Published

I never thought that my graduate school confessions entry – or any of my blogs – would someday get published in a national newspaper. My only intention in setting up a blog was for me to have an outlet from my complicated work-school-ministry-family life.

My blog, or blogging itself, has become a venue to fuel my interest in writing. Thus, in my Graduate School Confessions blogs, I try to record all my reflections, the lessons I’ve learned, even my mishaps, and the characters (professors and classmates) I encounter every term, so when I look back one day, I will be able to vividly remember my MBA days.

Confession: I’ve greatly admired those who can skillfully write, those who have the gift of literature. In my few years of immersing myself in the world of writers by buying and reading books, I have wished to have even just an ounce of a great writer’s ability to scribble his or her thoughts and a fraction of his or her imagination. I find it fascinating how people can write books, capture others' hearts by their articles (or blogs), and unknowingly inspire others to do the same: write!

Timing is everything. At the beginning of my first term at grad school, I decided to start blogging. It was a good take-off for me because I was enrolled in Business Writing at that time, and my professor was indescribably exceptional. My course helped me minimize my grammatical blunders. In fact, starting a blog compelled me to write, and write.

What’s my point? Today is the launching of my writing career. Well, that’s how Dr. Emil Hudtohan, my Ethics professor, described it. What started out as a blog about my BusCom subject became an article that was published in BusinessWorld under La Salle’s column, The View from Taft. Of course, due credit must be given (I know, I know, passive voice) to Ms. Marissa – a professor who is renowned for her writing and editorial expertise! – for her great persuasion. And yes, she did edit my work, cut it to a little over 800 words, and sent it as an entry for The View from Taft.

Starting this morning, I’ve been receiving feedback from family, friends, and classmates who had read it. They gave their overwhelming congratulations through email messages, text messages, Facebook wall posts, and phone calls. I felt as if I had won a Pulitzer!  At first, everything was just passing. But I realized that those God-inspired words had really made their way to the hearts of many. I had never realized how good (or in spiritual term, anointed) the article was until a classmate emailed me and said, “Congratulations, and thank you because the messages has truly touched my life.” He added, “I hope and pray that God will always use you as an instrument to spread His Word.”

Wow! I was at a loss for words. The impact of those words on me was indescribable in words. I was profoundly grateful and deeply humbled by God’s ways of using me, an ordinary, average student, to write in a newspaper column reserved for graduate school professors.

Confession: I started reading again the messages I had received earlier. This time, I was trying to read through their words and discern the impact the article had on them. What caught my attention and touched my heart the most was that a number of readers had said that the article had inspired them.

Out of curiosity, I researched the etymology of the word inspiration and what I received was a revelation. Are you ready for this?

The word inspiration comes from the French word, inspire, whose origin can be traced back to the Latin words in and spirare, which together mean “to breathe into.” The Latin root word spirare forms the base of other English words, such as aspire, conspire, transpire, and spirit. Note that last word, spirit, which means breath of life.

The ancient Greek was more specific as to the source of breath: God (Theopneustos, literally, God-breathed).  When God formed man and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, Adam became a living being.

When we write, we can inspire others and breathe hope into them. God works in us, so we can extend His love, bring life to them, and, just maybe, remind them of their purpose and calling in life.

Getting published has taught me new lessons. And it did not just give me momentary bliss. It has inspired me to write some more.