We are con-?stantly ?faced ?with unexpected situations and choices. As we encounter events that are beyond our control, the decision on how to react is solely our choice and if we choose to we can take control of the situation. I am a strong believer that God never gives us anything we cannot handle. Everything in our lives happens for a reason. Never spend long hours thinking of what might have been, instead use past experiences to correct mistakes and keep on dreaming.
Tette Arroyo Tirona, managing director, Stramm Inc.
There is no guarantee that if I go back and relive my life and choose a different path, things would turn out to be better. What makes each of us unique is based on the choices we make as a person. Whether the decision we made was right or wrong, we just have to learn to live in the moment and live life to the fullest.
Life is principally a multiple choice, but at the end there’s a tough essay question: If you had the choice of what kind of life you would be living would you choose different? My answer will always be: I am happy where I am.
Patrice Ramos-Diaz, fashion designer
Life is shaped not only by all the choices we make, but also by the choices made for us by circumstance, other people, or by divine will. I can be quite indecisive so that I tend to allow things to just flow naturally. I sometimes wish I had pursued other artistic disciplines — instead of fashion — but it wasn’t meant to be (even though I took up Fine Arts in UP). I was so indecisive, in fact, I was also interested in architecture — all I knew and cared about then was to have a medium for my creative inclinations.
I found myself in fashion without much effort, by chance and not by choice, which makes me think that it was all part of God’s plan — whether as my destiny or merely to serve a purpose in achieving my full potential (spiritually).
So, would I choose differently? No, I wouldn’t.
Gina Benitez, trustee, Balikatan sa Kaunlaran; executive assistant, Bingo Bonanza Corp.; Reiki practitioner
I am celebrating heaven on earth, living with those whom I truly love and those who truly love me.
Grace Ang, sales director, CATS Motor Inc.
No, I won’t trade my life for anything because I’m so happy and contented with my family and what I have now. Life from the beginning is already a choice and a blessing. I’ve always chosen to be happy and positive as much as possible and even if there were low moments, everything had a purpose, making it easy to accept and learn from those experiences. I think God already made a wonderful plan for my life and I just have to yield to where He leads me. I am very thankful for all the blessings in my life, most especially the love of my family and friends.
Karen Fabie Concepcion, equestrienne/painter
I definitely would choose my life right now because I’m happy! My only regret would be my loved ones who have passed on. But aside from that, I have been blessed with a wonderful family, true friends and good health. God has been good to me and I am very grateful for all the things I have received, good or bad. These have all helped me realize what a gift life really is and every day I remind myself to appreciate all the good and positive things it brings.
Nicolette Bell, model, globetrotter
It may sound like a cliché but I never regret the decisions and choices I made in my life. The life I’m living is what I’ve wanted as of the moment. When I left Manila to work abroad, I knew it would never be easy in the beginning. I miss being close to my family and friends but I had to force myself to get out of my comfort zone to grow.
Traveling the world for free and being immersed in diverse cultures while getting paid for it is a dream come true. I enjoyed seeing castles in England, doing safari in Africa, admiring the works of Van Gogh in Amsterdam, taking surfing lessons in Australia, wine tasting in Napa Valley and witnessing cherry blossoms in Japan. These are just some of the experiences I will cherish forever. Not to mention being able to talk to well-known personalities like David Guetta, Brandy, and Donald Trump. But nothing can be compared to the emotional reward I experience from passengers who are distraught and sick and for whom I provide comfort and assurance. Seeing them relax because they trust you at 40,000 feet is very rewarding. Finally, when the aircraft lands, knowing that those 400 passengers will be home safe and sound has an unexplainable joy. So to answer your question, I would still make the same decisions in my life.
Nivat Chantarachoti, general manager, Thai Airways International, Zurich, Switzerland
I would definitely choose to live a different life if I had a choice. I prefer to live a simple life in a country like the Philippines among a few good friends and loved ones. Having to live abroad and travel around the world, I have seen so many different places. Nowadays life is more sophisticated and people more artificial. Oftentimes, I dream of those days when we didn’t have cell phones or computer games. People fight because of greed for power and wealth. We do not need lots of money but just enough to live a happy life and fulfil our basic needs. After all, we were born with nothing and we will leave with nothing.
Issa Litton, TV host
Ideally, everything we go through, good or bad, shapes and turns us into better, smarter, stronger individuals. Realistically, we all make mistakes we wish we could undo or take back. So here’s my answer: Yes, there are just some things I refuse to burden myself with for the rest of my life — and that’s having the ideal and reality on the same side!