John Malvino Alfonso
A few years ago, my email account was hacked. The hackers sent emails in my name, claiming that I was in Spain and in trouble. Several people called to express concern for me. Some were surprised, while others even offered to send money. A few remarked that such incidents had become more common today.
To “hack” means to gain unauthorised access to something and manipulate it. Email accounts can be hacked to read personal messages, preventing the owner from using the account. Eventually, my email account was closed, and I found out that it actually belonged to someone else.
In a similar way, our lives can also be “hacked.” Often, without our awareness, others can enter our lives and take control. Sometimes, we allow this to happen, especially when we feel vulnerable. What seems harmless at first can gradually make us feel as though we’ve become like puppets in someone else’s hands.
Take the case of Stephen, a young man who reflected on his poverty and sought help from a political leader to secure a government job. As the election neared, the leader insisted that Stephen stay with him. Although Stephen disagreed with the leader’s methods, he felt pressured to comply, realising that his life was now being influenced and controlled by someone else. In essence, his life had been “hacked.”
It’s vital to understand when and how our lives can be manipulated. Seeking help from others is a natural part of life, and there's nothing wrong with relying on others. But we must always be aware of the true intentions behind the help we receive. Gratitude for support is essential and humane, but handing over control of our lives to someone else is not.
We all make mistakes. Sometimes, the mistakes of our past resurface, and we may cling to others for fear of our reputation being tarnished. But it’s never right for others to control our lives because of those past mistakes. No matter how long we try to avoid or hide from them, we should never allow anyone to take charge of our lives because of them.
When we surrender control of our lives—whether due to pressure, manipulation, or external forces—we lose our ability to grow. We live not for ourselves, but for the whims of those who dominate us. None of us truly wants to live this way. Yet, often, circumstances create opportunities for others to seize control. The real question is: How long will we allow this to happen?
Life is not meant to be lived merely by existing. It is meant to be shaped and made meaningful by our choices. Only by taking full responsibility for our actions, decisions, and future can we truly live the lives we choose.
We must recognise that while seeking help and relying on others is a natural part of life, we should never surrender control of our own lives. Life is a precious gift, and only we should determine the course it takes. If we let others take charge, we risk losing ourselves. To truly live, we must take responsibility and live according to our own values and decisions. We should not let our lives be “hacked”—let our creator take charge of our lives, guiding us with wisdom and purpose. In doing so, we regain our true freedom and identity.