Michelle Dinglasan, chef/owner, The Cookery Gourmet Catering: I don’t regret anything I do. If I make a mistake, I just chalk it up to experience and try to learn from it.
Kitchie Nadal, singer, composer, student: Being a bad student in high school – sayang sa oras, sayang sa pera.
Joshua Payne, international artist: City Song was written about a father’s warning to a son. The son did not listen, he alienated himself from his father and lost many years of his life as a result. Later, the son gave the same warning to his best friend, but his delivery was not as long as his father’s had been. Now he has lost his father, his friend and the years. I’m the son in the story and I wish I had done it differently. Since then, the relationship has been restored but it did not come without a great price.
Felicia Atienza, director and owner, Philippine Equity Partners: Not having bought tickets to Spain’s El Gordo lottery in 1999. It was the biggest global lottery with a $1.2 billion pot! Had I won, I would’ve created an endowment fund to help all the charities dedicated to children’s causes in our country!
Frances Yu, marketing and management consultant: I’ve made many mistakes, but none that I’ve regretted. Mistakes present us with opportunities to learn, to grow, and to become better people. The bigger the mistake, the more profound the lesson. Mistakes committed and recognized in the past help us to make better choices in the future.
Leica Carpo, corporate and brand relations manager, L’Oreal Philippines: A lot of small silly mistakes come to mind but the big one would have to be not having spent more time with my dad before he passed away.
Rock Drilon, artist: One mistake I regret is when I over-estimated my strength in helping a friend move his cabinet. Got an erated disk and I regret it until now because I have to live with a bad back for the rest of my life. Though it was a physical incident, the lessons I derived from it were philosophical. In principle, mistakes are fine if we learn the lessons, regrets are fine if we forgive ourselves. I needed the bad back because I have not learned the lesson.
Vincent L. Tanjutco, president, Creative Concepts: The time in college when I literally got out of bed and drove my sister to school wearing an old baseball shirt, short shorts and my mom’s pink floral slippers. I didn’t think it would matter what I wore since I would be inside the car anyway. Too bad the car broke down. I ended up taking the bus from San Lorenzo back to Alabang in that funky outfit. Now, I’m always reasonably dressed before leaving the house!
Emily Siy, designer and entrepreneur: The closest thing to a mistake would have to be being too naïve and trusting, especially in business. But truly, I don’t believe there are any real mistakes in life. Every experience we go through, even those we deem as mistakes, fulfills a purpose at each moment it happens. Each mistake is an opportunity for growth and learning. Whatever pain, heartache and regret we associate with mistakes are all worthwhile because we come out better and wiser people after each experience.