Netizens named “JM Papa” graduated from a prestigious university in the Philippines, De La Salle University-Dasmariñas, with a degree in Secondary Education major in English. Within that year, he became a Licensed Professional Teacher.

And instead of working as a teacher, she found himself working as a waiter in the Middle East. Because of the pay that is twice higher than the salary of a public school teacher in the Philippines. However, he felt sadness inside of him.

From licensed teacher to waiter

“Currently here in the Middle East, serving the Arabs in a casual-dining restaurant, treated like nothing but just a servant. From a high-achieving individual to a waiter. When I started working as a waiter, my co-workers were always questioning my decision. You could’ve been teaching in a public school in the PH but why did you choose to be a waiter in Kuwait. It’s solely because of my dream not only for myself but most especially for my family,” he wrote on Facebook.

“I thought about the salary, it’s a doubled salary of a public school English teacher & it indeed enticed me. I’ve swallowed all my pride & took the chance to earn more. Just to make myself clear, I’m not belittling waiters all over the world, I actually have high respect for them and I salute all the OFWs out there who sacrificed themselves just to give a better life for their families. At first, tbh, I felt really small & pitied myself.”

“…But, as time went by, I was able to slowly accept it, especially when I finally purchased a housing unit in a subdivision for my family & got insurances using the money I’ve earned from being a waiter. It’s not bad at all to sometimes swallowing your pride for your dreams.”

And then losing his self-confidence

He said that he felt much better that he can provide their family dream house in the subdivision. And get various insurances from the money he earned as a waiter. However, there was something that broke his self-confidence.

“This experience truly humbled me, unfortunately, to the extent that I’m not confident enough to apply for a higher & better position than a waiter. Tbh, it crashed all the confidence I’ve gathered from my achievements ‘cause I was barely recognized by our company as a good employee. I didn’t even get a promotion in 3 years of working so smart & hard. I felt untrusted and like incapable of being a manager,” he sadly shared.

He applied at a prestigious general trading and construction company in Kuwait – and he was hired as a Human Resource (HR) Coordinator. Now that someone believed in him again, he felt his self-confidence and happiness return. And he was able to overcome this challenge in his life.

And this is how “JM Papa” ended his post, “Life is indeed like a wheel. Sometimes, you’re up, sometimes, you’re down. Just keep on moving forward, continuously try to be the best version of yourself day by day & always see situations with a silver lining,” 

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