Perhaps if there is something that millennials on their early 20s like me share in common, it is perhaps our internal struggle with a mid-life crisis. Sure, life seems easy after college graduation but as you try to blend into the alluvion of the working adult life, that’s when a crisis takes place.
Crisis, by definition, refers to a difficult situation that needs serious attention. Life has given me enough corroboration that what most of us millennials face a crisis is in the form of this question: ‘What does the future have in store for me?’ A plain-vanilla question to pose, but an arduous one to answer.
You may disagree with it, but with alarming phenomena such as job hopping and ghosting, should we just deny such crisis or try to figure out a way to lessen it instead? The best answer lies in every millennial but I am certain that we do appreciate it when help arrives.
The answer may be out of our reach by now, but it’s alright. Life moves very quickly but it’s not an excuse not to cherish it. There’s no need to rush one’s story. When we don’t know where life is taking us, we are never lost.
I know for a fact that young as we are, we can be very impatient and are easily tempted to spend on things that the wise might consider mundane. There is indeed so much that we have to learn. One thing is how to effectively manage our income.
Financial management, though not a taboo, is not often discussed and usually ignored. Or in some cases, purposively avoided. Unfortunately, there is miseducation among young Filipinos. When we were younger, most of our elders would encourage us to save our money.
Nothing’s wrong with it, but it may not be what our generation needed. Why not teach young people about wise investment instead? In this fast-paced world where what’s “instant” is easily glorified, harnessing financial literacy is a must.
We are confused with its rendezvous point, but luckily, education these days isn’t limited to classrooms. We can learn something online, from our personal experiences, and from reliable institutions such as Sun Life Financial.
Sun Life Insurance's #LiveBrighter Forum
On their #LiveBrighter forum at CebuParklane Hotel last October 18, 2017, I’ve learned a lot about how to handle my finances and how I can be an influence for others to venture into something that can help them achieve financial security. The speaker of the event also gave us an insight into the twisted effects of inflation by showing us real-life examples.
Unless if you are living in a cave, I assume that you’ve heard or had an idea about Sun Life Financial. To add what you might’ve learned, Sun Life is the oldest life insurance company in the Philippines. It offers partnership and ultimate support to those who are passionate about achieving a better life.
Part of the 4C’s in business is the company. One way of knowing if a company is well-established is when it has been around for more than five years. Sun Life Financial has been around for over 120 years. In addition, it is the only insurance company that is included in the top 100 brands in the Philippines.
A photo of Mr. Churchill Bejemino together with a Sun Life advisor from his Facebook account
At one point during the forum, we were introduced to a timid gentleman named Churchill Bejemino, a Sun Life Superhero who shared to us his heart-warming journey to success. Like every man of success, Mr. Bejemino started with a dream coupled with a fiery and grand passion.
Within a year of being with Sun Life, he accumulated not just a good deal of confidence but also relevant benefits such as commissions and monthly bonuses. Apart from that, he gathered what most people especially regular employees would be grateful to receive: appreciation.
One word with a huge impact on one’s work. I have been working for five years and I can attest, not only with my personal perspective, that appreciation invites a positive impact on one’s performance at work. I’m not saying that workers must be showered with ivories and gold to feel appreciated. A simple and sincere “thank you” might be more than enough.
If you’ve been working already when was the last time your employer appreciated you? Last month? Last year? Or never?
I hope you did not say YES to the last option.
My point is, having a partnership with a good company entails a good culture that can help and inspire anyone to grow as an individual.
Another thing that I’ve learned from Mr. Bejemino is that our definition of success isn’t limited to what we chose to study in the university or to our hardships. Despite being financially challenged during his younger years, it didn’t stop him in pursuing his dreams. He did get a great job after graduation but he later opted to work with Sun Life because of the immense amount of wonder that it gave him.
He told us that his childhood dream is to become a scientist. He may not have excelled in Science yet, but one thing that he is more than proud of right now is that he became more than a scientist. He became a superhero.
He is now helping others by giving them a chance to live with a bright purpose.
Mr. Churchill’s odyssey is a testament that a better life is not impossible to grasp. So the next time you feel that a storm is ready to shatter your dreams, remember that there is a sun that never goes out. Not the one that you see up in the sky that bathes you in its warmth, but one that can let you #LiveBrighter - that sun is Sun Life. All that’s left for us to do is to decide, when are we going to let it shine unto like diamonds?
A big shout out to ABCDigital for the invitation!
love lots,
Tin
