Shortly after becoming a lawyer, I left the Army and joined a law office in Pasig City. I then briefly worked in the United States as a contracts lawyer for a software development company. Of course, I went to the US principally to test the waters of the legal profession, as well as the viability of actually migrating. Knowing that I still had aspirations for the country, the president and founder of that company told me—“There should never be a Plan B.” He actually suggested to me to “burn bridges” so I will always go forward and never backward.
Last week I recently accompanied a relative to the US embassy who took great lengths to secure a permanent resident visa only to surrender his “green card” after more than 20 years of having it. His response to one of the questions in the USCIS Form I-487 as to why he is giving up his resident visa was apt and simple. In his own words, he wanted to “live the rest of my life in the Philippines”. When asked by some why he applied for a green card in the first place when his career in the Philippines was much better than most of our relatives, he explained that he wanted to secure a better future for his children. His green card was his Plan B then. Today, he does not need a Plan B or a backup plan anymore, as he managed to send most of his children to the US in the late-1980s, during the tumultuous times in our country’s history. Recently rejected by the Commission of Appointments, “former” Foreign(er) Secretary Perfecto R. Yasay Jr. presumably had his own Plan B when he opted to become a US citizen sometime in 1986—the period of uncertainty as the country recently experienced people power. For quite a number of Filipinos, America remains as the land of opportunity; hence the need for a Plan B.
Leaders are trained to have a fallback position in case all options fail. There is no such thing as a foolproof or failsafe plan as there are many factors beyond our control. In military operations, there is always a rally point where troops converge and regroup when the initial plan fails. Hence, the need for a Plan B. But, must there really be a Plan B in our lives?
In his book, Today Counts, Harold Sala says “nothing of value is ever accomplished by giving up”. In the movie Apollo 13, when the mission encountered some technical problems and was apparently headed toward disaster, the head of Nasa Mission Control, the character played by actor Ed Harris, exclaimed to his staff—“Failure is not an option!” In military operations, commanders have been heard saying – “No retreat. No surrender.”
Through the years, I have found myself “failing” in a few undertakings, in my personal relationships with loved ones and in my professional career in the Army and in the Bureau of Immigration, to name a few. My life has experienced quite a few left turns here and there. One relative who opted not to have a Plan B in his life never had any left turns in his life, so to speak. After graduating from the Philippine Military Academy in 1984, he joined the Philippine Air Force and flew the C-130 transport planes. Amid the political instability, he rejected a very enticing offer to join a private company. Although he knew that he will still fly planes for that company with a salary five times his existing pay in the Air Force, he opted to go for a “make or break” decision that somehow affected where he is now. After earning his first star before reaching 50 years old, he has been promoted to a three-star rank late last year. By simply having no Plan B, my brother, Lt. General Salvador Melchor B. Mison Jr., managed to follow a straight and direct path toward becoming the Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)—the second highest position in the entire Armed Forces. As a result of discarding that handsome offer from a reputable company when he was still a captain, he has served the AFP for 33 years (and counting) and has earned an unblemished reputation for discipline and integrity.
In my case, I am gradually getting my bearings straight after stints in the Army, in law practice, in government bureaucracy and now in the corporate sector. I am slowly regaining my course toward becoming a better person by simply putting my faith in Him. In Proverbs 3:5-6, believers are made to “trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto our own understanding. In all ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths”. Predestination is a word I recently learned in a Bible study. All of us are exactly where He wants us to be. Whether we succeed or fail, He has predestined us to do so.
So, yes, we all need a Plan B in life. And “B” stands for Believe!