Financial lessons carry more weight when they are from people who learned them the hard way—through struggle, years of hard work and persistence. During FWD Life Insurance's Manifesters Roundtable FB livestream, hosted by Edric Mendoza, multimedia journalist and entrepreneur Ces Oreña-Drilon shared inspiring nuggets of wisdom that'll help you build and manifest your dreams. With her were FWD leaders in various fields: Chief Agency Officer Jun Marasigan, Head of Investment Operations Michelle Lumabi, Senior Regional Sales Director Alvin Jade Rivano, Senior Area Sales Head Edison Brian Rivera, Area Sales Head Evalyn Oasan, and financial advisors Lester Reyes, Catherine Joy Go-Mendoza, and Joel Salazar.

Since she became an entrepreneur, Ces has been inspiring people to manifest their dreams, which they may have put on the backburner because of so many excuses. But what people don't realize is they can already start and slowly build their dreams.

We all know that working hard is one of the most important ingredients to manifesting one's dreams, but there is so much more to the journey: personal reasons that range from family to being inspired by one's parents (or children), and having the right mindset. Another vital ingredient that people don't always consider is financial security. When you know you're financially protected, you have the courage to live your dreams.

Here are our top 7 takeaways from the virtual roundtable discussion livestreamed on FWDPH Facebook Page:

1. Let the "why" and "who" of your dreams drive you, not just the "what."

It's not just about the "how" of success but also the "why." Why do you work so hard? Most people work hard not just for themselves, but for their family to have a comfortable life, to finance their children's education, to help take care of their aging parents, to be able to afford a bigger house, to enjoy life and not just let it pass you by. When you feel like giving up on these dreams, remind yourself why and for whom all your goals are.

1. You don't have to dream alone. Share your goals with loved ones.

"It's very important to share your plans with your family," Jun Marasigan said. "Next, you need to consult experts who know how you can achieve your goals. With my first insurance plan when I wasn't in the industry yet, I consulted an expert on how I can financially prepare for the future because of what happened to my father, who passed away when I was young."

Jun revealed that he comes from humble beginnings as his parents were from fishing and farming families. His dad died when Jun was only 22. "My father was the sole breadwinner of eight children; my mom was a housewife. I was so amazed that my father was insured. A family man with eight children was still able to think of protecting his life and his wife. To me, that's love and responsibility. I was so inspired by that."

Letting your family dream with you is one way to keep those very dreams alive. "Sometimes people give up when they feel they don't have someone supporting them," Lester Reyes added. "It's important that aside from believing you can do it, others believe in you too. If your dream is to build a financially secure future, consult a trusted financial professional because we've already done this, we've studied this and can make recommendations on investing."

1. Learn from your mentors.

Even for Ces Drilon, who's achieved so much in her broadcasting career, nothing came easy. As a fledgling reporter, she had to work hard to learn how to talk from the field, but she also had people that mentored her by example. "You follow people who have succeeded before you. For me, it was pioneers Tina Monzon-Palma and Cheche Lazaro."

She added, "Success doesn't come overnight. You have to work at it. Tiyaga. People think reporting is so glamorous, but a lot of time it's spent waiting, researching."

It's no different in her second career as an entrepreneur. She continues to study how successful people who came before her managed to grow their business and their wealth. You may not have the same resources as your business idols, but you can try to emulate their habits and philosophy about money.

Don't worry about how little you know about the ins and outs of financial planning right now. Treat your financial advisor as your mentor. Experts such as FWD's financial advisors can help guide you on how you can manifest your dreams faster and more securely. They're here for dreamers like you who have the burning desire to achieve goals but aren't sure how to do it.

1. Be patient.

Manifesting one's dreams takes time, which requires patience. If you have the opportunity to focus on your dreams now, do it and count yourself lucky because not everyone can.

Ces is an example of that. For many years, she dreamt of spending more time on a farm but just couldn't when she was still working for a TV station. During the pandemic, she grabbed the opportunity to not only enjoy farming and growing plants, but to actually turn it into a business. Ces invested her savings in her natural products brand Provenciana, enrolled in classes, and upgraded her skills. "This is really the road to success: you have to be patient."

And as experienced by Ces, manifesting dreams also require that you're able to protect and grow what you've started.

1. Let the experts help you.

According to Michelle Lumabi, "maling akala" prevents most Filipinos from investing. "One of the most common misconceptions is that they need to shell out a big amount of money before they can start. There are platforms where you can start for as low as Php5,000. There are financial institutions like insurance or asset management houses that have easy payment terms."

Michelle cited FWD Manifest as a unique investment-linked insurance plan for its four bonuses: the startup bonus, the premium extension bonus, the investment protection bonus, and the guaranteed milestone increase. Each bonus is credited to your main account so there is more capital to grow.

1. Develop a positive mindset.

Anything we don't know is scary—but it's also an opportunity for growth and success. "Mindset is everything. Don't be scared," Jun said. "I started working at 20 and investing at 23. Every time I earned my salary, I spent 70%, saved 20% and gave 10% to charity. That's been my practice ever since. When I had something more, I made a more sophisticated way of investing. There really is no substitute for discipline and hard work."

A positive mindset can help you raise your self-expectations and that can be a powerful tool. "Failure for me was not an option," said Ces, whose children are now her business partners. "We share goals and we're quite disciplined. I'm very happy to be ordered around by my sons and proud that they have so much wisdom."

1. Focus on one goal at a time.

Dreaming is one thing, focusing to work on those dreams is quite another. Be single-minded in your pursuit to make your dreams a reality.  "Pursuing too many goals simultaneously may contribute to one's failure," said Alvin Jade Rivano. "Focus on one goal, dedicate yourself to it. Some experts even say be obsessed with it."

Manifesters' Roundtable was a kuwentuhan that inspired viewers and made them believe that they too can manifest their dreams. Talk to an FWD Life Insurance financial advisor about FWD Manifest and how to make investing and protecting your future less worries.

Want to watch the Manifesters' Roundtable? Click here.