”Don’t settle for anything less,” Michelle “Pabsy” Pabalan lives by this principle and applies it in everything she does. The result is a well-rounded individual who excels in most, if not all, of her endeavors.
For the 20-something communications practitioner and musician, life is not merely about earning a living but living it for others. This makes Pabsy an ideal fit at social enterprise, Hapinoy.
As external communications and local partnerships officer, Pabsy is in charge of liaising with the organization’s different stakeholders including NGOs, LGUs and their clientele, the Hapinoy “Nanays”, amongst a myriad other duties.
In this Greater Good Philippines interview, Pabsy gives an update about Hapinoy, where it has gone since the interview with Mark Ruiz and TJ Agulto (December 2008), and where it is heading. She also talks about managing her time—a near-impossible feat for someone who divides her time between work, hobby and helping others.
Listen to or read the interview transcript for more.
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After spending half the day out, I came home tired and yearning for some much needed sleep in preparation for another work week only to find out that I was missing 500 pesos. I searched my belongings thoroughly, from my wallet to my bag, with no success. I figured it could have accidentally fallen inside the car…but a quick search yielded nothing.
It is frustrating to lose that amount especially when you think about what you could have used it for. Then I realized that my real concen was not losing money due to my carelessness but by being too concerned about losing money. What if I had lost more than just 500 pesos? What if it were more than just money? Amidst the frantic search for both the bill and emotional relief, I thought my efforts would have been better utilized if they had gone to prayer instead.
Where did I place God at that moment of distress? I can think about a million ways to console myself. One would be writing it off as an anonymous expense. Another could be that I had donated it to Church or to charity.
But the real consolation here is that amidst loss, whatever form it may be, God is there to comfort. At times of distress, it is always best to seek him first.
Philippians 3:8-9
What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
