Jodi Sta. Maria points out how important it is to be kind and say things with ingat online
Jodi Sta. Maria is known as one of the celebrities who brings out positive vibes through her inspirational stories and quotes on social media.
But even with the positivity she spreads, Jodi is not spared from receiving negative comments and criticisms from netizens. Being in the business for 25 years, she has been dealing with this through the years—even before social media even existed.
She talks about this in a conversation with Bianca Gonzalez on her podcast “Paano Ba To?” titled “How do you #SayItWithIngat?”
At the time Jodi was just starting, the biggest battle for artists was dealing with write-ups from tabloids that were not necessarily true or exaggerated.
Jodi says, “We were like programmed in a way na sasabihin talaga sa amin na kailangan nasa good side ka ng press. You have to know their names. When you see them, kailangan, you have to make beso.
“Pero there’s so many of them na talagang, unfortunately, in a single encounter, hindi mo talaga sila lahat matatandaan and may mga pagkakataon na may mga sumasama din yung loob kasi hindi mo sila nabati.
“So, kapag ganun ang nangyari, parang ie-expect mo na, ‘Naku, the following week, nasa tabloid ka na.’”
But it comes second nature to Jodi to not retaliate to these comments, especially now on social media where faceless accounts have become rampant.
This comes from the thinking that any response might add flames to the fire and the bickering might not stop.
Jodi explains, “Kahit na ano yata yung nabato sa ‘yo, parang hindi ko talaga naging ugali na number one, mag-retaliate or mag-react sa mga issues, especially if I know na hindi naman siya totoo.
“Ang lagi ko kasing iniisip, if I reacted to this one, then it’s only going to—I’m just going to fan the flame, so lalaki. Alam mo naman ang mangyayari, sasagot, may sasagutin, ‘tapos kailangan mong sagutin. So, mage-escalate din siya.
“And then, okay, is it going to be beneficial for me and the person involved, di ba? Kung hindi naman, parang huwag na lang. If it’s not gonna matter in five years then I should not waste at least five minutes thinking about it.”
READ ALSO: Jodi Sta. Maria Flexes Her Son, Thirdy, On Social Media
“Ganito nga ba talaga ako?”
Bianca lauded Jodi for her maturity in dealing with such comments. However, Jodi also acknowledged the fact that these can be hurtful to bear.
Bianca tells Jodi, “I remember sometimes na nakakapraning to even open a tabloid or now social media, kasi nga you see negative things about you.”
Jodi admits, “Kasi Bianca, they’ll make you question also, ‘Huh? Ganito nga ba talaga ako? Am I who they say I am?’ Di ba, kapag nakabasa ka ng ganun?”
Jodi then points out that she is blessed to have a good support system through her mom, especially when she was younger. More than that, Jodi has learned the perfect response whenever she reads such comments.
“I practice a lot of pause. Ngayong nagka-edad ako, kasi siyempre tao ka lang, e. I mean, at some point, during your most vulnerable moments, yung mga comments na ganito, talagang they have their way of getting to you.
“So, kapag ganun, when I begin to question myself and doubt myself na, ‘Baka nga naman tama siya? Baka naman ganito talaga ako,’ magpo-pause muna ako. That’s why yun nga, I practice a lot of pause. And then, I always go back to who I am.
“It will have to take a lot of self-awareness din Bianca, e. Kasi kung hindi, tapos magre-respond ka or paniniwalaan mo na agad, ikaw din yung talo.
“I just have to remind myself na just because somebody said this of me, ito yung opinion niya about me, it does not make that the truth of who I am. It doesn’t mean that it’s factual.”
READ ALSO: Bianca Gonzalez Gives Advice On Sustaining A Podcast
Saying things with ingat
But aside from choosing which comments to dwell on, Bianca and Jodi stress the importance of starting with oneself when saying and acting with ingat.
This includes choosing the words we say and even checking the accounts that we follow on social media.
Bianca says, “I think that in a lot of things that we talked about, there are really ways that we can say things with more ingat.
“To say it with ingat is so important at a time like this, especially nga na one, lahat tayo, may kanya-kanyang pinagdadaanan and two, lahat tayo, we want to create a healthier, kinder space online.
“It really all starts with us and to your point earlier, yung people around us. I think if we practice it every day with those around us, it will naturally spill over. Kasi for me, the online world is a reflection of our real world, e.”
Jodi adds, “Kasi manggagaling lang naman lahat sa sarili mo, e. So we have to accept the fact na hindi naman natin kontrolado yung behavior ng tao sa paligid natin, especially online, di ba?
“Pero lagi tayong pwedeng may gawin sa mga sarili natin. Yun na nga, saying it with ingat, choosing to be kind because you see that life is hard and people have emotions. So, I think kung doon mo pa lang ipagba-base kung bakit kailangan mong maging ganito, parang worth it naman siya, e.”
Check out how Jodi and Bianca say things with ingat on the latest episode of “Paano Ba To” in collaboration with Paracetamol (Biogesic), now streaming on Spotify!
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