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Have you ever heard of the 4 Fs? This is a strategy that I have learned from Engineer Irvin Estrada from last Friday’s CEO Forum. It is one of the things that helped him become who he is today.

Now, what are the 4 Fs? 

One… Finding your purpose. We should ask ourselves questions such as “Why are we doing and who are we doing this for?” and, “to whom we are dedicating the things we do everyday?”. We should really know the root or cause of why we started doing something. 

For the second F, Forgiving our past. Forgiving our past is to cut ties from what is holding us back. We cannot move on to the future if we are still not okay from the past. This may hinder us, emotionally, from moving forward. 

Moving on to the third F, Focusing on your present. Along with the other Fs, this can help us move onto the last F, which is fueling our future. 

These are the strategies that Engr. Estrada used it in order to get the title he has now. He was even able to build his construction firm with the help of the 4 Fs. 

The question is… what started all of this? Why was he able to come up and use this strategy? 

Firstly, he shared a story of his daily routine when he just started. He began as an employee who works 8 to 5 at the Fairview. 3 hours ride to the firm and 3 hours ride back. These are the struggles that inspired him to keep moving forward in order to change this routine for the better. It is not a vision he did not like. It is a challenge he needed to overcome.

Additionally, this is not the only hardship that Engr. Estrada had experienced. Just when he was able to build his own construction firm, the pandemic happened.  With the lack of companies, and bankruptcy, they needed to stand firm. They needed to protect the interest of the company as well as the people, the staff, and the young engineers. There are families who depend on them. The thorough thought of how he will budget the funding of his company at this time of crisis.

Despite these hardships, there are still things to look forward to – like being able to teach and pass on the knowledge he has to younger and aspiring engineers. Each struggle that he has overcome also brings a lesson that can be shared with others. 

I, who also aspire to be working in the same field as Engr. Irvin Estrada should prepare myself for the challenges that I have yet to face. I should first identify my goal, which is to be an architect, and have a good plan. It is a gamble. The luck that the speaker has, can also be applicable to us listeners. Every little thing he learned in school made him the person who he is now. Proving no matter what or who you are before, is an advantage. It does not matter whether you came from a poor background, you can just use this as motivation in order to have a comfortable life. It does not matter whether you came from the middle class or upper-mid class, you can use whatever means you have to actually make your chances higher. One should grab the opportunity that comes their way. If one asks for your services, just take it. 

These are the things that I have picked up from the talk of Engr. Estrada… Share. Extend. Guide and inspire others. 

That is all for my blog. Thank you.