Yesterday, the family celebrated my mom’s birthday. So timely that this article is dedicated to honoring my mom and sharing what she taught and continues to teach us. As promised all March, which is now becoming the international women’s month, articles are dedicated to women.
So thankful to my mom for instilling the below values in me early in life. For my parents, both my mom and dad, taught me the importance of having a good foundation in life – education and values alike.
Take care of your siblings: Responsibility
I am the panganay of 3 siblings and so early in life I was taught the value of responsibility. Going to school (or anywhere for that matter), I was always reminded that apart from looking out for myself I always had to look out for my brother and sister. It has always been we and us for me. So, the same sense of responsibility I brought with me in every role I play in any place I’ve been since childhood to present. So much so that in grade school, year-on-year, one of the awards I received was “Most Responsible.” In the workplace, this sense of responsibility has helped lead me to my career shifts and progressions.
Do it now: Promptness and Preparedness
Admittedly, I had the mañana habit as a kid. I was so great at procrastinating (and sometimes, I still am). But my mom has always called my attention against it. She always says, “daig ng maagap ang masipag.” Or as jefmenguin.com puts it, proactive individuals, or those who work ahead of time, are better than those who work hard. I think this is one of the key values that has allowed me to survive (and dare I say, thrive) in multinational companies, where when they asked you to submit, anything the deadline is always yesterday. Well, most of the time in most global Companies, at least. In these Companies, being proactive is of prime importance. Being able to anticipate what will be needed and acting on it right away. And not just in work life, I think this is important in any life aspect. Physical, financial and emotional wellbeing comes to mind as well as being able to anticipate the needs of your family and planning ahead for it.
Do your best, all the time: Pursuit of Excellence
I remember going home and showing my mom my quiz results. And where most moms would celebrate kids having a score of 90% or 95%, mine asked, “Why not 100%? Why these mistakes? These were out of carelessness.” Of course, I did not appreciate it at the time. I also felt underappreciated, like my efforts did not count at all. Later, I realized she was not pointing out the mistakes alone, but that I could have done better. In a sense, this allowed me to always think about improvement and development and to not settle until I’m sure I’ve done my best.
Have you honored your mom? How did you do it?
Of course, it wasn’t all perfect, but what is, right? Still, this is me honoring my mom and thanking her for all her sacrifices and for loving us unconditionally in the way that she knew best.
We love you mama! Happy birthday again!