People often say I’m a failure or that I’m delusional. Honestly, I’ve heard it all before. I have more than 4,000 friends on Facebook, but I don’t write blogs, articles, or books for everyone to read. I do it for those who are genuinely interested, those who want to grow and see a different possibility for themselves. Not everyone will like or believe in what I say — and that’s okay.
One of the most challenging moments was when I told my own Uncle Teddy Benigno about my big plans. I shared with him my idea of writing a book and my bigger vision called “Kamalayan,” which means awareness or consciousness. He told my mother on the phone and said, 'Tato is a failure. He is delusional.' That hit me hard—it was painful to hear those words from someone I loved and expected support from. Despite his words, I still invited my Tito Teddy to the launch of my first book. When he came, he took a quick look at it and asked why his name and other family members weren’t in the acknowledgments. I told him honestly that I thought he wouldn’t be proud of it, and I didn’t want to disappoint him. To my surprise, he said he would write the foreword for my next book. Sadly, he passed away a few months before it was published, so that never happened.
Looking back, I realize that my books are only meant for the people who choose to read them. I don’t write for everyone. I write for those who feel challenged in their lives but also want to be empowered and inspired to change. My books—Lessons I Never Learned in School, Love and Relationships in the 21st Century, The Galactic Testament, and From Unknown to Unforgettable: The Path to Stardom—are for those who are willing to face new realities, unmet potentials, and opportunities that come with a changing world.
I believe that success isn’t about fitting into someone else’s idea of what I should be. It’s about staying true to my purpose and reaching out to those who need to hear what I have to say. Whether people see me as a failure or a dreamer doesn’t matter. What matters is that I keep moving forward, helping others see that even in failure, there’s a lesson to learn and a new way to grow.
So, yes, I’ve been called a failure and delusional. But I know in my heart that I am on a journey to discover and share a different kind of success—one that’s about inspiring change and awakening potential in myself and others.
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