ALMOST all people often associate happiness with success. They have a tendency to confuse the two, especially in a culture based on profit and earnings.
People who grew up in this culture attribute happiness as the product of success, some measuring their lives by how great the achievements and goals they have attained.
They think happiness is what you can obtain after overcoming obstacles and achieving success.
However, such is not the case. A thing that the Queen of Mindanaoan Fashion, Guela Ampong, realized following the triumphant and grand re-launching of fashion line.
She might have been the recipient of several negative remarks and bashes from the social media but this did not deal a great impact in her confidence and motivation to move forward as much as she received such comments, the support she got from her family and friends was so much more than that.
It was, however, a heartbreak that took a toll on her happiness.
Nonetheless, this will not deter her from reaching more and obtaining the happiness she wants. She might have been left behind but this does not mean she cannot find her contentment from other things dear to her.
"All this time since yung naiwan sakin is ito, yung pangalang Guela, siguro ito yung makakapagpasaya sa akin," Guela said in an exclusive interview with SunStar Cagayan de Oro.
"Gawin mo sa sarili mo kung ano yung karapatdapat para mapasaya mo sarili mo kasi hindi mo naman nakukuha yung saya na yan sa taong akala mo sya na talaga or yung mga taong akala mo nandyan sila kung sa panahaon na kailangan mo sila, siguro yung sarili mo talaga yung dapat mong bigyang pansin," she added.
Guela is slated to go abroad in December of this year, in Dubai, and in January 2020 in Italy. She said, her trip in Dubai is for business rather than for pleasure.
The latter trip, however, is for her to give herself time to look into her inner self on what can really make her happy and what she can do more.
"Siguro hinahanap ko yung sarili ko in a way na dito na commit ko na yung mga gusto kong dapat abutin or parang feeling ko nasa stage na ako na ito na parang hindi ko na kailangan i-prove sa iba na ito si Guela, ito yung nagagawa nya para dito sa lugar natin," Guela said.
"Kailangan ko din subukan kung ano ang wala pa sa akin. Kasi if I will just stick here, parang alam ko na, parang predicted already na ito lang ang mangyayari sa akin," she said.
After spending several years of making other people happy, Guela said it is time for her to give the same happiness to herself.
“We cannot always expect to rely only on external sources for love. Obtaining happiness does not always necessarily mean giving almost all of yourself to others, you should also save some for yourself. Self-love is essential for you to achieve happiness.”
A person who practices self-love will never need to depend on other to be happy. It’s not being selfish, it’s putting yourself first and not being too tough on yourself, she added
"Ikaw mismo sa sarili alam mo kung paano ka magiging masaya, kung paano mo ito ibangon ulit yung times na nadapa ka," Guela said.
An artist at heart and a passionate fashion designer, Guela tends to get her inspiration and ideas for her collection from her experiences and emotions.
Fashion has become a way for her to show off her talent and skills, a venue for her to pour all her frustrations and ambition and creating something beautiful out of it.
"Since ito na nadapa nanaman ako, wala kang ibang hugot kundi maipakita sa sarili mo na kaya mo ulit bumangon. Kasi pagpinabayaan mo, ikaw lang din ang kawawa in the end," Guela said.
"Yung mga pinagdaanan ko sa buhay, doon pa rin ako kumukuha ng inspiration. Yun pa rin ang nagmo-motive sa akin to do more, something productive para sa sarili ko, to be better designer and good person," she added.
Happiness will be there when success is gone. Success only comes when you are doing what you love, it’s the end product of following your passion. And for the Queen of Mindanaoan Fashion, it’s Guela.