Liberating from labels

It’s the tail end of 2014. By now, Christmas presents have been bought, 13th month bonuses have been issued or probably even already spent, and reunions have been booked.

But have you really taken stock of the year that was? And are you ready to welcome a brand new one? 

Think of the year not just as a series of achievements, or a collection of work projects or two semesters worth of school. Try to recall what 2014 was for you as a person. For once, let’s not cut ourselves up into the roles that we assign ourselves: mother, daughter, student, employee. And let’s think about how we are in the fullness of our beings. 

What battles left us scarred? What triumphs gave us strength? And what do we need to let go of to meet 2015 shining strong? 

Definitely, one thing we can let go of are the labels attached to us. 

If you were too fat, skinny, ambitious, maarte, stupid or tamad, liberate yourself from these prejudices. 

Take inspiration from one woman. A celebrity who grew up accustomed to the spotlight, still, she was given unfair judgment for becoming a single mother. She was told, “Sayang ka,” “You were at the top of your career.” 

In her 90-second story, she candidly talks about the double standard that prevails in Philippine society. How a guy is a stud but a girl is “malandi.” Her confession has already gotten almost 1.5 million views on Youtube. She is Denise Laurel. 

But her life is far from being defined by those labels. 

Laurel liberated herself from the painful words that were attached to her. 

Join the discussion and together, let’s talk about the real challenges that Filipinas still face and how we can rise above them. Laurel did not let other people and their opinions write her story. Today, she is a proud mother and is happily engaged. She wrote her own happy ending and you can, too.  

Watch the Pantene #ShineStrong one-on-one with Laurel hosted by Tracy Abad. – Rappler.com