How Yasmien Kurdi surpasses life's challenges

In a world where there are many distractions, it could be difficult identifying what is most important. For Yasmien Kurdi, it took a lot of pain and rejection before she found out what really matters.

She finished as a runner-up in the first season of the talent search StarStruck, which opened doors for her in the showbiz industry. She was given a lot of opportunities to showcase and hone her craft.

For no specific reason, however, she started to gain a lot of weight. “Tumaba lang ako. [Ang] laki ng tinaba ko. Siguro hindi healthy 'yung kinakain ko [noon],” she shared.

This became a major debacle in Yasmien’s career because people started talking about her weight gain. She felt that people focused more on the pounds she gained, rather than the talent that she has to offer.

“Usually kasi ganun eh. Hindi nila nakikita yung pag-arte mo. Nakikita nila yung physical [features] mo, hindi 'yung kung ano 'yung talent mo,” she added.

Being a woman of strong will, she used the negative comments to turn things around for her. She became a vegetarian and an advocate for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

Not only did she stand up for something but she also helped herself gain control of her life. This mind set also led her to the decision of leaving show business for a bit.

“[I left dahil] gusto ko mag-aral. Nag-college ako. I took up Nursing. After nun, gusto kong iwanan ang lahat at gusto kong maging normal na tao,” she noted.

The hiatus she took brought on major changes in her life. She got married and started her own family. She and her husband Rey Soldevilla Jr. now have a one-year-old daughter named Ayesha. They give her the biggest joy and drive her to become good at what she does.

Just last year, she went back to show business, much to the delight of her fans. With several pounds off and a renewed courage, she ventures back into the industry that she first loved. Now, she knows that she wouldn’t be easily let down as before, because she has Rey and Ayesha behind her.

Of the challenges she went through, she knows that everything has its purpose, and the key to life is being resilient through all the challenges.

“[Natutunan ko na] huwag sumuko agad kasi may mga reasons din naman ang lahat kung bakit hindi nangyayari at kung minsan, kung bakit late nangyayari ang isang bagay,” she said.

Catch Yasmien in Rhodora X, weekdays in GMA Telebabad.

-- Text by Meryl Ligunas, Photo by Elisa Aquino, GMANetwork.com; Interview by Tunay Na Buhay