Mendoza, Betina Maxine E.

1BSEMG

Reflection Paper 6

1. The grueling repercussions of the global pandemic alone have become enough of a
challenge to stir the fortitude of people. From economic crises to social disruptions, the
impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak have certainly proven to be of great difficulty for the
young and old alike.

As someone who is currently living through this era, I get to experience these difficulties
directly and vicariously. Due to the newly proposed directives, one of the most
significant changes I have observed lie within the processes in the various sectors of the
country–the political, legal, environmental and especially the economic. Contrary to
before, procedures such as the importation and exportation of goods have become
significantly stringent. As someone running a business during these trying times, having
your products shipped from what used to be only a few days to more weeks or months is
surely an agonizing period to wait. Sadly, as an impatient person, the extended duration
of shipments and proceedings have truly put a heavy weight on my shoulders, physically,
mentally and emotionally. Despite the struggle to repress myself however, I find
consolation in the rationale behind the new systems established. Although I may be
impatient, the realization of its significance in the security of each and every body’s well-
being outweighs the feeling of anger and frustration.

Despite the inhibitions established for the current circumstances, perhaps I could still say
that the pandemic is more or less eventful in a rather neutral sense. Although our actions
may have been limited to the confines of our own homes, we were able to discover our
possibilities and experience new activities. Sadly however, the same could be said to
sorrowful events as well. People have lost jobs, financial stability and most importantly,
companions. Unfortunately, I am no exception from the latter. Known for its life-
threatening effects on the old, the weak, and the sick, the COVID-19 virus had taken
away the lives of many including 2 of my relatives. In the third month of quarantine, both
spouses have died due to the virus, leaving their only child (minor) behind. The grief that
we experienced was very strong. With the COVID-19 directives in place, everything that
occurred was unseen by the aggrieved family. From the hospital admission to the burial,
all of us were not given a single opportunity to bid our final farewells. The realization of
such circumstances have truly added up to the grief we experienced. We felt very
powerless with the harsh realization of our lack of influence in lightening up the
situation. Everything that occurred seemed to be out of our own control, and it is through
this understanding where I was able to mediate the sorrow I have experienced and move
on. With the awareness of my influence in the situation, I instead looked into the internal
 and attempted to figure out what I could have done. As I took my time to reflect, I
dedicated a prayer for my relatives’ souls as well as for the aggrieved family members for
the repose and recovery thereof.

First-hand experiences like these, coupled with those of many other people, truly
emphasize the weight of the situation. It is worse than war, for we are battling with nature
itself and are experiencing far greater repercussions that impact the entire world. Those
who have seen the bitter end of the situation are highly subject to the development of fear
for what could possibly come to be. Fear of contracting the virus, fear of losing loved
ones, fear of succumbing to the economic impacts etc. Although fear is a normal
occurrence particularly for grueling situations like this, we must however, avoid
submitting to these strong feelings, and instead conquer them. As somebody who has
comorbidities, I myself, am honestly afraid of the possible destinies that I could face. I
not only could be disabled by the virus, but I could also pass it on to others who may or
may not survive from it. This fear however, is something that I was able to overcome and
use to my advantage. I did not let it get ahead of me, but rather used it to guide me in my
actions so as not to face the possible consequences.

2. Upon reading the three articles of Opus Dei, I have realized that the line “everything
starts from home” speaks the truth. It is through the family where we start learning to
communicate and be part of a society even at the bare minimum. To put it simply, it is the
primary learning and social space of everybody that aims to generate proper and refined
individuals that would soon contribute to the greater good of larger societies. Therefore,
it is very crucial for all its members to do their best in maintaining peace and harmony
within the small community and cultivate a virtuous culture. With the topic of family in
mind, proper parental guidance is a prerequisite in order to achieve something that is
close to a perfect family. Although parenting styles vary from person to person, one must
greatly consider the impacts of their rearing methods on their children in order to produce
righteous adults. A perfect balance between authority and passivity coupled with the
proper impartation of knowledge and wisdom for instance, is a recommendable way of
upbringing. Aside from parental guidance, as people grow, the willingness to perfect
oneself and possess stronger emotional control must also come from within the person.
Once a child matures into an adult, he is held more accountable for himself. Mustering up
efforts to improve and accept oneself along with a strong self-determination and will to
become a better person allows him to move towards the good befitting for his nature.

3. Upon watching the video, I have come to realize that in order to manage one’s emotions,
one must first accept himself for who he truly is. It is through this recognition that we are
able to use these to our advantage and address our own problems. With the knowledge of
our tendencies and capabilities, we are capable of diagnosing the root causes of our
conflicts and critically analyze the reason behind them. Basing from my own experience,
 instead of dwelling on such emotions, using them as tools have helped me approach my
inner turmoil properly and with less difficulty. The realization of the feeling of self-
inadequacy for instance, have helped me identify its source and look for ways in order to
address my lack of motivation and hard work. Envy on the other hand, stems from my
failure to work towards my own success, thus failing to see the value of hardwork
radiated by other successful individuals. Meanwhile, my frustrations are rooted from
unrealistic expectations and the inability to produce a stable mindset. It is through the
recognition of the origins of these strong, unpleasant feelings that I am able to identify
which part of myself that requires work and attention. Once we have learned to conquer
these inner conflicts, we must also keep in mind the value of communicating our own
feelings towards others in order to gain feedback and knowledge whether they are
appropriate or not. Although similar in essence, people vary differently and have
individual inner worlds. Approaches and responses vary from person to person. With this
knowledge and expectations however, we are able to manage our emotions appropriately
for both the person and situation, thereby building better relationships.

4. As I read and watched the materials provided, I was able to make connections between
the topics discussed and the learnings I have acquired ever since the quarantine started.
With the plenty of time that I had, I decided to devote some to learning the philosophy of
stoicism. From the start of summer vacation to the end of this school year, I have
constantly taken the “stay-at-home” preventive measure as an opportunity to improve not
only my health and spirituality, but also my way of life.

I used to be someone of shallow thought, one who thought trivially and acted
spontaneously. Seeing the silver lining of the pandemic however, the aforementioned
quality, including all my other inadequacies have been, and are continuously, being
addressed. Since we were not allowed to mingle with people, the time for solitude
provided me the opportunity to reflect more on both the good and the bad that form part
of who I truly am. I recognized my tendencies as well as the capabilities that I possess.
This, coupled with stoic practices and moral redirection have allowed me to improve
myself significantly and change my approaches in life. It is through these customs where
I was able to manage my emotions and use them to produce better outcomes from the
various situations occurring in my life. Seeing the benefits I have reaped from the
learnings and practical applications I have sown, my goal is to further strengthen my
mental and emotional fortitude as I course through life. As I journey towards this end, I
am looking forward to divide it into simpler objectives that will be done through constant
prayers, reflective practices (journalizing, meditating etc.), and counseling.