Passion and Wellness: The importance of having a healthy mind and body

By Abraham Kyle Casis

“Staying active and healthy may enable us to have more years of enjoying our passion”.

Being the eldest son of a retired general who spent most of his career as an officer in the battleground as part of the scout rangers, special forces, and airborne, I, together with my three other siblings, was taught the importance of health and being physically active at an early age. The early morning road run at 5 a.m. has been a usual part of our childhood.

As my father was fulfilling his duty in his military career, my mother, who was supervising our family-owned primary school, supported us on our various training sessions in sports during our childhood. All four of us were able to compete in various marathons and Taekwondo tournaments. Apart from competing in these sports, we did some sort of weightlifting and practical shooting as part of our hobbies. Aside from our boot camps, we have been regularly advised to stay healthy and active since chronic diseases were also embedded in our genes. Probably monotonous for others to hear, our younger years were a daily repetition of studying our lessons, doing household chores and engaging in various physical exercises.

However, engaging in sports does not entirely define my life. I am a nurse by profession but an educator by practice. For more than 10 years, my professional career has been revolving in our family-owned school. I am the Vice President for Academic Affairs and tasked to coach and monitor how our students compete in various contests such as quiz bees, press conferences and other athletic tournaments. Aside from these responsibilities in our family business, being the President of the association of private schools in a specific division in our province further added a bit to my workload. Through these engagements, I have also witnessed the need to support the younger generation in further maximizing their potential and to help them step out of their comfort zones.

Finding balance in the relationship-career-fitness life wheel is a decision. I believe that one can’t have time for each of these elements if one will not exert any effort to find time for it. My day usually starts at 4:30 a.m. with a morning prayer and devotion over a cup of coffee. Afterwhich, a morning workout follows - a good sweat gives me a good day starter. Usually, daily work-related activities last from 7.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. and sometimes even until 1 a.m. of the following day. Happily married for more than 2 years, I am still being able to stay active since my wife is very supportive in all my endeavors.

Days won’t always be “fun morning workouts and fulfilling overtimes at the workplace”. Days of frustration and even exhaustion also kick as being an educator isn’t as simple as teaching ABCs and 123s. Behind the relentless efforts and sleepless nights of working for the students’ welfare, there will also be circumstances that leave you frustrated and sometimes feel unthanked. However, being passionate about teaching the younger generation, helping them discover their God-given gifts while keeping them guided by values keep me going. As you witness your students learn and grow, as your efforts get appreciated by their families, you will simply be surprised how it pays to stay passionate and to be mission-oriented especially for the younger generation. At the end of each day, it will be a prayer that will help me remove the gloom and appreciate further the good experiences.

A productive day will always be a busy day to the extent that even the sunrise and sunset get unnoticed. Having a God-centered and passion-motivated career makes me find joy in every unaccounted moment. I keep myself active and healthy so I can have more years to enjoy this kind of busy life. And most importantly, we can always find time to pray and to pause as we progress in life.

Abraham Kyle Casis is the current President of the Nueva Ecija Private Pre-elementary and Elementary Schools Association (NEPPESA) and the Academic Coordinator of Aliaga Bright Minds Academy, Inc. He serves as the school coach in various quiz bees, journalism conferences and Taekwondo tournaments, and has been producing national champions. He believes that character formation is the foundation of childhood education and a shared responsibility of the whole learning community.

YSPACE is a platform open for young writers to contribute their worth-sharing thoughts and stories to the world. It is a space for young people and by the young people which aims to promote a strong sense of empowerment and inspiration to young Filipinos.