Filipinos Are Programmed to Dream Small

May 2

We’re handed the same blueprint from the moment we can talk: study hard, finish school, get a decent job, go abroad if you’re lucky.

It’s a well-worn path — one that’s worked for many. And for families trying to escape poverty or build a better life, it makes sense. There’s no shame in following that path.

But just because it’s safe doesn’t mean it’s the only way. And just because it worked for some doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

The Real Problem Isn’t Access—It’s Imagination

The real problem isn’t access to opportunity anymore. Not in 2025, where the internet has leveled the playing field more than we like to admit.

You can learn almost any skill for free.

You can freelance for global companies without leaving your barangay.

You can build a business from your bedroom.

What’s holding most of us back isn’t money, or credentials, or even geography. It’s imagination. It’s how small we’ve been taught to think.

I Played Small, Too

I know because I’ve been there.

For years, I followed the script. I chased credentials, stability, the kind of respectability that makes your relatives nod in approval during family reunions. I did what I was told. And it worked—until it didn’t.

There came a point where I realized I wasn’t really building my life. I was living someone else’s idea of success. I wasn’t stuck because of my environment. I was stuck because of the ceiling I built in my own head, brick by brick, with every limiting belief I inherited.

The Power of Proximity

Things changed when I started spending time with people who thought differently. People who weren’t afraid of risk, who didn’t ask for permission to do something bold.

And here’s what surprised me: most of them weren’t smarter or more talented. They just saw the world differently. Their default wasn’t "Can I do this?"—it was, "Why not me?"

That shift in mindset changed everything.

How to Break Out of the Small Dream Loop

If you’re feeling stuck, you’re not lazy. You’re probably just surrounded by people who’ve normalized playing small.

1. Check Your Circle

Who do you spend the most time with? Who are you listening to? If your closest people think small, chances are you’ve adapted to that wavelength. You don’t have to cut people off, but you can expand your environment.

Follow people who inspire you. Join communities that challenge you. Read stories that spark your imagination.

2. Dust Off Your Shelved Dreams

The business idea you buried because it felt too ambitious. The creative project you paused because you didn’t feel qualified. The career move you dismissed because you thought, “People like me don’t get to do that.”

Look at them again. Examine them without judgment. What would it take to try again—not perfectly, but intentionally?

3. Give Yourself Permission

You don’t need to quit your job tomorrow or drop everything for some romanticized idea of success. But you do need permission to explore what else might be possible for you beyond the template you were handed.

Growth Feels Risky—Because It Is

When fear creeps in—as it will—remember this: it’s not a sign to stop. It’s a sign you’re stretching. You’re leaving familiar territory.

Growth doesn’t feel comfortable. It feels risky and awkward and, sometimes, downright stupid. But it’s the only way forward.

We’ve been told to play it safe for so long that dreaming big can feel like rebellion. Like arrogance. But it’s neither. It’s just honesty.

You’re allowed to want more. You’re allowed to take up space. You’re allowed to build a life that looks nothing like the one you grew up seeing.

Build Loud. Lead Boldly.

We need more Filipinos dreaming louder, building boldly, and leading in ways that reflect our resourcefulness—not just our resilience.

Because the world is changing, and the doors are wide open. You don’t need to ask for permission to walk through them. You just need to believe you belong on the other side.

Final Question

So I’ll ask you again:

What dream have you shelved because someone said it was "too big"?

Might be time to dust it off.

Joemer Ernn Embernate