at thesame time keeping our mouths shut could be difficult, so, we mightnot be able to LIVE LIFE SUCCESSFULLY now, or any time in thefuture.
Maybe, just maybe, we could use another formula.Perhaps, with apologies to Mr Einstein, we can use a code instead ofhis formula, maybe, Code: “D3TG”.
“D3TG” could be a code to follow NOT ONLY to SUCCEED, but even asa GUIDE to live our lives with MEANING AND PURPOSE, so that in theend, our light could SHINE before men, AND they, seeing our goodworks, shall glorify Jesus Christ, Christ who is the VIA,VERITAS,VITA…. Christ who showed the way by HIMSELF walking the way,Christ who did not only teach but HIMSELF EMBODIED moral truth,
Christ who has MADE and makes our LIFE worth living!
So, “D3TG”, just what is this code? Well, if we look at the code moreclosely, we can see that it contains one letter D, three letter T’s, andone letter G. To unlock this code is to determine what the letters
represent.
“D3TG” thus unlocked can start with a letter “D” as in DREAM, andwe “T” as in TOIL, then we “T” as in TRUST in God, then we “T” againas in THANK the Lord, and finally “G” as in GIVE back and share our
blessings.
Alright, so first we talk about letter “D”: Dream!The greatest dreamer, to me, was of course Joseph. This son of Jacobhad big dreams, worked and toiled for his dreams, suffered for hisdreams, and as you very well know realized his dream as time camewhen like the stacks of hay, the brothers bowed down to his authority. What made this dreamer great, however, was not theauthority bestowed on him by his position but by his remarkablewillingness to forgive. This, of course, is beside the point. We aretalking about dreams.
We could have big dreams, we could also have little dreams. Nomatter how tiny or how grandiose our dreams may be, we just haveto have a dream! As Bloody Mary in the movie “South Pacific”
expressed in her song “Happy Talk”, “you’ve got to have a dream, ifyou don’t have a dream, how could you have a dream come true?”
Truthfully, though, we can not just have a dream, so my sisterCynthia said. For us who believe in God, we seek for God’s dream forus, not only our own dreams, but God’s.
Joseph’s dreams were explicitly given by God and God equipped himto enable the realization of his dreams. Joseph was thrown intoprison where he rose to hone his skills as an administrator that he
was to be in the future. Joseph thus realized that his dream was nothis own but God’S.
A dream, not a fantasy. We don’t dream to become the heroSuperman, or dream to be alive on EARTH forever. We fantasizewhen we do that. I mean dream as to have a goal, a goal that isspecific, achievable, and bounded by the time leased to us as mortalsin this world. A goal to reach out for and achieve at least withinone’s human lifetime.
A poor boy from a small town in Negros had dreamt of becoming amedical doctor and despite a meager family income, he scrimpedand studied hard so that in the end he got his M.D. degree. A nine-year-old street child from the national capital region dreamedof becoming a star and help the family rise out of the quagmire ofpoverty. She joined the search for the Voice Kids, Philippines andnow she is admired even by people OUTSIDE the country.
An impoverished bootblack from General Santos City dreamed ofhaving some more so that he worked really hard even at his fightsoutside the ring so that on top of becoming a world boxing icon, he
eventually became an able congressman andkind philanthropist.
Dreaming, however, is not all we have to do. All we have to do is notjust dream. We have to push forward and go on to the next letter inthe code, letter “T”, and that is Toil! Work! Work hard to make thedream a reality. Commit to excellence and unrelentlessly pursue ourdreams. Like it is said, we can dream more, but we have do more tobecome more! Now this could be the DIFFICULT part.
I remember one great pastor in one of the churches I go to, havingsaid that everyone goes through periods of difficulty. He said that ineveryone’s life are two seasons: The Wine Press season, and theSeason of Fresh New Wine! First face the wine press before you tastethe fresh wine.
