Breaking Your Mental Barrier and
live in another city:
A lot of people do not attempt to
change their life in any way. Most people I know are content living in one
community and for a time I was this kind of person. I am afraid to get outside
my boundaries and often thought that what I considered universal truths was the
same for everyone.
For the last 7 years, all of my
attention was focused in one area. I thought that I would be living in Baguio
City for the rest of my life. It seemed that everything that I wanted to do was
in this city. There are artists and musicians everywhere and the events and
occurrences seemed too important to let go. But the Universe had other plans
for me.
I had to leave everything behind, the community that I know, the friends that I am comfortable with and even my hometown. You see, Baguio City will comfort you to sleep—it is a silent city, with eternal fog and misty season for the entire year.
It was comfortable to live in
Baguio--- too comfortable. It was so comfortable that my mind is not able to grasp
the rest of the world. It was only by realizing that I wanted to meet more
people that I was able to get myself to wake up. While Baguio City offers you
so many events and activities—it was still a small town, with little
opportunities for finding oneself.
I embarked on the task of living
in Metro Manila. When you watch
television most of the things you see are only negative. The heavy traffic, the
riding in tandem killings, only bad things are reported in Metro Manila by the
corporate media. There is very little knowledge about the possibilities that
could be discovered in this town.
I often wondered by people stayed
in Manila, why they want to live here when it is polluted—when the prices are
exorbitant and this question led me to one answer…
Metro Manila is for the brave. It is the city for the dreamers. Make no mistake about it, the place is really polluted and you will need to face the daily traffic—but Metro Manila has its own charms- it is like a bad boy that you can’t get over.
I first worked my way inside a
theater company and worked for a time with rappers and beatboxers—and it had
been a delightful experience. The Universe
set on other plans for me and took me in another direction.
Right now I am working for a digital marketing agency that is delivering content for websites in France and Las Vegas. Who would have thought that after 6 years of being a freelance writer and event organizer that I would be here working for a corporate brand.
When you are in Baguio City—and you work with artists the last thing you would want to do is to work for a corporation. Corporations are put into bad light. However, small thinking and not being able to grasp the entire picture of life is also a quality that exists in a small city. When you mingle with 30 or less people you begin to think that this is reality—but when I stepped forward and entered this world- that is where I realized that I was not maximizing the skills that was given to me.
On television they will tell you
that there are no jobs in the Philippines.
There is no room for growth and development they say and Filipino
workers are portrayed to be without hope. But is this truly the case?
In my company alone, we are
looking for 10 or more additional employees—this is because things have
changed. There are start-up companies that are changing the corporation scene.
More millennials are creating businesses that they believe in. Digital
marketing agencies are spreading all over the country because Filipinos are
naturally creative—so many innovations are happening right now. And this
learning could not have happened had I stayed in my hometown.
Don’t get me wrong—Baguio City is
a wonderful place and you can also create new opportunities. But there comes a
time in life where you need to change your career path especially when it is no
longer working out.
I was told I was an artist—that I
had to mingle with activists- that I had to be with musicians- and for a time I
thought this was the only industry I can excel in. But there are certain life
decisions that change your forever and you begin to understand yourself more. I
still continue writing about artists that influence me. Directors that create
impact in the lives of Filipinos and I am still interested in what is happening
in the creative industry—after all I have loved every minute of it.
But it took courage to embark on
something I do not know- Digital marketing is something new. Startup companies
offer a chance to earn with basic services that make use of internet services. The
sky is the limit to what you can learn and what you can do. I am thinking of becoming
a Social media manager and will learn more about websites are created—everything
is a learning process. One day I will step into another career venture—I am
eyeing New York City—for total self-advancement.
We need not get stuck in one life
area or pattern. If the situation is not clearing up and we are still confused
with our current career then maybe this is a sign to change direction. This is
exactly what happened to me.
I am currently on a journey here
in Makati. With new friends, new work mates—new office and environment that I
am learning to love and get used to. There will be more learning along the way—I
am grateful for the Universe for this fresh new start.
