Dreams, passion

WE started with a dream.

About nine years ago or so, we were a bunch of friends from an alumni program hoping to bring the same leadership program to Cebu. We wanted to share the same experience of looking into ourselves and our leadership values, examining our passions and the needs of our communities, and building a local community of young leaders who are “reasonably disturbed.”

It was a big dream and we had a lot of things to do. But we were ready for the challenge.

We started the Cebu Young Leaders Summit (CYLS) back in 2009 with about 30 youth leaders from all over Cebu. It was a two-day leadership program designed to spark curiosity and the desire for nation-building. We wanted to share the concept of Servant Leadership, of being servants to others and helping and nurturing other people’s growth.

Nine years after our first summit, we’re still at it.

As I look back, it’s amazing how the program has grown. I feel like a proud mother hen watching over her baby chicks busy running the show.

Our alumni have implemented programs that include outreach programs for children at risk, water conservation and hand washing campaigns, building libraries in some remote barangays, and mental health advocacy programs in Cebu.

The programs were run by alumni of the CYLS in partnership with other like-hearted, passionate young leaders ready to change the world.

Over the weekend, we completed our 6th Cebu Young Leaders Summit. This year’s summit was run entirely by alumni of past CYLS programs—this was one of our dreams, having our alumni take the reins and become nurturing ates and kuyas to the next batch of young leaders. We’re excited to have another group of passionate young leaders under our wing.

One of our delegates posed the most interesting question during the summit: Is your passion a noun or a verb?

As I think of what I am passionate about—facilitating other people’s growth—perhaps your passion can be either a noun or a verb, as long as it moves you into action and gives you reason to wake up in the morning. It’s a core part of who you are and gives more meaning to your life.

I hope more young leaders, and our alumni of CYLS, continue to respond to their passion.

“Your most important tool of effective leadership is yourself and all that you are. Leadership is from the inside out. It is an expression of character, principles, skills, competencies and life experiences. Leadership is who you are in action,” said Simon Mossesgeld (Tatay Monch to many of us), congress director of the Ayala Young Leaders Congress, during his Servant Leadership talk at the CYLS.

It’s amazing what a simple dream of many years ago can achieve. What’s your dream?

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