July 9, 2025 l Business Mirror
“Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.”—Pope John XXIII
In a small dinner get together among a circle of friends where the host featured a young entrepreneur who is embarking on new mode of financing education, guests were asked: “What is your greatest fear and best hope?”
Varying views were expressed on fear, including the escalation of the Middle East war, Russia’s total take-over of Ukraine, arrest and detention of all Filipinos in the United States, concerns on the West Philippine Sea, and more. Best hope included sparing our country from the global chaos, new government appointees to be real servant leaders, new ways of uplifting the education of our youth, better opportunities, and more.
The American President, after the recent “Midnight Hammer of Iran,” claimed to have obliterated Iran’s nuclear program, and it was followed by another view of the impact by no less than the Pentagon. Assertions were made by our elected national officials and, when commented on, the retort is statements were taken out of context. Fact checking has become the norm.
We live in challenging times. We do not know anymore what are facts and what are not, what is real and what is AI-generated, and what are true and what are lies. This prevailing aberration adds to the complication of coping with all the struggles in life.
It is a very different world now. Just adhere to what is true and what is right. These are basic premises to uphold. If what have been happening do not meet our expectations, we should not despair. What happened belongs to the past. Move on. There is hope. Let us dream. Let us aim for what we can do and let us do our best. Oftentimes, we do not know the extent of our potentials. It is because we worry too much. We are anxious of failing. I am reminded of what Mark Twain said, “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” So, dream and hope for the best. Do not fear.
By the way, if there is one thing that is free, it is to dream!
***The views expressed herein are her own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of her office as well as FINEX. For comments, email clmanabat@gmail.com. Photo is from Pinterest.