My Protective Factors

I have many support systems which help me in reaching my goal. Admittedly, I sometimes neglect these systems

as I have long gotten used to the comfort they have brought into my life. But reflecting about these protective

factors really made me feel so blessed in a way. I realize that not everybody has access to a loving family,

not everybody has access to the internet and not everybody has opportunities to find God literally built into

their school curriculum. Thus, thinking about these protective factors really fills me with a great amount of gratitude and

determination to do more.

Family

Family has been a big help to me in achieving my goals. Aside from actually providing me with all of

the basic needs I require to survive, there are many instances where I notice that they really care about me.

In some ways, it also makes me quite disappointed in myself because, especially in my adolescence, I noticed that

sometimes I really take them for granted when the reason why I'm able to live a comfortable life is because I was

born into a family which love, respect and support me in my goals. They even enrolled me in a lot of summer review

programs to support my academics. Even though I have my gripes with them, I can really tell that they care so much about me.

Friends

Aside from family, my friends also have been a big help in my development as a person. They've served as an outlet at times

where I'm struggling. For example, in grade 10 I joined the Ateneo Repertory Theatre Company. It was a little bit under a month

before Intramurals and I was offered a role in the play that would be performed there, called "Bakit Babae ang Naghuhugas ng Pinggan?"

I was offered quite a big role during the play, I would have to be present on stage in the duration of the whole play. But I accepted

because I thought I could handle it. I practiced for weeks and worked really hard to master my lines. Before the play, I informed my

director that I wasn't going to be able to perform for the second day, but it was fine since we had an alternate cast just in case

someone was not available because they had a game. On the last day of practice however, the director suddenly told me I was going to

be cut from the play. He deemed me not skilled enough to perform our first show, so he decided to let our alternate replace me instead.

I was understandably very frustrated. I worked very hard to make this play a success, only for them to drop me on the day before the performance.

Thankfully afterwards I was able to confide my emotions to my friends. I talked to them about the experience. It turns out they also

don't like the state the club was in with its leaders. And with their guidance, I was able to make the decision to take a break

with acting. I had already participated in a lot of productions during the year, so I believe it was needed. Regardless, this experience

really reminded me that my friends will always be there for me in times of any hardship. Times like these really make me grateful that I have

supportive friends which support me and which I can trust to stay by my side.

Study Habits and Access to Information

Even though I only developed good study habits a few years into high school, I'm still grateful that I still actually enjoyed learning.

I think this desire to learn was really what allowed me to actually learn and still retain the information I learned in Junior High School.

As a result of this, preparing for college entrance exams has been much easier than I expected.

Aside from this, having access to the internet has also been a big help. Having access to answers to almost all my questions, and even access

to extra learning materials, videos and having enough money to buy books to enrich my learning allowed me to develop the important skill of self directed learning,

a very important skill in this era where employers are looking for those who are able to adapt to the very fast era of developments.

Being a Filipino

Another protective factor which I usually don't notice is the natural values we have as Filipinos. I truly began to appreciate this

fact during our HIST 101 classes which highlighted giving importance to Filipino values such as Bayanihan, Holistikong Pananaw, and Hilig sa Pista

Being born a Filipino, these values have really helped in my development as a person. They've served as guides for me in my decisions.

Especially with the state of our country right now, sometimes I find myself asking: "Would I have lived a better life if I was born in a different country?"

But after reflecting on it for a bit, I realized that these Filipino values really are irreplacable. If I had lived in a different country,

I probably wouldn't have been able to develop the respect for my elders, the diligence in my studies, and the innate sense of faith we Filipinos have.

Therefore, I would say being a Filipino has been very helpful in cultivating the person I am today.

Prayer and Reflection

The last protective factor I would like to mention is my being prayerful and contemplative. I never shy away from pondering my environment,

my path in life, and how much I've achieved. This has been very helpful to me in reaching the goals I've set for myself. Reflection has been a great

tool in my life to becoming a more present and intentional person by forcing me to actually think before I do something.

The next logical step after reflection is offering your thoughts to the Lord through prayer. I realized the importance of prayer during our retreat

in grade 10. In the past, I used to neglect the importance of prayer. But thanks to the silence of the environment of the retreat house, I was able

to reflect on the importance of prayer in my life. I asked questions like: "Why do I need to pray to the Lord?" and "Is prayer really worth my time?"

Although I didn't immediately find the answers to these questions, they provided the foundation needed for my spiritual development as a person.

Now, I use prayer to vent my concerns to God whenever I feel it is needed. Whenever I feel frustrated, grateful, disappointed, I always try to pray.

After realizing the importance of prayer, I noticed I've grown more intentional in life. Although I'm still imperfect, I acknowledge that the Lord still

always loves me unconditionally and will always be there for me for any of my hardships.