Here on Truly Rich and Blessed, one of my goals is to inspire others to “discover and grow the riches they already have.” Believe it or not, if you’re reading this, you’re actually a lot richer than you think! You are actually already blessed in so many ways!
Being truly rich and blessed is not primarily about the material aspect of our lives (though being rich financially and resource-wise isn’t a bad thing, of course!). It’s more about having an “abundance mindset,” which is something I learned about from Brother/Kuya Bo Sanchez and from being a member of the Truly Rich Club.
But what is an abundance mindset in the first place? Well, in my own words, it’s really just about believing that there is already an abundance of blessings around us — all we need to do is to wait expectantly (and work hard, if we’re talking about financial blessings 😉 ) so we can receive them! We need to claim in faith that, yes-indeedy, we are #TrulyRichandBlessed!
Connected to having an abundance mindset is having a generous heart — which is one of the “secrets” of the “truly rich,” according to Kuya Bo. Yes, if you want to receive more, you should give more. Give back, especially to those in need.
I must admit that my family and I have a long way to go in concretely putting this into action. We have been involved in different causes over the years but we have yet to commit to a cause that we regularly give back to, whether in terms of time, talent or treasure (or all three!). I’d like to share what the aforementioned causes are here though, in the hope that maybe some of you out there would also like to help out somehow:
1. Concerts for a Cause
Since our eldest joined the a few years ago, he has performed for three fundraising concerts so far. As his parents, we have also been part of the concerts somehow, helping in whatever way we can. Our most recent “concert for a cause” was for the medical needs of Kuya Arnold Candelaria, a fellow homeschooler who had a traumatic brain injury and had to undergo brain surgery.
As of this writing, he actually still needs our prayers — and any material assistance for his home care needs would be a huge blessing, too! Here is a short video about Kuya Arnold, which was made by a friend of the Candelarias, Marita Pierce (this is publicly posted on ).
If you feel moved to help the Candelaria family out in any way, please feel free to contact me.
2. Kalinga: Caring Is Our Business
Last year, we had the opportunity to make ‘s annual All Saints Day celebration more meaningful by collecting and packing items for the beneficiaries of the run by the Society of the Divine Word (SVD).
The Center is run by Fr. Flavie Villanueva, SVD, who happens to be one of the priests we used to serve with in Timor Leste. (You can read more about the Center, and Fr. Flavie, here.)
Fr. Flavie has actually asked for our help to raise more funds for the Center. I’ve been thinking of how to do so — maybe we can organize a fundraiser or something like that soon — what do you guys think?
3. Grace to Be Born
Grace to Be Born Maternity Home and Orphanage is just one of the Mercy Ministries of the Light of Jesus Family. It is a ministry close to my heart because it helps pregnant women in crisis, and their babies, too.
We have yet to visit the actual premises of Grace to Be Born but I thank God that we were able to contribute financially to their cause last year.
God used our trials last year so He could be glorified even more, I believe, and we were able to donate even more money to Grace to Be Born earlier this year, just before Titus had his operation. We responded to His call to give more from the funds we had raised for the surgery — something that may seem strange to others, but again, this is our response to His kindness and generosity. I pray that more and more people will be moved to give to the Lord in different ways, whether through Mercy Ministries like Grace to Be Born, or directly to the Church, which has many other ministries!
4. The Parenting Emporium
Before I end, I’d like to mention that over at The Parenting Emporium (TPE)— a retail social enterprise near and dear to me and my family, there are also different ways in which one can help those in need. I love how every purchase made at the TPE store benefits their Advocacies and Beneficiaries!
In photo: Maricel Cua (second from left) and Beng Feliciano (third from right), the founders of The Parenting Emporium, pose with different influencers along with Fabien Courteille (the only guy in the photo) and Erika Ng Wong (second from right). Fabien and Erika are two of the people behind Plush and Play and , both of which are “Proudly Filipino with Love,” social enterprises that benefit families in Bulacan. You can read more about how The Parenting Emporium gives back to others here.
Well, these are just a few causes to which one can practice “giving back,” of course. I’d like to hear from YOU about how you practice giving to those in need, or if you haven’t started yet (and that’s perfectly all right — it’s never too late), how you plan to do so.
So go ahead — leave a comment and share how you give back to others. 🙂 Hope to hear from you!
