Redirecting My Dreams with Girl Power Talk: Yani Tabunan

• Yani Tabunan shares how she found Girl Power Talk despite going through major disappointments in life.
• This article shares the importance of having dreams because they are what keep us going forward.
• Dreams transpire a sense of accomplishment.
• Self-belief is the ultimate gateway to your dreams.

Living with Hope

I think it’s pretty cliché to start my story with, “I am a small-town girl with big dreams,” but I’ll do it anyway because, just like Journey’s song “Don’t Stop Believin”, mine is a story of hope. 

I am a dreamer from the Philippines with goals and ambitions that can challenge those of a scientist seeking the answer to immortality. My dreams are limitless and I have never been afraid to share them and my belief in their eventual fulfillment with others. For me, we are nothing without our dreams. They inspire, challenge, and motivate you to achieve your goals. Dreams are, in fact, the most crucial aspect of our existence, without which we would be completely lost.

My mom warned me about the harsh realities of life by saying, “Your dreams are too big. You might get disappointed,” and unfortunately, life proved her right. My mom’s life experiences justify her view of life and perception of being a dreamer, so I can’t really blame her for thinking my dreams are too ambitious. As I matured and had my own taste of life’s disappointments, it dawned on me that my dreams were indeed great. But achieving them was certainly not impossible.

The Reality of Having Big Dreams

I was part of the first batch in college to experience the online setup, which was a very difficult adjustment. I am pursuing a degree in Mass Communication, and during my 2nd year of university, I experienced one of the biggest disappointments of my life—I was delayed for a year. I failed a pre-requisite subject which meant that I wasn’t going to graduate with my classmates. They were some of my closest friends that had been with me through every struggle I faced in our course, every daunting task, and all the late-night Discord calls courtesy of a looming 11:59 PM deadline. Devastated is an understatement for how I felt. I was so sure of what I wanted to be. I knew what I wanted to pursue in college since I was thirteen. But because of life’s mysterious nature of wrecking plans for the better, what I thought I was meant to do was very different from whom I was truly destined to be. 

My one-year delay instigated sadness and panic because my life plans, which had been almost seven years in the making, were thrown out the window in a moment. I got really scared because I thought being behind my batchmates would delay my chances of getting real-world experience. In other words, finding a job that matches my skills and interests is difficult because companies today are not keen on hiring irregular students because they see it as a sign of irresponsibility. Little did I know that if it weren’t for my 1-year delay, I would not have had the time to find a life-changing opportunity that accepts people like me, who have big dreams but little to no experience.

My Blessing in Disguise: Girl Power Talk

Life definitely surprises you, and I am now a firm believer in the saying, “Everything happens for a reason.” For me, the reason for my setback was finding Girl Power Talk. Getting held back became my blessing in disguise. I got a chance to gain experience earlier than planned and meet dreamers like myself from around the world.

Girl Power Talk is a company that goes beyond hiring skilled employees. Whether or not one has prior work experience is not a marker for selection. What matters is who you are. They hone the skills of future global leaders by empowering youth to be the best and most confident versions of themselves, thus changing the traditional workplace culture for the better. Within my first three months of working at Girl Power Talk, I was considered a leader and trusted with the responsibility of handling big projects, where both my personal and professional skills were appreciated. You don’t get that at most companies.

My favorite experience so far is getting to talk to like-minded people from other companies, as Girl Power Talk provides you the opportunity to interact with international CEOs, founders, and other professionals across different industries and learn about their stories. They share inspiring journeys and support young women of all ages to become pacesetters. After this incredible experience, I realised that delays are nothing to be scared of because they are, essentially, redirections to where you are meant to go.

Girl Power Talk welcomes and encourages ambitious dreams because they understand that this is how leaders and changemakers are created. Apply and join us today to see your dreams, like mine, come to realization in this magical and transformative place.

Yani’s story emphasizes that you will be given many redirections in life, but they are given for a reason. For Yani, her unexpected setback turned out to be a blessing in disguise which led to her finally being where she was meant to be. So next time life disappoints you, look for a silver lining.