Hi! I have been to a 3 days retreat in Caleruega, Batangas. Just a little something something. There are only two Caleruegas in the world. One here in the Philippines and the other one in Spain. The view is just fantastic. Like, so much fresh air going on. No phone signal though. Poor reception on most spots. I kind of felt bad for my mom because I wasn't able to reply to her messages on time and that I wasn't able to answer her call at some point.
We actually had three speakers I believe but I'd be refering them three as "him" or "speaker" or whatever so don't be confused.
There are quite a lot of things that I've learned from this retreat. I think I've said this before but like, to tell you the truth, I'm not really a religious-religious person. I don't think it's a good thing. I don't think it's bad. I don't think it's anything. It's just as simple as that. I don't know.
I just want to list some of the things I've learned (believe) so to make things easier.
1. We should acquire the traits that we want to have in the future while we still can.
- The speaker actually described our lives into a GELATIN. Liquid, gelatin, and frozen. While we were young, we are actually the liquid. We take the form of any containers. When the liquid stage is done, we now become the gelatin. The gelatin, though already formed, there's still something you can do to somehow change it. The frozen stage is actually ourselves during like, the late stage of our lives. And the frozen stage is irreversible. So the point is! While we are in the liquid or gelatin form, we should invest on the traits that we want to have in the frozen stage.
2. Life does not come with a pause button. It goes on.
- The speaker actually showed quite a lot of evolutionary pictures. Like, people growing up, becoming older and stuff. How their faces changed and all that. He said that even though we want to take back yesterday or slow down our aging process, it just won't happen as we wish.
3. Our failure does not define who we are.
- That's right! We should learn from it and do better next time.
4. We are a product of our choices.
- Just like what one of our speakers said, our life is like a buffet. In a buffet, right? People would choose what they want to eat and stuff so yeah. I kind of agree. Like, I don't believe that someone's born to be exactly what they are now. Life is always about choices. So choose wisely.
5. Our moms will stay with us no matter what.
- I love my mom. I just love her in general! <3
6. Growing old is different as growing up.
7. Jesus is not like an ATM machine.
- I don't know if I already told you this but I really don't like people who go to the Church without knowing why they're there. Some people in the Church don't actually listen to the gospels and all that. What they do there is text, talk to whoever they're with, complain about the heat, see their friends without actually intending to pray and all that. For someone who don't go to the Church that often, I'm a little bit offended by these people. Because when I pray, I pray.
8. We should practice seeing the good things in people.
9. We should know when to listen and when to talk.
10. There are some things that we can only learn by experience.
So yeah. These are just some of the things I've learned. It was quite an experience. Maybe not as enjoyable than my high school recollection though. Maybe because that time, we were with people we know. This was kind of different because we have to choose from the limited slots available from each batch and stuff. But thinking about it, we needed the break given to us. We have to make up for it of course. But I don't mind.
Story soon!
