Elect Yourself

The elections, every time I think of the Philippine elections, I shake my head a little. To be honest, I’ve lost my faith in it. Talk about the process, the way things are done, the way people think and how they vote, the corruption and vote buying. I just can’t see how things can change after one election, but sadly, that’s how most people think. They put their hopes and faith in a candidate and that candidate either wins and betrays them, or loses and breaks their supporters’ hearts. I’m  not saying that ALL the candidates are corrupt, here are still some who genuinely love God and their fellow Filipinos, and sincerely desire to serve this nation as politicians. However, they are few and far in between.

I have my own understanding of ‘election’. The way I see it now, I think of it as a daily endeavor. I elect MYSELF everyday. This means I become the change I want to see in my nation, in my community, in my neighborhood, and in my family. Whenever I think of the kind of person I want our nation’s leaders to be, I tend to think of  characteristics–honest, faithful, just, compassionate, loyal, helpful, thrifty, patriotic, trustworthy, God-fearing. If I will elect myself, then I MUST become these things.

It’s a sad thing but people say that you’ll know it’s election time in the Philippines when good roads are destroyed and replaced by shallow asphalt. I think it’s ironic because that is how many politicians behave. They usually take whatever good is left in the government and replace it with shallow promises. But are the politicians the only ones guilty of this? I don’t think so. I think we are ALL guilty of this because when it comes to elections, we take whatever good is left in us and we sell out. We sell our votes, we sell our principles, we sell our values, and replace them with a few thousand pesos; shallow roads.

Now I want to challenge you. If you are reading this, then I am challenging you to elect yourself! Be the change you want to see in our nation. Think of the qualities you want our leaders to have and lead yourself. You are not just one voter, you are a citizen of the Philippines. You are a Filipino. You can make a difference IF YOU CHOOSE TO ELECT YOURSELF FIRST. Be honest. Be faithful. Be just and compassionate. Be loyal. Be thrifty. Be worthy of trust. Love your country. And fear God. Elect yourself first.