I wonder if some of us have seen the movie the title of which Icannot remember. Please excuse this senior moment. How can Iexpect you to remember a movie the title of which I cannot evenrecall? Anyway, in this movie, the hero, Keanu Reeves, falls in lovewith a beautiful girl whose family owned a vineyard somewhere inthe Napa Valley or it may have been in Italy. What struck me in themovie was not the unfolding of a love story but the visualization ofhow awfully interesting wine –making could be. The scenes thatbothered me were those wherein the actor and the beautiful girl,fully in street clothes, danced, stomped their bare feet, and fellinside a tub of sweet, freshly picked grapes. Along with many other friends also in their street clothes, they jumped and pounded theirfeet, crushing every little grape that came under their feet. Crushednow then again, and again, the fruits just oozed in agony, and as they bled, sweet wine dripped over into hungry collecting ducts whichlater turned tooak barrels of smooth and sparkling red wine.
Truly, when we are pressed hard, we can produce the sparkling redwine, the so-called ‘polished diamond’ which otherwise could stayrough and dormant if we continue to avoid the fiery furnace!
The Wine Press Season, the break?through, then the Season of Freshnew wine.
Toiling earnestly to carry our dreams to reality is to enter into theWine Press season. At these moments of our lives we encountersmall as well as great difficulties. We have to deal with theseobstacles. We can deal with these difficulties knowing that God,gives every bird a worm, but He does not throw it into the nest! Wejust have to ‘toil’ earnestly, work hard, and get our own ‘worm’.
The street child had to skip meals like she usually does and evenborrow fare money just to get to the venue for the auditions. Toilingpatiently, practicing constantly, and doing better than her best inpresenting her talent gave her a slot in the contest and eventuallythe national championship.
The bootblack from General Santos also skipped meals, and despiteprotein and calorie malnutrition, he persisted to toil and punch thebag, allow facial cuts and bruises, dealt with transient hematuriapost-championship fights, and although difficulties came like bolts oflightning, with Pacman’s earnest and persistenttoil, the storms didnot break but only made the oak tree stronger! Pacman, who oncewas lost, EVENTUALLY found his WAY in Christ, realizedthe truesaviour and the TRUTH that is Christ, and now even on Facebook, issharing his LIFE in Christ. Really inspiring!
Pacman has made it easier for us to understand that along the roadto the realization of our dreams are trials, tests, and temptations,strewn so that we may honor and RELY on the Way, the Truth, andthe Life.
Now, let us proceed to the second T in our Code. Trust.Thus far, we have talked of having a DREAM, a realistic dream tobecome better than we are. Then we talked of earnest TOIL; workingreally hard to achieve and realize that dream. We might have towork our fingers to the bone. We may even have to run to where thebrave would never go. Yet, we could still fail! The possibility offailurewill always be there, but obviously this does not negatesuccess. The possibility of success is just as real. We only have toTRUST: TRUST in the Lord… and trust in ourselves.
Trusting in the Via Veritas Vita, gives us wisdom, guidance, strength,and grace, so as not to COMPROMISE and SIN against HIm. Trusting God EMPOWERS us so that we are able to achieve what we aspire toaccomplish. Trusting God gives us confidence to do what we areactually capable of achieving.
This reminds me of a story written by Linnea Sandvall about a littlegirl named Hannah. Although the story was made for children andtold to children in Sunday school, the concepts involved could stillhave some important impact on us who were also children not toolong ago…and that’s only a little over 60 years ago for most of us inthe Ǹ High School Class of 1965!…right, Leo?Vivian? Evelyn? Right! We can still be as little children; we don’t feelold, we don’t look old, and we deny that we are old. We are still young, only a little over 65 years young.
Alright, so here’s the story.
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Hannah and her brother, Joey,ate lunch quickly because their parents promised to take them on abike ride that afternoon. Hannah had just learned how to bike and
felt like such a big girl, now that she can drive around withouttraining wheels. When everyone was ready, Hannah’s family startedoff on their bike ride and were having a great time. Smiling andlaughing, Hannah was doing a great job. She was following herparents and had no trouble pedaling her bike up the hills they rodeon. She was having a blast.
On their way home, Hannah suddenly used her brakes and stoppedher bike. She looked in front of her and saw that she was at the topof a hill. ‘What’s wrong, Hannah?’ her mother asked.
