The Stories That Shaped Me — and Keep Me Going
I’ve always loved stories.
Even before we had a TV, I was hooked.
I grew up listening to radio dramas — getting lost in voices, imagination, and the worlds they created. But movies? Oh, they were something else. A magical escape.
I remember back in the province, we didn’t have a television at home. But there was a sari-sari store (a small neighborhood shop) that charged ₱1 per head to watch shows on a tiny TV box. Five wooden stools (bangko) lined up like a mini cinema. You either got a seat or you peeked through the bintana (window).
One day, my mama sent me to buy toyo (soy sauce) or mantika (cooking oil). I reached the store and — lo and behold — a bunch of kids were glued to the screen inside. So I peeked through the window.
And got hooked.
I don’t even remember what show it was. All I know is I didn’t move. Hours passed. It got dark. The movie ended.
Then I realized: I never bought the toyo nor mantika.
Mama was furious. (Ayun, tinoyo si Mama! — pun intended 😅). I was too scared to go upstairs, so I slept at the silong (the open space under our house), afraid of the dark — and of her.
But even then, I knew… I’d found something I’d carry with me for life:
The power of stories.
Stories that move you, wreck you, rebuild you.
Here are the ten that did just that for me:
1. 🎓 3 Idiots
“Pursue excellence, and success will follow.”
This film is etched in my soul.
It shaped how I taught my students. It influenced how I mentored scholars at UPLB Learning Resource Center. It also affects how my husband and I raise our son and daughter.
When I was a college instructor, this movie inspired how I started my classes.
I’d greet my students: “How are you?”
And they’d all answer in chorus:
“All is well!” 💛
It reminded me to chase learning, not just grades. And to never stop asking: Is this the life I want?
3 Idiots (2009)
— A reminder to chase purpose, not prestige.
2. 📸 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
“To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other and to feel. That is the purpose of life.“
This movie was my push. After watching it, I dared to leave college teaching and pivot into something bigger. I packed my courage and stepped into uncharted waters — LRC, international development, Beijing. All because I saw what could happen when we stop hiding and start living.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
— Your cue to take the leap.
3. ⛓ The Shawshank Redemption
“Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things.”
Despite the injustice. Despite the silence. Despite the long wait.
This movie reminded me: Hope is never wasted.
I clung to that in seasons of pain, poverty, and prayer.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
— Never lose hope.
4. 🌲 Captain Fantastic
“Always tell the truth. Always take the high road.“
Someday, I still dream of a slow life in the countryside. With fruit trees, a kubo, animals, and a home built with purpose. This film spoke to my soul: the yearning for simplicity, nature, and values — far from capitalism’s noise.
Captain Fantastic (2016)
— Strip away the noise. Go back to what matters.
5. 🐝 Akeelah and the Bee
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?“
This quote? Life-changing.
It helped me stop playing small.
To take up space.
To speak, shine, and serve — not for ego, but because God made me for more.
Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
— Take up space. Stop playing small.
6. 👨👧 Miracle in Cell No. 7 (Korean)
No words. Just tears.
Cried so hard it hurt my chest.
It cracked something open in me.
A rawness, a reminder: We are meant to feel deeply.
And that love — even behind bars — is the most powerful story.
Miracle in Cell No. 7 (2013)
— Let yourself feel. Deeply.
7. 🙏 War Room
“I’ve been trying to fix everything myself instead of turning to God first.”
I learned that some battles aren’t won by arguing… but by praying.
Especially in marriage, in motherhood, in seasons of confusion.
Not everything needs a fight.
Some things are surrendered — on our knees.
And that surrender is strength.
War Room (2015)
— Some battles are won on your knees, not in your voice.
8. 💌 P.S. I Love You
“What do you want? I know what I want, cause I’m holding it in my hands.”
This one hit home.
The husband in this movie reminded me of my own — quiet, grounded, simple, clear in his love.
We often complicate things.
But sometimes, clarity is love.
Just being there. Just choosing each other. Just building a life.
P.S. I Love You (2007)
— Don’t wait to love well. Be clear. Be present.
9. 🏃 Forrest Gump
“Life is like a box of chocolates…”
I felt this in my bones.
When pain came, I ran. When heartbreaks came, I kept moving.
Because that’s what survival looked like.
Keep going. Keep showing up.
Forrest Gump (1994)
— Keep going. Run through the pain.
10. 🧒 The Pursuit of Happyness
God, this movie.
Every time I watch it, I cry for the past I crawled out of.
The pain of poverty. The weight of being a breadwinner. The love for family that fuels you to keep going — no matter what.
It reminded me: You can rise. And your kids will see you rise.
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
— The pain will try to break you. Choose to rise.
These movies aren’t just stories. They’re mirrors.
They showed me who I was. Who I wanted to be.
Who I’m still becoming.
❤️ Dear Reader,
Maybe you’ve forgotten what lights you up.
Maybe you’ve been strong for too long.
Or maybe… you just need to feel something real again.
Let stories move you.
Let your own story remind you.
You’re not too late.
You’re not too broken.
You’re not done.
🟡 Keep going — with grit, with grace, with God.
🎥 What about you?
What movie changed your life?
(And if you’re still peeking through the window, come inside. There’s a seat for you.)
#SherylKeepGoing
#LifeChangingMovies
#StorytellingIsPower
#KeepGoingWithGrace
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