I could go on and on, but to understand the pain and the decisions to survive as a people is downright heartbreaking for me and not necessarily limited to this culture.

The biggest conscious belief of this culture is that life is hard. It permeates these people and actually results in them creating a life harder than it could be. They cannot fathom a world that is easy but so desire it.

The big unconscious belief and one that is supported by so many beliefs is the requirement to comply in order to survive. ‘I must comply’ is at the core of almost everyone here. This is a result of being invaded and conquered by other countries for centuries – yes, centuries. The choice was to comply and survive or be killed, as many were.

So, as a people they decided to comply, without question. Now the conquerors have left, although China is showing signs of being next to invade this nation. But they still comply without question.

Only now the conquerors have been replaced by mom, the boss, any strong person asserting themselves, and a couple of others I cannot mention as I could be kicked out of the country if I did so.

This identity of compliance has cost these people a lot. It is why there is no sense of cause and effect, a future time to plan for, to give up on their own needs and desires, stifling a desired future, life is hard because it was.

If these people could transform beyond unselective compliance to one out of choice, it has the potential to turn this country into one of the greatest loving cultures that has ever existed.

Imagine a place with all the positive attributes mentioned above – and where they move beyond survival and choose the life they want as a person, family, community/barangay, city, and country.

They would not choose to suffer and experience a hard life. Instead they would dramatically improve their lives and truly become one of the greatest societies ever. One that chooses love, service, and kindness.

I have always been known as a big dreamer and this is big…way, way big.

I have transformed many of my beliefs I have made over the years and there was one feeling I had to prepare myself for, and that was the willingness to feel guilty and survive it, and return to a place of innocence.

In a family of thieves, the one that will not steal is guilty. Or in a family where each person believes they are not good enough or there is something wrong with them, the one that eventually realizes the truth must be willing to move through the feelings of guilt before they realize they are perfect just the way they are!

May the kindness and love shine down upon these truly wonderful people.