A famous proverb once said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with that first step.  Taking the initiative to start something new in the pursuit of a dream is in itself daunting but having the courage to face all challenges head-on is the mark of a true visionary and pioneer.  All it takes is to do things one step at a time.  And when the path of the mountain you want to climb seems to be so steep and hard to scale, all you need to do is break it down in small “baby steps” and before you know it, you could be standing right on the top.

But how do we overcome the fear of jumping into the path of uncertainty?  How do we pioneer an initiative or undertaking in the midst of perceived obstacles and challenges?  And, how do we simply take those first steps towards the dreams we aspire to achieve?  Well, last Monday while Jayson Enriquez Gamban (a Radyo Veritas account executive and Marketing graduate at ICCT) and I were having lunch he mentioned that he was starting a small piggery with his family in Balsik, Hermosa, Bataan. 

At age 23, I was a bit glad to witness such a young lad who would venture into business with his limited savings (from his spare allowances) and personal determination.  So when I asked him “why?” despite all the limitations he had to face, all Jason said were:

CARPE DIEM (Seize the Day) …  Opportunity knocks only once.  Opportunity lost is opportunity gone forever!  For Jayson, whenever a possibility or chance opens itself to us, we must never allow it to pass right in front of us.  We should learn to grab all the “breaks” given to us, for we will never know when and how another similar likelihood would again come our way.  In the film, “Letters to Juliet”, the main character mentioned that the words “WHAT” and “IF” when appreciated separately seems to be non-essential but when combined together … “WHAT IF” brings a great sense of void to opportunities missed and ignored. 

MY FAMILY IS ALWAYS WORTH TAKING THE RISK. Jayson is a working student (doing part-time modeling gigs), and is determined to do everything to help alleviate the living condition of his mother Josephine and step-father Edgar, who endures working in crutches.  He too has two other younger siblings, EJ (8 years old) and Aaron (who turned 6 years old last June 30), who only relies on the income of his older brother Jayron, who earns a living by planting rice and corn, just to go to school and survive the basic necessities of everyday life.  But in all of these, Jayson has never wavered in doing something for his family just to make ends meet.  In fact, Jayson spends every available opportunity in building a better life for family.

NOW IS THE TIME TO UNLEARN, THIS IS WHAT SCHOOL PREPARED ME TO FACE.  The whole point of going to school is to prepare for life.  I guess there is no sense in earning a diploma if all it would be is a mere “ornament” in one’s Curriculum Vitae.  Etienne Gilson once said, “Scholarship … does not consist primarily in the quantity of knowledge a man possesses, but in the way he uses it.”  For Jayson, to unlearn meant using all the academic theories taught at ICCT-Cainta (Institute of Creative Computer Technology) in the workplace or in one’s day-to-day life.  Of course as a neophyte there will always be that first time jitters of engaging into business without the benefit of “experience” but with a good education expect that you will never be left behind.  In fact, sometimes the overly cautious businessman is even outsmarted by a young aggressive visionary.

Playing it safe is often the mantra of individuals who are not comfortable taking risks.  But sometimes we need to think “outside the box” to makes things work.  Sometimes we are often lured by our comfort zones to live a life without risks, but this kind of mentality will bring us nowhere.  It is often shared in stories that when you place a frog in a pot of boiling water the frog would simply jump off the pot, but if you put a frog in pot of water then slowly boil it the frog would simply stay in the pot until it dies when the water boils.  This is because of complacency, when we have grown too accustomed to our comfort zones we lose any chance of advancement.  So matter what the risk is … all it takes is to start small.  Jayson took the risk … So why can’t we? 

For any personal comments or suggestions, you may call 0917-4805585 or email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .