Morning Psalm

Thank God
Every morning is a miracle. There is no guarantee that I would wake up in the morning after conscious or unconscious journeys of my soul or mind during the night sleep. Back to my conscious mind, I must thank God for saving me and giving me another day. Slowly, I put myself in the bosom of God, feeling his love and soft touch on my soul. I am like a child again and dependent on the limitless love of God.

Be active
I am filled with an active mind, imbued with positive thinking, curiosity, and creativity. I also feel the energy, spirit, and inspiration from my inner soul and the external environment.

Focus on the present moment
I don't focus on yesterday or tomorrow. My time is today, and I live in the present moment. Even though I may be doing many things with a busy mind, I keep focusing on the present moment. I count the blessings I receive from God and feel the power of God every moment.

God is love (Dios es amor)

Dios es amor. Si preguntas dónde está Dios, puedo decir que no está sólo en el cielo sino aquí y en todas partes. De hecho, Dios es la fuente de nuestra vida. Donde quiera que vayas, hagas lo que hagas, Dios siempre está contigo. Debemos ser conscientes de la presencia de Dios en nuestras vidas. Debemos sentirlo en cada momento. Dios no es una idea sino el poder que nos permite vivir en abundancia.

Mix-up

[Skyline Drive, Virginia 2023]

I am a Latin-Afro-Korean-American. I traveled throughout Latin America because of my job, living in Panama in the 1990s. I still remember many good things about the culture, food, and Corazon que viene de America del Sur. Later, I moved to the States and met more culturally diverse people. I have been working with an African-American institution for almost twenty years. Deep in my soul, I enjoy salsa, hip-hop, pop, and Arirang (Korean folk song). I need a constant mix-up—a third space to grow.

Virtue of Self-control

I don't know when the word "self-control" disappeared from my mental dictionary to apply to everyday life. I forgot about it for some time. Although I used it in lectures or books, it did not come into my daily life consciously enough. Usually, my pendulum has swung back and forth between a soft, malleable mind that personalizes or internalizes things I face and an ironclad confidence coupled with high self-esteem that often results in hurts and defensiveness when things do not turn out favorably. But today, in my trail walking, the word "self-control" abruptly came to my mind. It was like a lightbulb moment when I recovered a dormant concept of self-control---a virtue that helps to control one's thoughts and emotions and establishes the critical role of autonomy and agency.

More than ever, I also realize that self-control needs flexibility and a strong will about one's relation to self, others, and the world. It is a capacious yet self-determined response to things and people. In the end, robust mental health needs a balanced mode of rule between self, Other, and relationality. While self-rule is a sine qua non to human agency, it would be never complete because human conditions are uncertain and uncontrollable in many cases. What makes us whole is not merely a keen sense of self apart from other beings or realities but a sense of viable connection with them. Now the question is, How can one relate to them effectively and healthily while maintaining a robust self?

Philosophy of Today