Positive Thinking, Positive thoughts

During the region-wide consultation in 2009 which the Bishops-Ulama Conference (BUC) conducted through a team of academicians from Catholic, Muslim and Protestant Universities a Maranao Muslim from Lanao del Sur was asked: What can you contribute to peace in Mindanao?

“I am only a farmer and not even a high school graduate”, he said, “but I can contribute to peace by thinking about peace for ten minutes.” The academicians were surprised and touched. The reports from the focused group discussion held in Marawi City did not bring any explanation.

But while everyone knows positive thinking of positive thoughts like peace shows good attitude and behavior, no one knows how this behavior of a simple farmer help in the peace-making process. There is an explanation, though.

A paper I received from the Brama Kumaris, a peace partner group here in Davao, informs us that our human intellect can process 40,000 thoughts a day. Every thought is an energy-both positive and negative thought. This energy affects the thinking person and his behavior towards what he is doing and his relationship with and toward others. This was a discovery for me! And I have a good example.

“St. John Paul II spent 5 days in Manila during World Youth Day in January 1995. He was seen and heard throughout the country through television and radio.”

His Mass on the last day at the Luneta was attended by 6 million people. After he left the Philippine National Police reported that no crime was reported in police blotters throughout the country for 5 days! The presence of a holy man and his words created positive thoughts in everyone, even criminals!. In terms of arithmetic 40,000 positive thoughts provoked by the pope multiplied by 6 million was a formidable energy felt around the country.

The Maranao Muslim farmer was right! This is one reason for the region-wide celebration of the Mindanao Week of Peace.