"I
have loved you with an everlasting love..." (Jeremiah 31:3)
I am not a psychologist but I feel that I do not have to be
a psychologist to know what makes life worth living. I love myself, and so I have a positive outlook in life and I respect others for who they are.
My expectation of people is that they are good and trustworthy. I am not
suspicious of their motives nor am I driven to prove who I am to them. I just
remain who I am and I am just happy being who I am.
But alas, no matter what you do or where you live, there
are people who do not think the same way you do. Worse, some of
them become suspicious of your motives and they conjure negative images of you and share it with others, neither weighing its validity nor its
consequences.
I came to live in San Diego in 1993 supposedly to retire
from public life and to enjoy my retirement with my grandchildren. Instead, I
got involved in the Filipino community through the Council of Philippine
American Organizations of San Diego County, Inc. (COPAO). My passion for
community service made some people think that I am out to prove that I am
better than everybody else, that I want to be in the limelight and I want to
climb the social ladder of Filipino American society in San Diego. How mean can
people get?
The truth is I am just in the community to share my
experience and skills in community health development and public health. I was
one of the first professional public health educators in the Philippines’ Department
of Health. My experience as a career woman and as a churchwoman, for that
matter, is rich, varied, and colorful; I have traveled nationally and
internationally to study or to serve as consultant on various health and
women’s development issues. I love
myself so much that in loving myself I want to do whatever I can to
help others. I believe that it is only when you have a high self-esteem that
you’ll find yourself comfortable doing things for others.
A friend from Texas shared with me the following insights: “Self-esteem is an issue these days. It shouldn't surprise us that many have a low self-esteem. We are quick to accept another person's judgment of others or ourselves as truth. Low self-esteem makes you your own worst enemy since it often goes hand-in-hand with depression. The world is a scary place when you stop liking yourself. Do you need to find a reason to value yourself?