Youth Talks 1 out of 10: How Powerful Is My Mind?

Back in my teen years—or even perhaps until now, whenever I encounter small inconveniences in life, I tend to immediately rant it out with my friends and families. Most of the time, I automatically complain about it. Plausibly, there are also instances when I would get irritated than to rationalize them. Why? Maybe because my friends are fast to anger. Probably I am surrounded by loud people. Possibly it’s how the social media influences me to react without reflecting.

As I turned 21 years old last year, while I was attending the Orientation in preparation of our National Youth Day at Caceres 2025, I came across one topic of kuya Errol—one of the DAYCA Core group members that: “Before you speak, you must reflect.” Yes, I have seen it, I have encountered it and has caused me discomfort—but will saying things bitterly or negatively have a good contribution towards it or will it just leave a mark of my comment? The power is mine.

When I was also a trainee of the San Pablo Quick Response Team 2021-2022, one of Tito Rhoderick G. Hernandez’s motto was: “Do it first before you complain.” And another was “Mind over emotions.” He explained that the reason why that the brain is on top of the heart is because it is there to guide the emotions. It is there to rationalize and tell the body what to do. If I allow my mind to be stronger, it will overpower my heart’s emotions and thus will make me invincible in dealing with hardships in life.

I get to pick my own poison. I get to choose my words right, and what I want to believe. There is also peace in silence. One of my favorite getaways when academics have become too much for me, I run to the Blessed Sacrament and stay there for an hour. No rants, no cussing, no loud voices, no nothing. Just all out me and Him, encountering my struggles together; me and Him, welcoming trials and letting it pass through us as days goes by while working things out.

Yes, the world will eventually bring me dismays in life. As a hopeful and idealistic lady, I am, it will never cease to disappoint me time by time. But by allowing my mind to be hopeful in Christ, by emptying my soul of worldly pleasures, and surrounding myself with hopelessly faithful servants of God than allowing myself to get influenced by loudly irrational people—there, I am sure enough that I may be able to conquer my emotions by rationalizing in a grounded manner that I have the power to choose my favorite coffee and tea, what pleases me and not, whom I wish to be and so, and when will I do things or never.

How powerful is my mind? Not powerful enough. It is His grace and silence that has strengthened me throughout. In Him, with people who I am surrounded with knows Him, my strength is renewed. (Sophia Beatrice V. Sison | San Pablo Youth Apostolate – Formation Head)