Why I Love What I Do: The Power of Human Connection Through Facilitation

Three days changed my life. It was during those three days at the Kool Adventure Camp that ignited my passion for facilitating. The year was 2011. I was a first-year University student then, filled with insecurities, doubts, and uncertainties. I never knew what was in store for me but the moment I experienced the program for myself, I began discovering that I had a magnificent amount of courage tucked within the corners of my inner world, waiting to be unleashed.

We climbed high-walls and shakey pamper poles, jumped at scary heights, and discovered ourselves, along with my colleagues from the Sangguniang Kabataan. In those challenging moments of conquering dragons, there was one aspect of the experience that inspired me so much so that I wanted to emulate them. That aspect, one of the most important elements of effecting this massive and beautiful change in me, is no other than the instructors and facilitators. 

September 2011. We were interconnected. The middle person was blindfolded. The goal was to climb up to the peak and rappel back down to the ground. Belayers were our teammates.

I am still very much connected with the awesome people that nurtured my courage until now. Some of my very first instructors were Blue Butterfly, Pillow, Silver Cloud, Teak. I've also met wonderful friends like White Fire, Mansion, Rainbow, Footprint. There were more of them, of course. I have high respect for my instructors! 

Coming back to KAC, 2014.
With Silver Cloud, Me (Rukia), Teak, and Wolf

Blue Butterfly

Mansion

But what about these people that inspired me so? It's their passion for their craft. I saw how much energy they put into what they were doing, making sure we were safe at the same time encouraging us to practice challenge by choice. I felt their support as they continued pushing us to achieve greater levels of self-confidence. I found how eager they were to inspire us to become respectable, effective, and passionate youth leaders.

Balamban, Cebu
KAC Alumni Homecoming. Of course, we needed to climb! By the way, I'm terrified of heights. Yes, until now.  

All the experiences I got from those three days, I kept them and carried them along with me. Each time I face a challenge in life, I treat it as a dragon to be conquered, just like how we conquered the four elements at Punta Engaño and Balamban then. And most importantly, I responded to the call of facilitation, because of KAC. 

I am blessed to have reached where I am in life now. Currently, I am a facilitator (at Jambar Team Building). I am doing something that I love to do; that is connecting with other human beings, discovering their heartfelt and awesome stories, and effecting positive and meaningful changes in their lives through facilitation. Yes, you can say that I am living my dreams and that I am grateful for it. 

Why I love what I do

I love what I do because it humbles me. There are so many wonderful people in the world with inspiring stories to tell, how they showed resilience, how they beat the odds, who and what inspired them. Their stories make me reflect about my life, to respect my past, acknowledge my present, and let the future do its thing.

Facilitation also hones my time-keeping skills. I have to ensure the program is within schedule without compromising the quality. It heightens my observation skills, rapport-building skills, and communication skills. It teaches me empathy and adaptability, so I can be more effective as a trainer. 

But it's not all glamorous, you know. I still have not accounted for the physical tiredness, the mental stress, the occasional "Is this path really what I'm meant for?", "Is this really worth it?". I ask these questions whenever I feel beaten by the stress. But heck, I refuse to be completely beaten up by it, so I brush off these thoughts, and stand back up again. That's called resilience. I also believe, this is my ikigai.

When people ask, how to answer?

In fact, here's more, people sometimes ask, "Jedde, what do you do for a living?". I usually dread answering this question because I know I would have to elaborate my answer when I respond "I'm a trainer and a facilitator". 

The follow-up question would almost always be "What's that?". I would pretty much get annoyed when I try to explain, but the other person I'm communicating with gives me a very doubtful look as if to say "Is that even a real job?" or "Does that pay well?", or even "That doesn't sound like a stable job at all." 

But I guess through wisdom, we are able to evolve. Now, I get excited about explaining what I do. I am proud of it, even. So I don't mind when I get asked that, in fact, I now crave for it. I'm also happy that I managed to explain it to my family and friends, so when people ask them, they can explain the way I prefer it to be expressed. How?

"Jedde helps people and teams remember to have fun, get them to learn about ways to communicate with each other, so they can achieve their goals and dreams."

Simple.

To anyone reading this, if you are still uncertain about what kind of future career you want to take, I deeply encourage you to take up Psychology and venture into Training and Development. Examine more about it, and if it resonates with you, then try it. 

Do not be afraid when people belittle you because you choose to do your passion. Stand up for it. Why? Because any helping profession is noble, regardless of what other people say. And of course, because you are not alone, there's a tribe ready to support you. :-)

As of this writing, I am in Singapore. For the past years that I'm here, there are many moments when I worried a lot. I faced many hurdles (and still facing some of them now). I had loads of insecurities. Most of them pertaining to my age and experience. Every time I run an event, people often judge me by the first look. "You are too young to be facilitating for us," says a C-suite participant or a regular participant. 

Just because you are young, doesn't mean that you are incapable.

I felt that so many times in my life. I even hesitate and doubt myself so much deep inside. But I guess my passion is stronger than my fear, so I take in a deep breath and speak with all my heart. Little did I know, I've already facilitated almost 300+ events. I've travelled far places, while staying true to who I am, leeping my authenticity. I am really happy and excited for what's to come!

Changes

Today, I am trying to adjust and cope with the new norm. The landscape of facilitation may have changed recently, now being held virtually. But my belief in the power of connecting and learning whether it be through technology or physical is very much still intact. 

I know for sure that my greatest gain out from that three-day KAC experience, and all the experiences I got thereafter, was not the money, fame, accolades, or merits. It's the strong ties I've formed with people, the fire burning inside me to continue doing what I do, and the unbreakable courage that's now the foundation of my identity.

Who knows where life will take me next. All I know is that I am thankful for the people who have inspired me to be who I am today. And that it's now my turn to pay it forward. 

Right now, I have an awesome tribe from Positive Psychology and together with them, I am discovering more awesome things that allow me to further discover my self in terms of strengths and what's working with me. Through the lenses of Positive Psychology, certain values in my life have become even clearer. I am glad to have met wonderful friends and teachers from PP.

Thank you God for the wisdom, strength, and courage You have blessed me with. Thank you to my family, my partner Alex, and his family for the never ending encouragements, prayers and love.

Encouragements

Here are some of the wonderful and heartfelt messages from amazing human beings I've worked with and those whom I've trained.

If you're interested to know more about facilitation, let's connect! 

LinkedIn: Mary Jedde Ampolitod

Instagram: @thelastjeddei

Youtube: Mary Jedde

Parting words for today

May you also find what you love to do. 

May you have the courage to pursue it, regardless of what other people may say.

May you have the energy to sustain it all the way.

Thank you for reading!

Love,