Success in life often goes beyond formal education. Confidence and true achievement cannot be solely taught in school. Unfortunately, our current educational system tends to focus on rote learning, often failing to inspire students to realize their full potential. It can even sow seeds of fear, failure, and disappointment.
Let me share a story about a 61-year-old former university professor and government employee who befriended me on Facebook. He had read an article I wrote, published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer in 2008. We met at Starbucks one afternoon. During our talk, he opened up about his worries for his family’s future, frustrations with his career, and feelings of disillusionment. These experiences led him into a three-year depression and a near-suicide attempt. After being bedridden for so long, he came across my article, which gave him hope and inspiration. It helped him find strength again. He began promoting ideas from my writing through his seminars. I am grateful to have helped someone I had never met, knowing my words became a source of inspiration. That article is included in my book, Lessons I Never Learned in School.
Another story is about Ivan, a young man who once slept under overpasses. He attended my Kamalayan lectures at Third Eye Wellness Center in Quezon City. After a year, my friend Jalvin Ibarreta asked if I remembered Ivan. It turns out Ivan—who was once a farmer in Nueva Ecija—had become a millionaire. Here’s his journey:
Ivan finished a two-year IT course as a working student and worked two years in a Manila shopping mall. He resigned broke. He then worked six months in a Laguna factory but eventually returned to farming. In early 2015, he moved back to Manila seeking work. He was evicted from his rented room in Malibay, Pasay City, and slept three nights under an overpass with just 200 pesos—enough for coffee and pandesal. Later, he applied to be my personal assistant. This led to his introduction to Kamalayan. After a year, Ivan became a millionaire and even received an award in Malaysia as a top distributor across nine countries for a multi-level marketing company.
Isn’t that inspiring? I asked Ivan what he learned from my talks. He said the universal laws and principles he used to manifest his dream life truly worked. “If Tato Malay was able to manifest travels and cars, I should be able to do it too,” he said. And Ivan did just that.
Months later, Ivan, once homeless, invited me to the inauguration of their new office in a skyscraper. He now serves as president of their company.
His message:
"Invite po kita sa 25th. Saturday, sa office inauguration namin. Palagi po kasi kitang kinukwento sa lahat ng mga talks ko na nagka-direction ako sa kung ano talaga gusto ko after Kamalayan. Hanggang Macau, Hong Kong, at Singapore po nakarating kwento ko. Thank you so much, Sir Tato!"
My I AM KAMALAYAN movement promotes personal power and aligns with my name, “Malay.” As you learn more about my work, you’ll see that everything in this world follows a grand design. I live by my “I AM” consciousness and destiny.
Would you like to discover yours?
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonColumn #Kamalayan