We Got Alex Diaz To Give Advice on Career, Love, and Life | Filipino | Rec•Create
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which is about four law students navigating the pitfalls of law school.
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We are currently working on the premiere of my first international film,
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which is Glitter and Doom.
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It is a jukebox musical to the tune of the Indigo Girls.
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And we have stars like Ming-Na Wen, Missy Pyle,
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The only Filipino in the cast.
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So I'm very excited about that.
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So how does one even start out in the industry?
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I started out performing when I was 12.
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And so I think that's the very start.
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I was Simba in my high school play.
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And from there, Facebook had just started booming
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and I was getting messages from managers in different networks.
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And so I'd never been to Manila at that point.
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For me, North was Alabang.
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So I remember when I was 14, I auditioned for PBB.
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Long story short, my dad,
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wasn't supportive of my career at that time
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because I was still studying.
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So as soon as I got to college,
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I started doing commercials behind my family's back
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and that started popping off.
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So from there, I was scouted into Star Magic off the radio
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because I was doing radio for RX 93.1.
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Yeah, from there, I was launched and nobody knew me.
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Yeah, that's kind of how it all started for me.
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The one thing I can say about starting out in showbiz is
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be proud of every opportunity that comes for you,
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even if it's small or great.
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The concept of gratitude is so important,
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because kung hindi ka makuntento sa maliit,
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hindi ka magiging kontento sa pagmalaki na yung dumarating sa'yo.
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So always be proud of yourself.
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From my first candy cutie stint
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all the way to my first Mega Magazine cover,
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one thing I would tell my younger self is really enjoy the moment.
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Surround yourself with good people.
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With your busy schedule,
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yes, busy schedule,
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how do you manage to maintain a healthy work-life balance,
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especially with relationships?
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I don't think I'm the right person to ask about this because at this point in my life,
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I have, sinukuan ko na ang work-life balance.
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As in, when I was in my early 20s, I'm like,
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oh, kailangan mag-beach tayo and then after ako mag-work,
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kailangan alamin parang may time with friends and stuff.
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At this point in my life, in this economy,
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sinukuan ko na po yung work-life balance.
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I think, swerte ako kasi mahal na mahal ko yung trabaho ko.
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Like, whenever I go to work, I have to pinch myself na para,
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I'm doing this, but at the same time,
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I have to remind myself that I'm doing this because
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I had unwavering faith in my ability.
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Even when I watch back my old videos and medyo cringe ako
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kasi sobrang OA ako when I was younger.
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But hey, this industry is all about the makapal na face.
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So you have to have a thick face.
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I think work-life balance is a myth in some ways because
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if you are blessed to wake up doing what you love
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or if you know in your mind what your end goal is,
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then you'll get there.
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But in terms of balance, work-rest balance.
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You need to be able to get eight hours of sleep.
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You need to be able to get up at night.
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You need to be able to get up at night.
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You need to be able to pick and choose the moments
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that you are going to partake in sad,
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which is self-aided destruction like partying,
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having a good time.
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Choose those moments and choose them less
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pag medyo tumandahan na.
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Bata ka pa, pwede pa.
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Pero when you're older, choose those moments carefully.
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In an industry where there is a lot of pressure to conform,
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how do you stay true to yourself?
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That's an interesting question because
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I feel like one thing I realized is that
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your self is always changing.
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So if what was true to you when you were 20
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may not be true when you're 24,
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may not be true when you're 27.
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So really just love yourself through
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your ever-changing personality.
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Because there are times where I would look back at myself,
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especially in this industry where
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you say something and that video goes viral,
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immortal na siya eh.
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Hindi na nag-age yung video.
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So what I was saying five, six years ago,
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even if it was uploaded then,
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as long as pumapatak yung views,
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people are watching it,
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you will be referenced to.
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And sometimes all it takes is one picture to define you.
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But in acting, we say you were only as good as your last work.
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So in this industry,
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spend enough time with yourself
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and journal and meditate and get to know yourself.
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Keep discovering parts of yourself
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that you can share with the world.
