Love the Process
[Music]
hello everybody
i hope everyone’s safe and healthy
during this difficult time of the
pandemic
how i wish i could see your faces but at
least
you can see mine i’m ecstatic and
excited to be here today
i am cj rojes and today i will share to
you the story of the dream weavers
and the lesson that i have learned from
them that changed my life
forever weaving a dream
is a figurative phrase which means
to create something but for the deebly
women
of the highlands of the province of
south cotabato in the philippines
weaving a dream means everything
friends i came from a place in the
philippines where a certain tribe claims
that the inimitable patterns that they
weave
came from their dreams then they make it
into a fabric
called tinalak i am talking about the
tiboli women
of the province of south cotobato
commonly known
as the dream weavers it was six years
ago when i had the opportunity
to meet and have a conversation with
them up close from my college thesis
along with my group mates we hiked the
highlands to gather relevant data
the focus of our study is to capture
quantitative information as to how much
these dreamweavers earn thus
the title of our thesis is the
profitability
of pinala during the course of our study
we observed that weaving tinala
is nothing but a tedious process
which involves numerous steps for a
single claw
to be completed making
in simple term is a lot of work
but despite the labor intensive process
in weaving
the cloth’s richness in cultural value
the intricate and authentic
craftsmanship
involved that the nala cloth
costs almost nothing
the first thought that came to my mind
is
why why would this tiboli women do
something laborious
without getting well compensated i mean
what’s in it for them would you do
something laborious without getting well
compensated
i wouldn’t confused at the time
i can’t help but ask why
sudhi one of our respondents and one of
the dream weaver said
that represents the achievement of their
dreams
and no amount of money can remunerate
their feeling of joy when weaving
she also added that their greater
happiness
lies in enjoying the process
of weaving at that time i said to myself
what is she talking about weaving
enjoying the process it just doesn’t
make sense
you see people can only be happy
if they achieve their dream
don’t you think i’m correct talking
about dreams
let me tell you something about mine
ever since i was a little boy
i’ve always dreamt to travel the world
at a very young age i was very
inquisitive i always ask myself the
question
how how could i be able to do that
how could i be able to realize my dream
at that time
i have two options it’s either i’m going
to be a pilot
or a cabin crew however the first
option seems not an option at all since
my parents
couldn’t afford it so i set my eyes
in option number two and that is being a
cabin crew
while i was in the university i made
sure that i improved myself
so i could be able to fit in the job
communication skills check
appearance double check
height 50 50
but my confidence was a hundred fifty
after finishing my studies i got a
permanent job
in a government agency in the
philippines they say
that as long as you don’t commit
anything illegal you can keep the job
until you die others find it reassuring
i on the other hand find it terrifying
what terrified me the most is not being
able to give my dream
a shot before it’s too late
the urge to explore and defy limits has
always been inside me
and i felt i couldn’t contain it any
longer
it’s why a year after i resigned from
that job
used all of my savings and booked a
one-way ticket
to doha impulsive
i know but i was full of hopes that one
day i am going to become a cabin crew
and ultimately i am going to be happy
i arrived in doha near 2016 during the
month of ramadan
under a one month validity tourist visa
with no one in here but a single friend
crazy and risky right that’s why
i don’t i don’t recommend people to do
it
and on top of that i wasn’t informed
that most of the people here during
ramadan are busy
feeling hungry and sleepy
however i persevered the office timing
constraints
and the humidity as well and i was able
to submit my applications
and guess what a week after cj
got his reply
i regret notice i said to myself
never mind one rejection should not stop
you
from achieving your dream i became more
determined
i sent countless applications and i got
countless rejections one
after the other at that time my visa was
expiring
my money was tight i got no one in here
to support me
just like the reals in my pocket i felt
the hopes of fulfilling my dream
started to vanish
and then just like an answer prayer i
received an email
that says we are hiring for a welfare
officer
are you interested i thought
cabin crews are overrated well
i didn’t want to go home as a failure so
i accepted
the offer i ended up working and living
in elkor
in a porta cabin at least
it’s a cabin but
feeling isolated from the rest of the
world feeling lost
i dreaded every single day
of my life i asked myself
what now cj
this is not what you have dreamt of
i felt i’ve lost my dream
when was the last time you felt you’ve
lost yours
at that night i decided to go out and
gaze at the stars
hoping to find some answers some clarity
in my situation
that’s when i remembered my way up to
the highlands
and i recalled zubi’s words
happiness lies in the process
i realized i was so caught up in
achieving my dream
that i ignored opportunities limited
my happiness to being a cabin crew alone
and most importantly i missed life’s
precious moments how about you
are you enjoying the process since
that day i started to appreciate the new
pattern
that life has presented me in the porta
cabin where i discovered my gift in
human resources
and communications i got promoted in my
job
actually i find a better opportunity
when it comes to my job
and the most important thing and the fun
thing too
i was able to travel the world i didn’t
need to be a cabin crew after all
in life when you stop the pressure of
chasing your dream
your dream starts chasing you
when you enjoy the process you feel
grateful
that pulls your dream towards you
enjoying the process made me
notice the smallest things in life
that are very important i was able to
value and strengthen my relationships
i was able to connect with a lot of
people
and most importantly i was able to find
peace within myself
when you enjoy the process you grow more
that pulls your dream towards you
enjoying the process have led me to
explore some areas in my life
that i didn’t know i was capable of such
as public speaking
back in 2018 i joined philcom
international toastmasters club
one of the premier toastmasters club in
doha qatar
which helped me honed my potentials
and helped me become the speaker that i
am today
when you enjoy the process you live with
more
purpose that pulls your dream towards
you
enjoying the process made me realize my
why in life
and i have learned that it is not
something that you find
but it is something you decide to become
as for my why it is to be able to
inspire people with my
stories and ultimately help them become
the best
version of themselves
today is a proof how far enjoying the
process can take you
i didn’t plan this yet here i am
sharing my story with you
last year who would have known that i
would win qatar talks 2019
and would be able to inspire connect
with people of different nationalities
from all over the country
i didn’t know i could speak in public
and win an award
once you allow yourself to enjoy the
process
you’ll never know what you’ll become
friends what is your dream
what is your tinala
now tinalaka has already walked the
streets of paris
milan and new york all because the
tiboli women
enjoyed the process of weaving
in the tapestry of your life your
weaving may sometimes fall short of
strands
fibers may get tangled or even break
loose
achieving your dream is not a guarantee
the only guarantee is your choice
to enjoy the process
today we are faced with a new reality
we’re achieving our dream feels like
not a guarantee perhaps you feel
scared depressed
or discouraged don’t be
this is not the end of your dreams but
just a part of the process
to all the youth out there wherever you
are
in the world i invite you
to continue to aim for your dream and
remember happiness lies
in the process enjoy the process
and awaken the dream weaver
in each one of you thank you