IN TODAY’S world of e-hipsters and hashtaggers, there is one Kapampangan millennial who is blazing the way for his generation, dreaming big and walking with the giants in the arena of influencers.
He talks, he acts and he writes, that his first book “Lessons from the Rants” was a sold-out success and his weekly column “Millennial Chat” in SunStar Pampanga gaining more and more followers.
Patrick Joven S. De Leon, planted as a seed at the Mother of Good Counsel Seminary, grew where he was sown, earning his Philosophy degree, cum laude, and continues to bloom in the real world he set his sights at, never afraid to venture to new paths or those untaken by many in his circle.
In fact, the latest in his journey was an engagement last January 29 with entrepreneur, broadcaster, book author, business consultant and renowned international inspirational speaker Francis Kong, the icon who is an outstanding Filipino awardee in 2014 and a recipient of People Asia Magazine's “Men Who Matter” 2018 award, among others in his cap.
De Leon -- branded by his peers as the “Millennial Influencer,” life coach, a passionate and multi-faceted Asian speaker and author in people development, career and leadership -- and Kong delivered their back-to-back talks before 250 students and faculty of the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) in Quezon City, in a gathering dubbed “ECE Spectrum: Going Beyond the Vision.”
In the whole day session organized by the Institute of Electronics Engineers of the Philippines TIP-Quezon City, Kong talked about “Winners versus Losers” while De Leon delivered “Discovering Your Grit to Succeed” to answer the audience’s query: “Do you feel stuck? Do you feel like you're lacking motivation? Sometimes, a student may feel demotivated, unwilling to study, or unable to perform a given task. Anyone may go through this phase and may have difficulty in dealing with it.”
Said De Leon of his re-encounter with Kong: “I first met the icon three years ago in a conference that was sponsored by my former employer where I was specifically tasked to hold his bottled water for two straight hours.”
“Since then, I’ve held more than just a bottle... but a lofty ambition which I’ve faithfully kept and promised to work on every day. Fast forward today, here I am, given an insane privilege to speak not as an opener or front act (modesty aside) but as a key guy in this event,” he added.
Never be afraid, De Leon stresses, to “rival the gods.”
“Surely, we’re never too small to dream big. So never be afraid to walk with the giants. And always strive to rival the gods. I’m just honored to represent the Kapampangans and my entire generation,” he said. (JTD)