My Biggest Profit Is the Person I’ve Become

There are days when the applause feels too loud for the quiet work I’ve done.

A few months ago, I was interviewed by The Manila Times. It wasn’t something I applied for, or pitched, or paid for. I was referred. Chosen. Someone, somewhere, saw value in my story — enough to put it on print.

And now, it’s out.

You’d think I’d be thrilled. I was, for a second. And then came the creeping thoughts:
“Why me?”
“I’m not there yet.”
“I’m still figuring things out.”
“I’m still tired, still flawed, still overwhelmed.”

The weight of being seen while still unfinished can feel strange. There’s this unspoken pressure that we must be polished to be praised. That success must come only when we are fully formed, glowing, and thriving — not tired, messy, and mid-recovery.

But what if this is exactly when we’re meant to be honored?

I’ve realized lately that my biggest profit isn’t in a figure, a feature, or a finish line — it’s in the person I’ve become through it all. The woman who keeps showing up. The one who performs even in imperfection. The one who’s grown from surviving to navigating. The one who says thank you even when it’s easier to hide.

Why do I turn down good news just because I’m not perfect?

Maybe it’s time to welcome recognition, not because I’ve arrived — but because I endure. Because I try. Because I still care enough to feel. Because someone believed my story matters even in its current, raw, open-ended form.

So here I am, choosing to be grateful. Choosing to receive the blessing. Not for the spotlight — but for the reminder that being seen doesn’t require perfection. Just presence. Just truth.

And I hope you, too, give yourself permission to be celebrated… exactly as you are.