I Made My Own Way—And I’m Still Building

Some people are born with help. They have rich parents, strong connections, or easy chances. These are often called “nepo babies.” They get jobs, fame, or power because of their family name, not because they worked hard. Some people even say that certain nepo babies spend on luxury using money that came from public funds, not from their own sweat, but from the people’s taxes.

But others, like many of us na lumaki sa hirap, grow up learning one thing: if you want something, you must work for it.

“I grew up making my own way,” says a voice that many people understand. No one gave me things. I had to find my own path, solve my own problems, and build my own future.

Real Strength Today

Today, many people show off online. They post perfect pictures and fast success. But real strength is quiet. It’s the person who wakes up early to work. It’s the leader who speaks with honesty. It’s the teacher who explains hard ideas in easy words.

So when someone says, “What you see in me now, I worked hard for it,” believe them. Behind that smile is a long story of effort, pain, and hope.

Isn't it such a good feeling to spend something or even money when you know it didn’t come from stealing or from someone else’s hard work, but from your own effort? Isn't it even more joyful to be happy knowing that we didn’t step on anyone just to get there?

Step by Step

In places like Cainta, life is not always easy. Jobs are few. But still, we move forward. We start small businesses. We teach each other. We help our neighbors. We don’t wait for help. We become the help.

Just like my friends, we turn problems into projects. They cook and sell food from their homes. Some of them sell clothes using the money they saved from their school allowance as capital. They learn to make perfume from local flowers. They learn to make handmade scented candles because they wanted their room to smell good and then realized it could be a good source of income. 

Keep Climbing, Keep Striving

Challenges will always be there. Life will test us again and again. But we don’t stop. We keep striving. We keep climbing. Not just to reach the top for ourselves, but to bring our loved ones with us. Because true success is not just personal, it’s shared. It’s lifting our family, our community, and the people who believed in us.

Even when the road is hard, we walk it. Even when the mountain is high, we climb it. 

Keep Building

To you who worked hard for everything, and to the student who is still learning and still dreaming, your story matters. You are proof that success is earned, not given. 

So if someone asks how you got here, say it proudly:

“I made my own way. And I’m still building.”