We’ve heard it in fairy tales and other works of fiction – the orphan who became a princess, the outcast who became a king, and so on and so forth. Here in the Philippines, rags-to-riches stories are real especially with the number of industrious Filipinos everywhere.
We often get inspired by these plot of success. After all, to be a millionaire is everybody’s dream. But these tales also remind us that success does not come true in just a snap of a finger. Their stories of triumph did not happen overnight or past midnight.
Take the bumpy journey of one successful millionaire, for instance, who came from less than a humble and rather rebellious beginning.
40-year-old Johnny Tugot is the owner of automotive parts and service shops with several branches in Cebu and Negros Oriental.
However, life is not all sunshine to him at the very beginning. Johnny got infected with polio at the tender age of three which became his weak point in life. His own siblings made light of him due to his disability, making things worse than they already were.
He remembered being physically and emotionally abused by his own blood. When he felt like he couldn’t take it any longer, he ran away from home. He then turned into a troublesome kid who relentlessly sought for scuffles.
In spite of this, he continued to work for a living. He sold vegetables in the market and gained knowledge on automotive as time went by. He learned how to fix motorcycle issues which became his another source of income.
Eventually, he met the love of his life who would soon be his wife. He was a tricycle driver at the time. However, the couple decided to part ways due to unresolved financial problems. This marked as another huge downfall in Johnny’s life. With all that had happened, he got addicted to illegal drugs.
During his darkest times, he once again saw the light when his estranged wife came back to him. The family moved to Cebu to start anew. However, the odds seemed still not running in their favor. Johnny broke his arm while working one day. Because of this, he was forced to transfer to another automotive shop where he met the man who changed his life around.
Johnny pledged loyalty to him even when the shop struggled and faced bankruptcy later on. He considered the owner of the shop as his salvation, which was the reason why he never left his side during those times. Much to Johnny’s surprise, his employer bequeathed him the shop in his will prior to his passing.
Shocked as he was, Johnny and his wife persevered, nonetheless, in order to make the small business flourish. Eventually, all his struggles and hard work paid off. From being a rebel, Johnny turned himself into a millionaire who was able to invest in a real estate, buy expensive cars, and provide education to his children.
Truly, he served as an inspiration to others who feel lost in life at one point or another. It is still not late to start small. As for Johnny, he encouraged the troublemakers to change their ways as trust is hard to earn especially if you have a bad reputation.
After all, trust was what got him through of rebuilding himself. Moreover, hard work forms a huge part of his success.
