To Live, To Love, To Learn, To Leave a Legacy… and To Laugh Along The Way.

For those of you who may not have noticed, I made a slight tweak on my tagline recently. It used to be: To Live, To Love, To Learn, To Leave a Legacy. I have since changed it to: To Live, To Love, To Learn, To Leave a Legacy… and To Laugh Along The Way.

This tweak in the tagline encapsulates the way I intend to live the rest of my life. It shows the continued aspiration to live a life well-lived, highlighting the key aspects that contribute to a meaningful and fulfilling existence, while adding laughter now to enjoy its essence. Each component – living, loving, learning, and leaving a legacy – plays a unique role in shaping my experiences and relationships that may impact the world around us. Adding laughter puts the joy and the fun – and the life! – in the journey.

To Live is the basic foundation upon which all other elements of the tagline rest. It starts when one is born. It is the child’s natural instinct, as it cries and looks for the mother’s milk. It is about his survival, about sustaining himself and growing stronger, developing his senses to acquire the resistance against disease and death. Living is about embracing both the joys and challenges that come our way, creating a sense of purpose that propels us forward on our journey.

To Love refers to the transformative force that binds us to others, fostering connections that are deep, meaningful, and enduring. The baby’s instincts tell him that the mother can provide care and sustenance, and thus begins to learn to love. In this process, the baby experiences empathy, compassion, and understanding, and instinctively acquires a sense of belonging that will enrich his life. Love while developed early, lasts a lifetime; leading us to build relationships and bring meaning to those interactions with others.

As the child grows, To Learn becomes a lifelong pursuit that fuels personal growth, curiosity, and self-discovery. It is through learning that the child expands his horizons. Learning empowers us to adapt to change, embrace new opportunities, and cultivate the skills and knowledge needed to navigate life’s complexities with confidence and resilience.

And To Leave a Legacy is about creating – in our own small way – a lasting impact on the world, shaping the future for generations to come. It is the imprint we leave on the hearts and minds of others, the contributions we make to society, and the values we instill in those we touch. A legacy is not measured by material possessions or accolades, but by the positive influence we have on the lives of others and the mark we leave on the world through our actions, words, and deeds.

And finally, To Laugh. I inserted laughter as it ignites the joy, the light and the lightness in our lives. It is a stress reliever that soothes all tensions, and breaks down barriers and brings people together. Laughter infuses our experiences with warmth, humor, and perspective, reminding us not to take life too seriously and to find fun moments with levity and joy in even the most challenging of circumstances. As plebes in the Philippine Military Academy some 50 years ago, it was our propensity to laugh away our troubles that made many of us plebes survive the harsh challenges of our daily grind. We had fearless buddies like Dante Balao, Sluggo Mena and so on who didn’t care much about the stressors, they were just so happy to one-up our upperclassmen once in a while. Even today, in the twilight of my years, I must say that I’m grateful for the laughter that makes our world friendlier and brighter. So, my friends, we… Are. Going. To. Have. FUN!!! Henceforth!

Therefore, To live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy… and to laugh along the way is my way of embracing the fullness of the human experience, to cultivate a life of meaning, purpose, and connection. To Live is a reminder to cherish each moment; To Love is to nurture our relationships; To Learn is to pursue knowledge and growth, To Leave a Legacy is to make a positive impact on the world, and To Laugh is to find joy and humor in every step of the journey. This tagline will serve as my guiding light, my roadmap to living a life that is fulfilling, and overflowing with love, legacy and yet, filled with joy and laughter.

For a closer look, just click on the pics.