After more than two months in complete isolation at home, it’s become a constant battle to stay positive and calm as each day passes. But Jericho Rosales, an actor who came from humble beginnings, urges us to hang onto our dreams and keep our eyes forward despite the pandemic.
On a lengthy Facebook post, Jericho penned an open letter to all Filipinos who are struggling to stay hopeful amid current circumstances.
“[I] think a lot of us have stopped dreaming and reaching our goals because of the negative factors around us- poverty, lack of support and the additional uncertainty we get from this pandemic. Or at least we deeply questioned them. Our tomorrows are filled with questions and cares. It is natural for us to think that way. We all are going through this and it is very hard,” he began.
“Dreams are dreams because they seem far from reality. It can be easy to forget about them. But with a heart full of hope and a mind filled with positivity, nothing is impossible.”
Jericho then reminisced his days prior to entering showbiz. Coming from a poor family, he had gone to six different public schools up until High School while doing a variety of manual labor—scavenging trash to sell to junk shops, being a jeepney barker, and delivering pizzas, to name a few.
“Clearly, I did not have the ideal life situation,” he shared. “But I had a dream – to get myself and my family out of poverty and have our own house. That was my first major dream. I had faith in God and I also had time. So I prayed and prayed and never stopped learning new things. I kept moving. I kept my dream in front of me.”
(ALSO READ: Let’s All Remember the First Time Jericho Rosales Walked Into our Lives)
He made his breakthrough when he joined the “Mr. Pogi” talent search in noontime show Eat Bulaga back in 1996. Since then, he’s opened “doors of opportunities” through “self-education, learning skills, surrounding yourself with forward-thinking like-minded people, and using your challenges as tools for self-improvement/development.” He even revealed learning how to speak English by watching television and movies, reading books, and talking to different people.
By having this positive mindset and sheer determination, Jericho believes that anyone can get through any challenge.
“What we have in our hands is NOW. It holds a lot of power if you know how to use it. It can change your tomorrows. Shaping it starts the moment you tell yourself “this is my tomorrow”,” he said.
“They say dreams are only dreams and wishes will remain to be wishes but not until you do something about them. So keep dreaming, keep hoping and keep moving. You are made to be something and someone for another. I wish all of us a bright future and I’ll do my part to make that happen,” he added.
(ALSO READ: Jericho Rosales is all us more than a month into this lockdown)
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