Fighting for the big moments

MANILA, Philippines - I’ve been in the showbiz industry for a year now and I’ve been out of school for three years. If I’m being honest with myself, I have to admit that I constantly think about the “what if’s.”

As great as my experience has been and as thankful I am for the wonderful projects, I think it is just human nature to think if I really made the right decision. People constantly remind me about how volatile the industry can get. One day, everything could just go away and I might not be ready for it.

I’m aware that I gave up my chance to try out the corporate world and it’s not like I’m a successful entrepreneur with businesses to fall back on. But instead of letting these doubts destroy me, I’ve used them to motivate myself.

Early this year, I made a commitment that I would do everything in my power to develop and improve myself. I wasn’t going to wait around for people to tell me what I can do or what I should do. I planned on looking for people who could help me learn and get better in my craft. It sounds simple but it was a lesson in humility to acknowledge my weaknesses and to face the fact that my strengths can still be honed. It was, however, necessary.

Armed with that mindset, I worked out in every possible way and I haven’t stopped ever since. From physical training sessions, acting workshops, vocal lessons to constant conversation with more seasoned people, I changed my lifestyle. I mapped out my progress and looked at areas where I could further push the limits. Even during the times when I did not have work or income coming in, I persevered through it all and told myself it would be better to be prepared for the next project than anything else. It was a huge monetary and temporal investment but as most of us would know, there was risk involved.

Just recently, however, it seems my preparations will be put to the test. I initially wanted to say that my preparations were going to be rewarded but that isn’t the case. In a nutshell, GMA Network has handed me the lead role in the remake of a previously successful show titled Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga alongside my leading lady Andrea Torres. As a backgrounder, when the show first aired 10 years ago, it ran for two years straight and launched one of the most successful artists in the industry today, Dingdong Dantes. Moving back to the topic, I was excited about the news but quickly realized that this is not the reward. The project simply signaled the beginning of my uphill climb. Fortunately for me, I’m coming into it ready for the uphill climb and more.

Along with the excitement of a new project, it was inevitable that I would also feel the immense pressure that came with it. But, just like I did not let my doubts overwhelm me, I will not allow the pressure to break me. It does scare me to think about how much is expected but that’s only because I believe in the term “appropriate fear” — allowing fear to be felt just enough to motivate myself to do my best.

At the end of the day, I believe in my preparations for this project, I believe in the fear that comes with it but I also come into it knowing that I am doing everything I can to make the most out of the opportunity. It’s a fight until the end, it’s a test of my character and it could even define my life but there’s really no other way I would like it.

(For any comments/suggestions, e-mail me at [email protected]. Follow me on Twitter @mikaeldaez. Also, please support Sana ay Ikaw Na Nga on GMA 7 starting in September.)