As a Solutions Journalism consultant, co-founder of volunteer-based media platform Inkline, and communications specialist for a senator, it is clear that Portia Ladrido cares deeply about the issues we face and is an active participant in finding the answers we need. She shares that the best advice she's ever received is to "pursue curiosity, over passion or ambition," a wonderful reminder for all of us in these image-driven, overstimulated, hyperconscious times we're living in.
What do you do for a living, and what are the things that make you feel more alive?
I write political speeches and statements, train organizations on solutions journalism, and advocate for causes I hold dear. I pour my heart and soul into all these as they are the same things — plus maybe good art, good food, and good books — that make me feel more alive.
How old are you?
32.
"I (think) I am most known for..” babbling about solutions journalism, writing about politics and social justice, and being a ninang to my adorable godchildren.
"I am most proud of…” being part of communities that help make our country better.
What do you think is the biggest challenge, and the best thing, about being your age?
A challenge — not necessarily big, but recurring – is knowing when to let go of certain dreams and plans to make way or prepare for new ones. What helps – and the best thing about being my age – is that I now perceive challenges, failures, and losses as lessons that I simply need to learn to understand myself and the world around me. This, in effect, has made me feel more attuned to who I am, more comfortable with my place in this universe, more at peace with my reason for being.
How have you grown wiser in the past few years?
Through becoming more open to people, places, and ideas that challenge my own view of the world.
What are the best pieces of life advice you have ever received?
Pursue curiosity, over passion or ambition.
And one I often go back to, especially in dark and difficult times, is this excerpt from T.H. White’s “The Once and Future King:”
“‘The best thing for being sad.. is to learn something. That’s the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.”
Who are the women you look up to and how have they helped shape your life?
My mom, my sister, the women I work with in politics and journalism — all magnanimous, empathetic, and generous in spirit. They are so devoid of vanity and self-importance, a quality so rare in an era that rewards superficial markers of success. Without losing their sense of self, they have led their lives with love and compassion for others. And through their example, I am shown that it is possible to stand for what is right, to have courage, and to believe in what is good and just and true.
What are you looking forward to in the next decade of your life?
Embracing rest and ease while still actively contributing to reforms we want to see in the Philippines.
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