It’s one thing to agree with the saying “age is just a number,” and quite another to truly live it.
Maricar Reyes-Poon, 44, has recently found a passion.
She told PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal): "Because this is what helped me—I have this passion to help women heal, get over bitterness, find accountability.
"Because that’s really where you find freedom, that’s really where you find truth, good and the bad, which you’ll see through accountability."
Having experienced many personal transformations and faced life’s challenges, the actress now uses her social-media platforms to offer guidance, share lessons, and provide valuable insights.
In her own words: "I’ve let go of the perception na the younger you are, you’re more valuable and you’ll have a fresh perspective to offer the world. And that’s partially true.
"But at the same time, growing older, there’s also value in that as well.
"Older women have a responsibility to teach the younger women on what mistakes they can avoid so that each generation, we become better and better.
"And I think that’s our responsibility as the more mature ones: to teach the younger ones so that they don’t make the same mistakes that we did before, so that everybody goes up eventually."
Maricar Reyes on Evolving
Since the pandemic, Maricar has devoted much of her time to her chocolate cake business.
What began in 2015 as a simple indulgence—baking three chocolate cakes for friends and acquaintances—has, a decade later, evolved into a thriving and successful venture.
"People evolve. When I was in showbiz, I thought that was it.
"But then as I go through life, you feel like you can offer something more. And when you have that feeling, especially when you’re getting older, you’ll feel like, 'Oh I can’t start anything new because I’m older.'
"But that’s really a mindset that is not helpful.
"So you just have to try something new, and if it fails, then, okay, you learned from it. Try something else.
"I mean that’s the worst. I realize na parang it’s in partnership with my more immature mindset na kailangan perfect lahat.
"So when you let go of that as you get older, when you try something new, it’s not always going to be perfect. But 100%, you’re going to learn something from it."
ULTIMATE STORIES
There are many women who, like Maricar, discovered a more purposeful way of living—achieved through conscious effort.
This belief anchors Myra Ultimate’s Our Ultimate Story campaign, which highlights the success stories of 40 ladies, including Maricar, who realized the importance of self-worth, self-care, and pursuing their passions later in life.
Read: The Ultimate Glow-Up: 40 Women Proving Success Has No Age Limit
They come from different backgrounds and life paths, yet a common thread among many of them is that they initially faced hardships and struggles—arising from either their careers or personal lives—such as stress, grief, health concerns, and more.
They could have chosen to mope over the negative situation, but they did not.
Not only did they overcome these challenges, they also embraced adversity as a natural part of the process—one that made their success even sweeter.
Rather than succumbing, they used these setbacks as stepping stones to prevail and start anew.
Along the way, they gained invaluable lessons from these experiences.
They dared to dream again—whether for personal or career growth or serving others—and chased these dreams until they became reality.
As Myra Ultimate Ambassador Maricar Reyes-Poon put it this way: “Everyone has something to learn.
"So eventually, just think about how many people you’re going to help when you share your own story and your own learnings.”
Read: Richard Poon, Maricar Reyes consider this budgeting method effective
WOMEN WHO EVENTUALLY FOUND A DEEPER PURPOSE
Among the inspiring stories of these women is Kristine Soguilon, a missionary visual artist, who uses her talent in painting to create art that spreads the word of God.
It took a long time before she finally discovered her purpose with the use of her God-given artistic talent.
Growing up as the odd one out, Kristine suppressed her artistic expression. She grew up trying to fit it. She considered others’ sake and emotions over hers.
She ventured into business. She married. All the while she tried to put out that persistent artistic fire inside of her.
Eventually it took its toll. Her business ventures and her marriage came tumbling down. She hit rock bottom.
But it was then she found her purpose.
“I discovered something life-altering,” she said. “God was the Rock at the bottom. Steady. Strong. Steadfast.
“He called me back to art, my calling, my inheritance, the gift He planted in me before the foundations of my pain were ever laid.”
She found her self-expression through her artworks.
“Now I continue to tell everyone the ugliest parts of my story, because God has already transformed these into the most beautiful parts of my testimony.”
Another inspiring story is KC Vicedo, who wanted to excel in her career as a businesswoman.
Then tragedy befell her marriage when her husband was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
However, she rose up to the occasion. She continued to do her work and her commitment but with deeper sense of purpose.
She continues to manage her business but at the same time, dutifully does her obligation as a wife. As a matter of fact, she became the voice of CKD warriors, or those who care for a loved one with a chronic disease.
She shares the struggles and her journey to her fellow carers to offer them inspiration.
“I want to represent women who balance ambition with real-life challenges, who continue growing no matter what life puts on their shoulders,” she said.
Detchie Valenton has a simple yet equally inspiring story. A story that resonates with so many women out there, those who are mainly content to stay in the background while they let others take the spotlight.
But when the situation calls for it, even if reluctantly at first, they take on the challenge, discovering their inner strength and the dormant potential that have always been there.
When Detchie was elected as the president of an all-women Rotary club, she initially had doubts.
“It was the kind of responsibility that could easily intimidate anyone, especially someone as quiet as me—not because I lacked ability, but because I doubted myself,” she related.
Despite the hesitation, Detchie took courage, marched on, and assumed the position. That was all it took for her to excel in her duty.
“I understood that sometimes life calls us into roles we didn’t choose but were always meant for. And when I finally said yes, I discovered a stronger, braver version of myself—one that had been waiting inside me all along.”
She continued, “To embrace an unstoppable mindset, I had to let go of some deeply-rooted beliefs: I had to stop believing that leadership belonged only to the outspoken.
“I had to stop believing that I wasn’t enough—smart enough, strong enough, confident enough.
“When I released those limiting beliefs, I made space for new truths: That my softness is not a weakness—it is a strength.”