It all starts with a dream

By Joshua Corcuera

Dream, ambition, pangarap, it is something we encountered frequently when we were young. Ano pangarap mo? (What is your ambition?) or ano gusto mo maging paglaki? (What do you want to be when you grow older?) As we grow up, however, this question seems to fade away. Thus, it is important to keep dreaming, to set a goal, to have a vision of the future, regardless of age. Without a vision of where you want to be, it is difficult to think of what you must do now.

It all starts with a dream. We are not where we are for no reason. I am a junior accountancy student studying in one of the country’s most prominent universities (at least according to the QS Asia Rankings) and there is a reason why I am here. Actually, I aim to be a CPA Lawyer—and I believe I mentioned this in one of my columns in 2020. Personally, I see the legal and accounting professions as something lucrative, something which can uplift me to greater heights and live a comfortable life several years from now. On the other hand, I witnessed how both professions can shape society for better—or for worse.

In accounting, taxation and auditing services serve as some sort of expertise of CPAs (Certified Public Accountants). We can see how crucial taxes are to society, without it the government cannot provide for its employees, its projects, its programs, and the like. Auditing is likewise crucial in both the private sector and the government; it helps provide an opinion on the financial statements of entities. Last year, the Commission on Audit (COA) dominated headlines with the results of their audits of various government institutions. From the laptop anomaly in the health department which netizens made fun of, to red flags of certain local government units, COA has helped the Filipino people be aware of the pertinent issues dominating the government.

With these points—capable of making an impact on society and able to live a comfortable and decent life—I decided to pursue accountancy, and if fortunate enough, to proceed to law school. With such goals in mind, I have to study diligently and be disciplined enough to be productive. I must strive to learn, whether I like it or not, if I wish to achieve my ambitions. It all starts with a dream, with a plan, with a goal, with a vision.

This applies to other people as well, not only to me. If someone and his team wish to win, say in a basketball competition, then they must go to the gym regularly to build their chemistry and physical shape. If someone desires to get high grades or make it to the dean’s list, then s/he must be hardworking enough to comply with academic requirements. A dream or a goal serves as a starting point, a starting point that could lead to greater things. Without a dream, can that basketball team win the competition? Can that student get high grades or make it to the dean’s list? It seems difficult, because they struggle where to start in the first place.

The point of this column is to encourage the dear reader to dream, to keep on dreaming, to know yourself better so that you could end up in a better place in the future.