‘I’m not going down that hill’ Hannah said. Her eyes were filling upwith tears and her hands started shaking.
‘That hill is too steep Daddy, I don’t want to go down it” Hannahsaid. Tears started rolling down Hannah’s face. What if she went toofast, she thought. What if she crashed because she couldn’t brakeand stop her bike? Hannah was too scared to move.
Hannah’s Dad got off his bike and came and stood next to Hannah.‘Hannah, we know that you can do this. We wouldn’t make you do something that you weren’t ready to do. How about if I stand next toyou and keep my hand on the seat of your bike? I won’t let you fall’.Hannah was still shaking and scared. ‘But’, she thought,‘I know that my dad won’t let me fall. He is bigger and stronger than me and Iknow he doesn’t want me to get hurt’.
Hannah’s mom knelt beside her and said ‘You know that we love youHannah, and you can TRUST us’. After a minute, although still a bitscared, Hannah trusted her parents.
Hannah’s dad put his hand on the bike seat. Hannah put her feet onthe pedals and started down the hill. At first she wobbled as shepedaled but after a few seconds she was well on her way. Soon shewas down and safely over the hill. Soon, she was safely home withthe family. She had DONE it, even if most of the way her dad hadmoved his hand AWAY from the bike seat. Her dad was ALWAYSready to catch her if she fell. Her dad ALWAYS had her back.
The bible tells us to love and trust God. Joshua chapter 1, verse 9,says, ”This is my command: be strong and of good courage. Do notbe discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.Psalm 37 verses 23-24 state that The Lord directs the steps of theGodly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble,they will never fall, for The Lord holds them by the hand.Trust Jesus, who is the TRUTH, the one true God who holds thewhole world in His hands.
Trust that Jesus lives, and all our fears shall be gone. “Trust Jesus to take us to the Father and all the benefits of beingGod’s child will be ours”, another quote from Elgie Melad.Great, indeed is God’s faithfulness to us!
God is so good to us and we can always rely on Him for truly Heprovides whatever we may need. God’s provision can not only begleaned from biblical passages but even from scientific studies.
Researchers at the University if California in San Francisco havefound out that a variant of the KLOTHO gene, an allele (another formof a gene which allows genetic variation), determined the size of aregion of the human braincalled the right dorsolateral prefrontalcortex. This part of the brain is responsible for cognitive function,planning, decision-making, and working memory, and is that regionof our brains that deteriorates and atrophies as people grow old. Theteam found outthat among people with greater longevity, or amongpeople who probably because of a healthy lifestyle get to live longer,their rDLPF region of the brain is larger and the KLOTHO allele codeto produce more of the protein called Klotho which giveS old peoplea boost, and confer resilience in aging. So God has provided thateven in old age, we can stillhave a good measureof planninganddecision-making functions! Really AWESOME!
Realizing all these, we can not help but be truly grateful, and thisleads us to the third letter T in our code, D3TG, and that is T forTHANKSGIVING or thankfulness.
For all HIS blessings, guidance, and protection, we thank GOD! Forhaving been able to bike safely down the hill, we give thanks; forhaving DONE it, we give thanks; and for coming HOME to Sillimanwhere quality christian education has SEALED us to the Via, Veritas,Vita, we give thanks.
Thank you very much, Ǹ. Our Silliman High School classmate, Dinah Viernes-Milne, an
australian, has this to say: Ǹ graduates roam theworld “o’er near and far” and many have been thrown intosituations never imagined; but everyone has done well in the lifepaths and careers they have chosen because our Alma Mater gave usan education.. that developed NOT ONLY our skills for the workforcebut even as human beings who have BODIES as well as SOULS! Veryaptly said, Dinah.
Our classmate Maxwell, now based in Florida, also had this to add:Knowledge of God and the bible which I learned in studies both atSilliman High School and in College, helped me when I had thechance to travel around the country, having been involved in thestruggle for social justice. Knowledge of Christ as the way, the truth,and the life, was the strenghthening force that helped me as I servedthe least of our brethren. So said Maxwell Pontenila, my very goodfriend.
