December 15, 2025 didn’t arrive with fireworks at SEA. It came quietly—carrying fatigue, unfinished tasks, and a year that had taken more than it gave. And yet, in that quiet check-in, something powerful happened.

The staff paused to ask three deceptively simple questions:
Where is my attention? What is my intention? And what is my present situation?

No one gave perfect answers. That was the point.

Attention: Choosing Where the Heart Looks

Ma’am Anne spoke first, steady and honest.

“I choose to focus on the positive sides despite the struggles.”

There were decisions waiting in front of her—heavy ones. But she named her attention clearly: not on what was lost, but on what must continue. Her intention—to carry forward Sir Nick’s advocacies and strengthen links with institutions—felt less like duty and more like devotion.

“I pray that he guides me,” she said.

And in that sentence, leadership sounded human again.

For Avha, attention was harder to hold.
She spoke of moments when depression quietly pulls focus away—from work, from purpose, from the present. Family situations. Sibagat. Emotional baggage.

“I want to divert my attention,” she admitted,
“because I don’t want to lose focus on what needs to be done.”

It wasn’t weakness. It was awareness. And awareness, in this work, is already strength.

Intention: Why We Stay

Mayang’s voice was soft but sure.

“I want to continue what needs to be done for the community—and do everything with love.”

No grand speech. Just the kind of intention that holds entire programs together.

Atchmen shared the quiet joy of seeing others grow:

“Helping participants capacitate themselves—especially women’s organizations—it’s a nice feeling.”

That’s the SEA kind of fulfillment. The kind that doesn’t announce itself, but stays.

Carlo spoke of discipline—of not being complacent, of really listening even when you think you already understand.

“I want to reach more of the community I serve, especially CSOs.”

In community work, humility is a skill. Carlo named it.

Attention to the Self: The Work Behind the Work

Trixie said something many nodded at but rarely say out loud:

“I always think of others. Now, I want to focus on myself first.”

Jackie echoed that inward turn—toward personal and spiritual growth.
Os followed, gently but firmly, reminding everyone that appreciation isn’t just for outputs.

“I need to value myself—especially my health. It affects my whole personhood.”

She spoke of wanting to return to God, but also acknowledged the fatigue that gets in the way. It wasn’t guilt. It was honesty. And honesty, again, felt like progress.

Jean’s reflection landed with quiet wisdom:

“It’s time to let go of battles I don’t have control over.”

Even health became metaphor.

“When I’m coughing, I just let it out,” she said.
“Not everything can be fixed with water and food.”

Some things need release.

Peace, Unity, and Not Adding to the Fire

Leslie named peace as strategy:

“When I am peaceful, I can do well—and give more to others.”

Her intention was clear: SEA surviving crisis not by force, but by calm resilience.

Janna brought the room back to unity.

“When we are united, no job is hard.”

Her intention—for a successful IPAT-SIAD Day—felt grounded in pakikisama, the kind that turns pressure into shared effort.

Angelic admitted how easily negativity can seep in.

“I get affected by it,” she said.
So she chose positive energy, careful communication, and protecting mental health.

“I want to avoid murmuring—things that break connections.”

Angela closed with a reminder that felt like a collective breath:

“Don’t add fire when someone is angry. Try to understand where they’re coming from.”

In a year full of sparks, that advice felt timely—and necessary.

Why This Check-In Mattered

December is usually about wrapping things up. At SEA, December 15 was about realigning.

Attention was pulled back to what matters.
Intention was clarified—not as ambition, but as service.
And the present situation was named honestly, without fear.

SEA’s strength has never been that its people are unbreakable.
Its strength is that they check in before breaking.

As the year edged toward its end, this wasn’t a pause from the work.

It was part of the work.

Because where attention goes, energy follows.
Where intention lives, purpose grows.
And when people are allowed to be fully human—
service becomes sustainable.

That’s how SEA keeps going.