Embrace Your Assets | ✓

Kabanata 34

It is the truth, they don't know me. They don't know Mila. They just want to project their hate on someone else instead of themselves. At nagkataon na ako ang nandoon para bigyan nila ng pansin.

Of course, the right thing to do is to report them. No one deserves to be berated in a huge number of people. No one deserves to be humiliated and attacked for doing nothing at all. No one absolutely deserves to be hated just because you're bored and they have a better life than you.

Pero naniniwala rin ako na balang araw ay dadalawin sila ng konsensya nila. That they were mean and cruel for no reason at all. I will live my life knowing that I did nothing wrong but their hands were inked with all of their harsh words that they have thrown at me during the lowest point of my life.

Sinubukan ko naman sa ibang mga kompanya pero iba ang trato sa akin. There were companies that even rejected me because of my height and other trivial things. Alam ko naman na kailangan maayos ka tingnan kapag nasa corporate ka na. Yet, I don't see why physical appearance should be one of the things that they look for when they're hiring.

It is discouraging. Kaya naman sinabihan ko si Etienne na huwag ito gagayahin. A person's ability is not based on what she or he looks like. It's not like the company that I applied for is a corporation that is part of the hospitality industry. Kaya naman hindi ko lubusan maisip kung bakit kailangan tingnan ang panglabas na anyo.

"Paulene, marketing ang tinapos mo 'di ba?" Etienne asked. Agad naman akong tumango habang naga-ayos ng schedule n'ya para sa araw na ito. He's young but he's already accomplished.

Pero hindi ako naiinggit sa kan'ya. I know, in my own time, I'll be there too. I might not achieved the same things but it doesn't mean that I'm a failure. It just means I was directed to a path that is more fitting for me.

"Arya wants to create her own cosmetic brand. Kaso wala siyang marketing plan, can you see to it?"

Napalingon ako sa kan'ya. I have nothing else to do after this, so I agreed. Nakipagkita ako kay Arya na kapatid ni Arrisea para simulan ang business plan n'ya at ako ang nag-asikaso ng marketing.

"What if we pick shades that will enhance every skin color?" tanong ko kay Arya nang namimili siya ng mga shades na ilalabas sa market n'ya.

"Ano'ng ibig mong sabihin, Ate?"

"Kasi ako, bilang morena, not all shades are good on me. You can sell this kind of shades to those who have fair skin, but to some morenas? It's definitely a no."

I focused on including different skin colors, skin types and the branding of Arya's cosmetic products. It took me a lot of time on researching about how women reacts when they're not included in the standards of how beauty is perceived in the media.

Nang magsimula na kami maglabas ng mga product, people were eagered to support Arya. It was because the models were not the typical fair skin and half pinay models. Kumuha ako ng mga model na parang araw-araw mo nakikita pero mga photogenic. Each shade were tried on different skin colors and skin type; lahat ng ito ay nagpakita ng kagandahan sa mga model na kinuha ko. I also considered the body shape of the models to add inclusion in Arya's brand.

I realized that in order for others to accept the diversity of being beautiful, I have to show them that fuck beauty standards. if you can't fit their standards, then you can set your own standards. If I cannot be beautiful in their eyes, then I'll be gorgeous in my own mind.

It took a few more years for me to gain that confidence. For someone who has low self esteem, people have to understand that they can't force someone to see beyond their flaws. Not everyone is confident. Not everyone can be confident. But we can try to be confident once in a while.