REFLECTIVE ESSAY: “The Life of Virtue: My path to Freedom Beyond Borders”.

I was six years old back then when I started to go to kindergarten. Since I belong to a Christian family,
my grandparents sent me to a Catholic school where my teachers are religious sisters. They taught us
the basics of being and continuously becoming a Christian. Most of the activities that I had to participate
in always involves the presence of a priest, religious sisters and of course the Divine Being. My
classmates and I were constantly urged to behave appropriately, especially if we were inside the church
because they said that God is watching us and that if we do not conduct ourselves, He will be
disappointed in us. Even doing the “Sign of the Cross” properly was a big thing too. As children, we
naturally followed the elders because we accepted practically everything that they taught us, which was
based on the Bible, primarily stating that when you do well and follow the elderly, you are a good child.
You will not get the opportunity to be punished harshly by them, such as kneeling on mongo seeds or
kneeling on the rock of salts placed in a semi-large winnowing basket. Fast forward to my Grade School
years, I was sent into an Adventist school. Honestly, I got so shocked, I even wondered at first especially
when it comes to praying because they do not do the “Sign of the Cross” which has been a thing for me
ever since I learned how to do it and knowing that their priest is not called a priest but a pastor. Other
than that, is they do not allow students to wear any jewelry like earrings, not even bracelets. For the
first time in my Grade School until I reached second grade, I'm at the adjustment stage since what
they're doing isn't what I am used to. I must admit that it was difficult for me to cope with their ways of
believing in God and how they define what it is to be a good, bad, or evil person because their practices,
their values, and even beliefs are quite different from the Roman Catholics. Everything is probably new
to me, but as time and years pass, I've eventually learned to adjust and grasp their methods. How did I
able to adapt their ways without sacrificing what I have with the Roman Catholics? I just let my mind
and myself open to change. I did not limit myself to make a warm welcome to a new religion with
different beliefs, values and practices. I still remember when people, not only once but many times told
my grandparents or sometimes me before that I should transfer to a Catholic school because if not,
chances are I may get influenced by them and later become one of the Adventists and change my
perspectives and all. But, at such a young age, I refused to let their remarks govern my life. Because as I
grew up, maybe I was in Grade 3 when my grandparents told me that my way of living my life should not
only depend on the type of educational institution nor on the culture that I’ve grown into because what
I am after is the “freedom” of my life without causing any harm to others. And now that I’m in my early
adulthood, my realizations and understanding became deeper. Yes, we may have different beliefs,
principles, values, and limitations set by most people, but my life relies on my choices guided by
acceptable reasons together with the principles that I believed in. If my decisions lead to a positive
outcome, that's great; if they lead to a negative outcome, that's OK, too, since it's both an experience
and a lesson. If I had to just comply with what many others have believed for a long time, without me
trying to go beyond borders or self-discovering things, I will be unable to understand and learn the
differences between individuals, cultures, beliefs, and religions. I will not be able to see “What and How
am I as a Human Being?” or “How do I treat the other Human Beings?” My life is short, I am not saying
that one should not conform to the imposed external constraints by specific institutions or culture
because there are cases where it will do good in one’s life, but it is also important to know that what has
been working before may not be applicable now or in this evolving generation (if there are, maybe
some). If I am restricted by external limits, it will appear to be unjust to me. If I would have to make my
life worthy and fulfilling enough to live, I will make it happen, I will have to do my best to do what is
right. There will be no problems if I use my freedom responsibly and do not infringe on the lives of
others. As I grew older, I began to practice pushing beyond boundaries because I believe that doing so
would allow me to not only grow as a person but also to become the person that I am meant to become
one day. I must develop myself because, at the end of the day, the only person that I can rely on, who
would be held responsible and accountable for what I did and will do is only myself. Also, I must allow
myself to be reminded that nothing is absolute in this world because everything changes. So far, I can
say that I am happy that I can see myself that I am free but with limits or I am able to use my freedom
but in moderation, and I did not regret going beyond