From reading National Geographic magazines as a child, to taking jeepney rides after class to Rizal, and traveling the Patagonian Region in Argentina as a Nat Geographic photographer. Forbes Under 30 Lister, here are Gab Mejia’s top 10 life lessons:
Lesson no. 1: Our attitude when we don’t reach our goals says a lot about our ability to succeed.
“If I didn’t fail climbing that mountain, I wouldn’t have pursued a life that allowed me to be with nature.”
Gab Mejia was always exposed to nature. As a child he read National Geographic magazines and encyclopaedia books as bedtime stories. Before becoming a photographer, he was a mountaineer.
“It was when I was 13, my dad immersed us into nature. He took us to different hikes… It was during my hike in Mount Kinabalu, the tallest mountain in Malaysia, around 4,000 of meters above sea level, that tested my love for mountaineering. I failed. I failed to reach the summit but it gave me a new perspective towards life.”
Mejia shares that growing up in Manila filled with buildings and living life in traffic, that hike in
Mount Kinabalu sparked his desire to travel more. Despite failing to complete the hike, as a 13- year-old boy, Gab set his eyes to see the world.
Lesson no. 2: To be good at something, listen and observe.
Lesson number 2 is not something that Gab explicitly shares but something I’ve picked up in my conversation with him. I realized that Gab has a natural gift to learn and acquire lessons from everything and everyone around him. His most powerful lens is not from his DSLR camera but the lens from his own eyes.
Without taking any formal photography lessons prior to landing a job as a National Geographic photographer, he learns the technique of photography by listening to the mentors he met through his hobbies and passion.
The indigenous communities he connects with in his projects taught him the power of storytelling. Even the water lilies from Agusan Marsh and the stars of the Milky Way have offered valuable insights for Gab. His ability to acquire lessons, insights, and learning from his experience is due to his innate capacity to observe with utmost presence and ears to listen.
Lesson no. 3: There’s a world out there waiting for us to explore.
Gab Mejia’s projects prove that there’s a world out there waiting for us to see. What we experience in our day to day lives – what we see on Instagram, our everyday anxieties and worries, are all so little compared to what’s out there…
Gab recalls his trip to Mount Meru, the sacred five-peaked mountain of Hindu. “In late 2017, we did a project under Mount Meru, center of the universe for the Hindus. It was nestled in between the Himalayas… I was really fortunate enough to win this photo competition for wetlands and they gave me a list of places I’m allowed to travel to. I chose the farthest one – the Patagonian Region.” He adds: “It’s really a different world. I was immersed in the daunting landscapes. I was documenting glaciers, effects of climate change, wetlands.”
Lesson no. 4: The cliché is true. To succeed in life, chase passion not success.
“With photography, it wasn’t my only goal to travel but I wanted to make an impact through my stories. Being in the list of Forbes Under 30 was something I was never striving for. It just came with pushing my passion and advocacy. I don’t even know who nominated it but I’m thankful.”
We all have goals we want to succeed at. We all have big ideas we want to implement in the world. However, the formula to success is really more than just simply “eyes on the prize.” To be truly successful at what we do, we must align ourselves with things that make us feel alive.
In 2018, Gab applied for a National Geographic Young Career Program. It was a big dream he never thought he would achieve but his gut feel and intuition pushed him to do so. He went with it and to his surprise, he achieved his dream earlier than he could’ve imagined.
Lesson no. 5: Show up. Take risks.
“I do think things through but you know… I like to risk it.”
Going out of your way for your passion takes you to Patagonia! Kidding aside, from simply running after class and taking a jeepney to becoming a photographer of National Geographic, Gab Mejia proves saying yes to every opportunity, learning along the way, and allowing passion to consume you, despite roadblocks and obstacles around the way, is powerful.
Lesson no. 6: Take pauses but keep going.
Gab admits that the pandemic was a tough one for a photographer like him. He took a break from his camera for 4 to 5 months because of how the situation made him feel. Despite this, it gave him a chance to reinvent himself. How can I make a living? How will I survive this pandemic? Gab asks himself. Despite the whirlwind of emotions and inner conflict, he says it allowed him to reinvent himself. Take breaks but keep going.
Lesson no. 7: Surround yourself with people who share the same passion.
Community is something that Gab advocates for. From joining organizations in college, the UP Diliman Marine Biological organization, to being part of a community with people who share the same hobbies as him, mentors, and friends that supported his vision… The people you surround yourself with will have a profound impact in your blueprint towards reaching your goals and dreams.
Lesson no. 8: The world is not black and white. Be open to new perspectives.
It’s an eye-opening experience to go to different places and expose yourself to various cultures that offer different perspectives. Ultimately, there’s more to life than black and white. There’s no one way to go around things. Keeping a healthy and open perspective towards other beliefs, respecting different cultures, and allowing yourself to learn from these will help you grow.
Lesson no. 9: Focus on what you can offer.
For Gab Mejia, his mission was always the same. He wants to be able to raise awareness of the effects of climate change through his camera and stories. Being able to see the world both the beauty and fragility of our planet, Gab wants nothing more than to focus on promoting his advocacy towards raising awareness.
Lesson no. 10: We are all interconnected.
When asked about the ultimate life lesson he’s learned from his journey, Gab shares: “we are all interconnected.”
“Even travelling the Philippines, you meet people who don’t speak the same language. You meet people who don’t wear the same clothes, follow a different set of culture and traditions, but despite these, we are all connected by one ocean. We all seem different but we’re all the same.”
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