"I knew that at some point in my life I wanted to open up about the mental health struggles that I went through, although I wasn't sure when. But when I was given the chance to do the TedX Talk and come up with my own topic, I thought that this was my opportunity to own the narrative of what I went through, instead of it coming from somebody else," she says.
Although the therapeutic process was not easy and compelled her to open old wounds, it led her to a good place. "I felt like I was strong enough and in a position in my life where—although it's still a work in progress —I'm coming from a place of healing, and I feel empowered and informed enough to talk about it openly and hopefully share some ways that other people can address what they're going through and feel supported."
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Judging from the outpouring of heartfelt, even tearful comments from viewers, her candor was truly uplifting and her message—"You are not alone"—resonated in a major way with her audience.
As she talked about the difficulties she went through, beginning with her parents splitting up when she was nine, and her becoming the family breadwinner at 11, what stood out most was her ready acceptance of her situation and her determination to not be overcome by it.
"Looking back, it was challenging, and I did feel a lot of pressure to perform so I could keep booking jobs and gigs to be able to sustain the family, but it helped me mature and realize the value of hard work, perseverance, patience, and money," she says. "I don't just throw away money, because I came from those humble beginnings. I have a better appreciation of saving and investing now, so I try to be smart about it."
I wanted more. I lived in Cagayan de Oro city, but I wanted to experience traveling, I wanted to explore. I've always had that in me, where I feel like there's such a big world out there and I need to discover it, I need to see what opportunities are there.
This also spurred her on to bigger goals. "I hated that we always had to worry about next month— the bills, tuition fees, the rent, the constant worry every month—so a personal goal of mine was to get out of that situation."
She was a little girl in a provincial setting, but Wurtzbach always knew there was another world out there, waiting for her to find it.
"Where we were living, I felt like I was surrounded by people who didn't share the same kind of goals I had," she says. "I felt like I was alone—like in the classroom for example. I felt that I was the only one who wanted to get out of there, the only one who wasn't going to settle for just this. I wanted more. I lived in Cagayan de Oro city, but I wanted to experience traveling, I wanted to explore. I've always had that in me, where I feel like there's such a big world out there and I need to discover it, I need to see what opportunities are there."
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Transcendence through trials
It would have been easy to succumb to self-pity, or to be angry at her circumstances, but this wasn't something the young Pia allowed herself.
"I would always tell myself that I can't blame the situation I'm in on anyone," she says. "I told myself at a young age—if you want to get anything done, you have to go do it yourself. You can't rely on other people to hand you anything. It's pretty intense, I know, but I gave myself that reality check. Instead of asking advice from my parents and friends I kept reading self-help books, those were my guides. I felt that if I equipped myself with the right kind of mindset, I would get things done."