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Come from a place that is not ego-driven.
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For me, it's representation.
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You know, I'm many things.
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I'm an actor, a creator, I'm a performer.
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I'm also, you know, I'm very into activism.
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But come from those things
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and not just wanting to be seen
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and just wanting to be heard.
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You know, every time I look back on my past,
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I always, I don't see it as myself.
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I see it as, you know, an inner child.
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I don't think adults,
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adults don't act out.
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You know, when somebody's acting out,
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it's the inner child that's crying for attention.
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And I just remember being so young and just,
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you know, we all go through our own problems.
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And it's our duty as citizens of this world
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to never impede or fuck with anybody else's humanity.
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But to also understand, you know, that we are here.
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To understand ourself.
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And sometimes that only comes looking back.
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So when I see the decisions and the choices that I made
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when I was younger, more crazy,
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I just try to look at myself with compassion.
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And, you know, I remember when I was 23,
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I remember looking out the window
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and I remember imagining myself
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looking at an older version of myself
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and asking myself, like, does it get better?
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And looking back at that version of myself
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and just giving him a hug and saying like,
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it does get better.
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Because it really does.
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It really does get better.
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Thank you, Miss Universe 2020.
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How do you handle criticism and negative feedback
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both in your professional and personal life?
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Um, I'm a very sensitive soul.
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My first response is to take offense.
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So I have to retreat into my shell
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and I have to really hihimayin ko talaga.
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Like, what part of this is coming from their projections
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and what part of this is something that I can integrate
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into my career, you know?
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In today's society, if you're looking to become a content creator,
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more so now than ever,
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they are still views. They are still
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clicks. It is still reach.
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It just depends on how you handle it. So,
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you know, if you said something bad online
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or you did something that wasn't tasteful
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or something like that, una-una sa lahat, you have to come back
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to yourself and realize, did I do something wrong?
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And if you did something wrong, come from a
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place of honesty to do better.
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You know, there are two types of people in this world.
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It's either that breaks you
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or they are just another
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you know, building block for
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the person, the inevitable
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amazing person you will become.
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What is the best love advice you have
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ever heard? I think love yourself
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first. Love yourself first.
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Fill your cup. Someone is not meant
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to be the center of your universe. They are meant
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to be a part of your constellation.
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They are meant to complement your life. So,
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ganun. If you ever feel like you're getting to the point
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na parang you can't live without a person,
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it's time to reassess the relationship.
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Not naman leave the relationship, but
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reassess your value
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system. See, we have the pillars of our
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life. We have love,
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spiritual, self-actualization
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and the love of your life is just
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one part of that. I don't know, that might
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work for you. If it works for you, great.
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How do you continue to grow and evolve
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both personally and professionally?
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As cliche as this
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sound, I've always wanted to
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pursue mastery of self and
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even in the moments where I have
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made mistakes, I try to view them as
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lessons. I've come to realize that
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it is inevitable that you will not
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become more aware of your life.
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As you live it, kasalanan ng
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pumikit kapag namulat ka na
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sa mga realities ng life mo.
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And that's just how we grow as humans,
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diba? The only thing inevitable in life
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is change. And when we try to resist
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that, that's where the friction
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comes in. So, just really lean into
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gratitude, gratitude.
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Really be thankful for, if you can't see the
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big things, be thankful that the sun came
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up today and be thankful that you have two feet
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and two legs that can walk. Professionally,
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my therapist, everybody, go to therapy.
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It is a mental workout
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just like a physical workout. But I was told
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by my therapist that showbiz is a
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business of optics.
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So, you have to separate your personal self
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from your professional self.
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And I think that applies to kahit anong trabaho
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na papasukan nyo. Okay guys, I hope
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you got to know me just a little bit better
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and I hope that I imparted some
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advice to you. But,
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I don't know if it ruins your life.
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Don't listen to it. But if
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it did help you, I'm happy. And while
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you're at it, please, please, please, don't forget to catch
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Glitter and Doom ngayong June 5
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na po in Ayala Cinemas
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Thank you for watching!
