It’s all an illusion, this ideal of perfection we see from our favorite stars. But as we begin to uncover, they’re just as human as we are, with fears and hesitation getting the best of them. In this unraveling, we learn how to turn a cannot into a courageous can-do moment.
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Whether we like to admit it or not, we often fall prey to the creeping and consuming abilities of hesitations. It’s that split-second moment that ravages the typically tenacious rah-rah-rah spirit, forcing one to buckle and get backed into a corner of whatever circumstance you find yourself in. Even in an empowered world, where we have considerably hit our stride in progress, this fear constantly gnaws at the back of our minds, striking the very second we let our guards down. And make no mistake about it, it happens even to the best, brightest, and boldest of us.
“A recent study showed that more than nine in ten women hold themselves back in some situations. In the Philippines it was found that 96% of Filipinas say they’ve experienced self-doubt, which at some point disabled them from achieving their goals. Fear of being judged is the most common reason for Filipinas to hold back whether it’s about their career or a relationship,” details Pond’s Senior Brand Manager Kristine Rey-Domingo. As the well-loved face care brand by Filipinas, Pond’s has always taken the consideration of the girl and woman first above everything else. More than just the surface level, the brand has consistently concerned themselves with what lies beneath, illuminating on a more personal and purposeful kind of beauty that is heightened in the grander scheme of things.
Taking this into full account, Pond’s has encouraged a conversation, hopefully building into a movement to further strengthen and support the woman, empowering them to see their best selves through. “It was with this in mind that we at Pond’s are shedding light on the #SeeWhatHappens stories of our own ambassadors—confident ladies whom you’d never guess would have hesitations and self-doubt,” shares Rey-Domingo, enlisting a panel of women who despite being visions of glamour, grit, and grace, all share a denominator of being hunkered down by their own doubts and hesitations.
Where we see beacons of success, being placed atop pedestals for everyone to fawn over, this assemblage of stars are unmasking themselves, admitting to personal struggles that have at a point almost made them quit altogether. While we weren’t privy to these internalized challenges, Heart Evangelista-Escudero, Kathryn Bernardo, Nadine Lustre, Gabbi Garcia, and the newest Pond’s girl, Ylona Garcia, are wearing their emotions on their sleeves, revealing a side to them that is vulnerable and most importantly, unerringly human.
“It’s the fear of the unknown,” begins Heart Evangelista-Escudero, in the conversation moderated by Vicky Herrera of She Talks Asia. “As you go through life, you really don’t know what’s going to happen and then you overthink. So, that really makes you hesitate in everything you do. But as you go to the process, as you go through life, you start to develop this immunity to certain problems, then without knowing, you become confident. So, the next time it happens, you know what to do more or less and how to react.” Breaking ground in the discussion dubbed, #SeeWhatHappens, which was simultaneously broadcasted over Facebook Live, the discourse on the tropes of adulthood and the continuous navigating one does in the course of, we were offered personal stories of struggles that tracked their moment of doubt and inspiring victories. These stories of success are more than the fame and fortune we envy, because for them, it is what they’ve learned about themselves and of life that made the process worthwhile. “A lot of people don’t know this, but I doubt myself a lot. I always second guess myself, always telling myself, what if I can’t do it? What if I fail? What if I make mistake?” says Nadine Lustre. “But then, at the end of the day, you’re never going to learn if you don’t make mistakes.”
With the achievements and accomplishments to their name, it would seem that they have it all put together, but beyond what we see on TV, film, and on social media, these ladies are human beings too, wading through their day-to-day with as much uncertainty as the next one. There were a lot of hesitations and fears. “It was a struggle for me. Before saying yes to that project [Hello, Love, Goodbye], I had to consider everyone, especially my fans, because I didn’t want to feel as if I left them. Maybe some of them wont understand why I said yes, why I took this big step, but I told myself at the start of this year that it will be about growth. I’m just really proud of myself with everything that’s happening right now. Maybe if I said no, it would have been the biggest regret of my life. So, change is scary, but it is necessary,” offers Kathryn Bernardo. Chiming in, Ylona Garcia appropriately broke character and honored her authenticity, recalling a turning point in her young life when she really went for her passions despite the naysayers. “I just felt like at the time I wasn’t at my best potential, which was fine, I’ll just show them. And four or five years later, I guess I’m here now,” says the newest face of Pond’s.
Similarly, even for someone as composed as Gabbi Garcia, she faced her fair share of adversity in the early stages of her career, which she of course used to fuel her forward. “I had a lot of fears and second thoughts in this industry that were in. A lot of us have experienced rejection, judgments, bashing online, but that didn’t stop me from reaching my goal,” she says. “I feel like you have to have that certain mind-set to keep on going and we shouldn’t let anyone dictate who we are and how we should feel, what to do also. It’s our life, our rules.”
An enlightening session more than anything, #SeeWhatHappens essayed what the reality is today: We aren’t as we are perceived to be, and that is even at a challenge, perfectly fine. By sharing their stories of rising from adversity unseen, Heart, Kathryn, Nadine, Gabbi, and Ylona are testaments to a beauty that goes beyond what is seen. As resplendent and stunning as they all are, with glowing accolades to their name, this start to a progressive movement is enough encouragement for women everywhere to share their own narratives, both being honest with the fears they face and working towards being their best for no one else but themselves. In earnest accordance, Pond’s hopes that from this ripple, it gains traction and builds to a swelling wave that builds women up, supporting each other rise above their inner voices to ultimately transform moments of hesitation into a stroke of courageous can-do attitude.