Allow me NOW to add just a small piece about thankfulness. I’m surethat at this point, you want me to rush to letter G in our code so wecan all start going home. Please let me continue. I have onlyseventeen more pages to go. No, we’re almost done.
So, letter T, Thanks. Thankfulness could be ‘prodigal’ as in theprodigal son, one pastor told me. We could be prodigal if we think interms of entitlement, like the son who felt that his father owed him,and as his son he was entitled to his inheritance. It might be difficultto be truly thankful for anything which one feels he is entitled to.True thankfulness entails gratitude and appreciation. Gratefulnessfor what we receive but are not even deserving of. Appreciation, too,for the good we see in others. We have to be appreciative even forour own sake. Voltaire has said, “Appreciation is a wonderful thing.It makes what is excellent in others belong to us, as well.
Thankfulness also, connotes rejoicing. We rejoice as we express ourthanks! We rejoice as we thank God for all His blessings. HEADS UP,COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS! Happiness is knowing that we have so much to be thankful for.
Finally, the last letter in our code. Letter G. Give, as in giving back;sharing our blessings.
We have seen how Joseph the dreamer gave back. We have seenhow the Pacman has given back. We have seen how people all overthe world gave back with such great compassion to victims ofYolanda and other calamities, building homes and bridges, feedinghungry children, rebuilding lives. We have seen how Dr. Jose Rizaland other heroes, even how the “Fallen 44” have ultimately givenback their lives in pursuit of national security and global peace.Yet, must we die in order to give back? Yes, that could be theultimate sacrifice. But no, I really don’t have to die, yet. That’s notthe only way!
There are other ways of giving back, and it’s not even about themoney. We may not have enough money to build schools, roads andbridges; not enough resources to build homes for the homeless; butwe can give a son a tap on the shoulder telling him, ‘that was a goodjob, son”; or give the wife a sweet kiss thanking her for the greatdinner; or we canvisit those who are sick or those who are in prison,give water to the thirsty, extend a guiding hand to strangers,andinspire those who are depressed.
There are several other ways of giving back and one other way ishow a young doctor gave back in the following story which you mayhave already heard before.
There was once a harried young man who rushed to the doctor’soffice puffing, sweating profusely, apparently out of breath, andshouting, ‘Doc, please help me, help me, Doc, please help me!’.
Taking the young man’s hand, the doctor said, “Okay, ‘bro, relax,have a seat. What’s the problem?” His body shaking crazy, the youngman said, “Sir, bees are buzzing and running after me, they’re right here now, over my head, at my back, over my shoulders, help medoc, please help me!” Looking around and not seeing a single buzzingbee, the doctorinstructed the young man, “Come over here now,
okay, take a deep breath, then raise both your hands as high as youcan reach out, and drive them all, shoo all of those darn bees, everyone of those buzzing bees, drive them all, ALL over to ME!”Having done so, the young man’s shaking stopped. In a split moment,the young man became quiet, and in another split moment, a smile.“Thank you very much, Doctor!”, gratefuly the young man said. Softly, the doctor replied, ‘… just giving back, Bro!’
My friend, my classmate, Elsa Chiong-Orlina, has this to say: Godnotices everything that you do and He sees you as a wonderfulperson. You will always be part of some OTHER people’s lives. Youmay never find out where you fit but OTHERS will fill up the empty spaces in their lives with pieces of you!
Thus, shall YOU also, have given back!
D3TG. Dream, Toil, Trust, Thank, and Give back! Reach for the sun,shine, and give back LIGHT to others… succeed,….and SUCCESS isSWEETER, when weGIVE BACK BECAUSE we have FOUND the WAYthat IS CHRIST, known the TRUTH which IS CHRIST, and lived the LIFEthat IS CHRIST!
Shall we pray… Lord God, our Father in heaven, as we find our WAYthrough Jesus, so let success IN LIFE be ours, and let our lives be likea PEBBLE, thrown into the water to create a ripple of kindness and
gratitude; a tiny ripple in the beginning, but growing larger, andlarger, and LARGER, and LARGER; reaching out to more people,touching more and more lives in the NAME of Jesus, AMEN!
JOHN 14:5-6
JOSHUA 1:9
PSALM 37:23-24
