Mga Aral

"Your failures will be your successes in life," Mama Nes told me while we were eating sandwich outside the Sandwich Guy kiosk.

Nes is a good friend and colleague of mine who has been mentoring me for the past year.

He knows all of my confusions and doubts.

"Pero Nes ang hirap din kasi," I defended.

"Andami ko nang failures in life I feel it outweighs all my successful stories," I continued while biting out of my Asian tofu sandwich.

"Alam mo G, and this is coming from experience, people fail all the time. You know I've been around countries. You know what my hardships were. You know too where I spent my hardships."

I looked at him.

Na-happy ako. This guy in front of me is telling me all his stories of failure and kalokohan, his life stories and experiences, his regrets and memories while contrasting it with his words of encouragement and enthusiasm to try again.

I listened.

"If you failed that means something went wrong. The only thing you need to do is go back to the drawing board, figure out where you failed, check again and apply," He continued.

"There's a huge difference between failing and quitting from failing and trying again."

That's true. My vegan business isn't a huge hit as much as I want it to be. Nakakabenta naman ako sa office pero naisip ko hindi kasi sapat na makabenta lang. I have to know as well proper strategies to research, finance, market, and expand. Things that are still on my pending tasks.

"Nahihirapan ka siguro dahil masyadong mataas mga pangarap mo."

Nagulat ako.

I was not expecting that from him.

Kasi totoo.

I'm putting too much pressure on myself too much to be where I need to be at a certain age. Achiever dapat. Hindi pwedeng mediocre. Hindi pwedeng average.

"Kasi Nes hindi ko din naman maiwasan. All my cousins and friends are very successful," I rationalized. "Lahat sila I consider them a role model kahit mas bata pa sa akin kasi magagaling sila but the downside to that is pakiramdam ko I can't compete with them at their level."

"Okay, sige, I understand G."

Tumahimik at tumingin siya sa akin.

Tinignan ko din siya pabalik. Kinikilatis kung anong sasabihin pa niya.

"G, always do what makes you happy."

We both finished our food and left the kiosk, with insights in life that we can treasure for a lifetime.