One of the greatest rewards for work

My ambition was to become famous at a young age.  I don’t know why I didn’t get that job done.

I also wanted to win a lot of awards because I thought it would make me more good-looking. Apparently, I was misinformed.

(And I didn’t really win as many as my closest peers.)

I have realized that among those that truly make me feel rewarded are little notes I get from people. Those mini tributes that express gratefulness for how I inspired them to follow their passion.  I feel fulfilled when I make people realize that they are more creative than they think.

I am also happy when they say they were moved by other people’s good traits or work  that I showed them. ( See ? It’s not all about me. )

A few weeks ago, I gave a little talk to some students from the University of the Philippines. I told them about how my company ABS-CBN wishes to honor the goodness of the Filipino. I also said that the people in my Division ( Creative Communication Management ) are motivated by the meaning of their work.

A few days later, natunaw ang puso ko when I got a card from them, with these little notes on it.

“ Thank you for your value-adding work. All the station IDs have a special place in my heart esp. Star ng Pasko.”  Angel

“Thank you for your touching and humorous talk ! I hope you keep creating content that will keep the Filipino Spirit alive!“  Maisie

“ I enjoyed your talk! You make me believe that all of us are creative. “  Glen

“Thank you for a very value-adding and humorous discussion. I love the fact that you emphasize humility.” Zion

“Your humorous talk inspired me to never stop being creative and innovative. Thank you so much ! “ Medj

“As somebody who gets exposed to the creative industry and works with creatives, your talk gave fresh inspiration and insight- reminding me why people fall in love with the meaningful work. Thank you for sharing your passion." Bettina

“Thank you so much for the fun and informative talk! You’ve inspired us to follow our passion and bring out our creativity.”  Irish

“You inspired me a lot! Haha. Thank you so much for a very motivational talk about creativity.”  Farah

“Your insights and advice will never be forgotten. Thank you for giving us your time and providing an amazing experience.” Benj

“ Thank you for the inspiring talk. I learned a lot and it motivated me a lot!!” Mac

“Hindi naman po (gaano) kahirap name ko. HAHA. Thank you po for the humorous and insightful talk!” Gertie

“Thank you for the new insights. You were inspiring and I hope to work with you soon.” Kath

“I am a fan of your works. Super hands down! I hope I get to meet you again in the future and learn from your very creative mind. You’re my new idol.” Fritz

I’m sorry, guys. I’m just so proud of this.

( Thank you Ms. Arlyn Fausto for organizing the event. )