SUBIC – Representing Manuel V. Pangilinan at the opening ceremonies of Ad Summit Pilipinas, Mediaquest CEO/President Noel Lorenzana gave a quick snappy talk about making the most out of one’s stay in Subic–or of one’s career. He likened it to building a personal brand on Tinder: getting attention, the right swipe–and he pointed out how we all ultimately need to embrace play or a sense of play to deal with the changes of the world. Play, he says is healthy, makes you brave, sharpens the decision-making process, and in the right instances stimulates reward centers in the brain to foster better learning.
Delivering an inspirational talk in the aftermath of the untimely deaths of directors Wenn Deramas and Francis Xavier Pasion, director/writer/teacher Jose Javier Reyes had the room cheering for him as he talked about pushing himself to learn new things and conquer his fears, even at the age of 61. “Choosing to be happy is a firm decision every day of your (adult) life.” Reyes declared.
From there, he shared the lessons he gleaned as a creative person and human being. “You cannot be liked by everybody…You cannot define your happiness through the eyes of others, but you can determine your happiness.” Choosing your battles, surprising yourself, being grateful everyday, and continuing to develop oneself as a person of substance form part of Reyes’ daily push for self-improvement. “You can only be as interesting as you are interested. Think like a fruit: the moment you mellow, you ROT!” quipped the irreverent Reyes, ending his talk by advising everyone to embrace change and be happy with it, because, “happiness is better than Botox!”
