Regis Cebu Leadership | Leader Melissa Abarrientos | Reflection paper 3

Dear prof.,

It took me great time to be able to put my passion into words.

Regis Cebu Leadership 

Leader Melissa Abarrientos

Reflection Paper 3 

Discovering My Passion

What is my passion? – I remember this question way back after I graduated high school. I was so overwhelmed choosing what course to take for my college degree. Then I thought of taking up Accountancy like my mother. Most of my classmates followed their parent's footprint so I wanted to follow my mother's. When I told her of my decision, she immediately objected and told me to take a course I am good at. She knew I do not love math or anything with numbers. She cited a litany of my attitude, strengths and weaknesses that will precede my success in the course. She knew what and which things will bore me out my enthusiasm; and she concluded that conversation with "take a course that you  will love to practice and will perfectly suit your personality and interest so you won't feel like going to school was a task".  She was right. I took up a course that I interested me all throughout and I learned my lessons by heart. My mother was the first to open my awareness about myself and introduced me my first passion: Communicating with people. By studying Psychology my "Inter and intra personal relationships were better. 

This passion was further enhanced and intensified when I joined the art group. This time, communication was a bit more challenging. In verbal communication, it's easier to communicate and articulate to people what you want to express and say compared to visual presentation and communicate what you want to express and say hoping people will understand what you want to convey to the society. A picture paints a thousand words. (Below was a picture of my artwork way back 11 years ago.)

I engaged myself not only in visual art. I tried to learn the piano, joined a dance group and even joined dance competitions; and I was a very active student leader in the campus where I immersed myself in social awareness and participated in community development as volunteer until I graduated my college, then studied law – and eventually quit. I got tired of studying and wanted to find more meaning in my life. I wanted to work. I wanted to be self-sufficient. My family wasn't well off although my mother wanted me to reach my dreams and provide me the best education there is but I wanted to be more Practical about the situation. So, I left everything and journeyed to Cebu where finding my passion wasn't  an "ALL happy moments and experience". It wasn't easy as ABC. Rather, it was a story composed of tragedy, heartaches, struggles, defining moments, happiness and fulfillment.

I've worked with 2 global companies the past years with the same effort and dedication.  Both companies paid good and even more than enough. We had a lot of perks, outstanding benefits, trainings, skill enhancements, team buildings and my colleagues were great but there was still something missing. I did value my work and worked on it diligently but soon time came where energy faded and seeked for  another job until I was offered this job I have now. At first I was hesitant as the field was unfamiliar and seemed out of my line. Heavy Trucks and Equipment.

My first day was a distressing challenge. My co-workers weren't easy to get in touch with as there were walls and they were all males and I was the only female. The work seemed not fit for a woman like me. The environment was too hot and humid and we worked under the heat of the sun. My office wasn't done constructing yet. I wasn't provided any. I set up a table made from unused woods and scraps in the garage; and I brought with me my own laptop and after realizing I need to print papers for quotations I brought with me my printer.  My task wasn't very clear. I was only told to manage the business and set up my system. The only thing that was clear was my partner's vision and that was my mission.

For the past several years I just noticed that our company has grown a lot with our tandem. Time flew so fast and I just realized that I found my belongingness and my passion. The challenges, struggles and difficulties made me appreciate my work more and love it.

I enjoy every single day I go to work. I meet people from different places different backgrounds and different profile and often with the same interests. I love looking at our units while I take a walk in our yard to inspect. I'm always excited whenever we have new container arrivals and I always feel enthusiastic and proud when I offer them to my customers. Going to Japan to inspect and view trucks is like going to the mall window shopping while for others they think it was work. Sometimes, the feeling of not being able to get the truck we vied for feels the same like when I don't get to buy the shoe I wanted because it was sooo expensive.

Apart from this, I enjoy all of my tasks. From procurement to Import to marketing and to selling and I'm quite proud of it. At first I thought my passion was confided to selling and marketing and my love to communicate with people and serve others only until I realized that my passion is actually with entrepreneurship when we opened another business recycling waste rubbers converting it to additives and industrial fuel. The whole process and experience taught me that entrepreneurship is not all business. We have advocacies and we open establishment to provide solution to changing times. We create jobs, develop technology, and enhance a community's living.

Entrepreneurship creates development and that is my passion and vision. For me I am giving opportunities for contractors to afford trucks and equipment for their project to be completed on time. We import and sell bolts and nuts and other fasteners at a competitive price thus making the market price low and cut contractors and developers cost by buying it directly from us at wholesale price. Our renewable energy plant from waste rubbers will soon address the environment's issues of never decomposing rubbers that contributes greatly to global warming.

My impact may not be so great and noble like the others who have donated millions to the community or whatever; but advocating entrepreneurship sets a bar for others to develop too and move forward instead of just sitting down the alleyway doing nothing.

When somebody sees improvement and success it creates awareness and eagerness on that somebody to succeed too. It ignites a desire from that somebody to work hard and to succeed rather than wait for any charity or someone to help him and give him food.  

With my passion as an entrepreneur, I want to be the kind of leader who will lead people to move forward and upward by encouraging people to work, develop and lead others too.

Entrepreneurship is also leadership by leading people and organizations to build a great nation.