It was never easy. It was a rough ride. It still is. There are days filled with pure passion and overflowing energy. But there are also those when motivation is scarce, times when your faith shrinks enough for fear to dominate.
In a world where you are measured based on accomplishments, it is tempting to aim straight for results while bypassing the tiring process of clarifying principles, emphasizing values, and cascading vision.
Why focus on growing people when you can drive immediate results that publicly display how great you are as a leader? Indeed, that could have been an easier route to elevate one's self.
When you sow, you start by digging a hole. And a hole, filled with nothing but dirt, frustrates most people. But one must realize that only trees deeply rooted on the ground stand the test of time.
I'll be honest, there were times when I doubted myself, my decisions, and the organization to the point of almost quitting. But seeing how this org continuously touch lives, transform individuals, and grow future leaders kept me going. Add that to the ambassadors who relentlessly believed on what the org can do. These are the things that fuel me to be better each day.
Just like a farmer planting a crop, it requires patience, faith, and perseverance to grow an organization. The virtue of farmers should be a source of inspiration. We reap what we sow. As for APEX, we exist to sow values and grow leaders.
I'm blessed to have witnessed how this organization grew both in number and strength through for the past three years. Cheers to the years ahead!