A story of healing and honesty, Nadine Lustre opens up about her past and present, surprising us where she wants to take her future.
Related: A HIGHER LOVE: HOW NADINE LUSTRE GOT HER GROOVE BACK
Nadine Lustre is a strong woman, perhaps stronger than one gives her credit for. However, despite having made no secret of her life and everything she has gone through so far, some still take great joy in dismissing or downright belittling her in the face of a carefully curated and considered approach to life. You know, as if they know any better.
“I guess it’s just people shitting on me, saying all these nasty things. If it weren’t for that, I don’t think I’d be strong-willed right now. I wouldn’t get to this mindset if it weren’t for that. Kunyare ako, a lot of people didn’t like me, even in production, which I couldn’t understand why. Parang ako naman, nice naman ako and all. But then it’s because of instances like that, which I’ll call bullying, that turned me into the woman that I am now—headstrong, doesn’t give a f*** what other people tell me. I listen to my heart and I do what I want to do,” she says defiantly. “That’s why all those haters or bashers online, it doesn’t affect me anymore. It’s because of their bullying that I became who I am now.”
It doesn’t really matter to Nadine Lustre anymore, because at the end of the day, you have all eyes on her, watching her every move. “I think the joke’s on you,” she laughs. “Kilalang-kilala mo ako, pero ayaw mo sa akin. So, that says a lot about the other person, not me.”
Where she would once upon a time concern herself with this unnecessary cross to bear, she is no longer paying them any mind, because at this point, the most important consideration is herself.
And so continues the story of Nadine Lustre and her healing.
The Healing Of Nadine Lustre
“Now, I guess I would say that I’ve been kinder to myself. For you to experience life to the fullest, you have to be open to experience everything, all of these emotions, all of these experiences, you know, whatever it is that life has to offer,” says Nadine Lustre. “I have been so open lately and allowing everything to come my way—may it be a bad experience or something that will make me sad, or something that will make me angry. I don’t stop myself from experiencing these things. Because at the end of the day, it changes you. It builds you.”
It wasn’t always like this for her, however, because prior to really processing her emotions, even unearthing deeply buried traumas of the past, Nadine Lustre would rather just get things done and over with, put on a brave front, and carry on.
“Gusto ko, ‘pag tapos na, tapos, alam mo ‘yon? Or ‘pag may gusto akong mangyari, dapat mangyari na kaagad. But now, I’m allowing myself time to heal, to process things. Ganon kasi ako before, like in the breakup, which really changed me and my mindset,” she ruminates. “Before, I wanted to get over it to not get hurt or overthink about it or feel bad…We tend to do that just because we don’t want to be affected. Again, I wouldn’t say I’m completely healed from that, like I’m still going through it. But this time, I’m allowing the time and I’m not rushing myself. It would take a long time, but I know I’ll get there.”
No Holding Back
“I used to just completely shut off from people…no closure, no healing from past traumas, including friendships,” she recalls. “I’ve always been afraid of being left behind. I’m afraid of being abandoned, because that’s how it feels when you’re in a relationship for a long time and you separate. It changes you a lot. It makes you feel like there was something wrong with you that’s why the person left you. Before, I would blame myself. I would think to myself: ‘May pagkukulang ako or may ginawa ako.’” Turning a bit more somber than usual, Nadine Lustre admits to still falling trap to this from time to time, proving that progress isn’t a manicured path. “But you know, I would say I’m slowly ascending from that trauma. You can’t put a timeline on it. It’ll just happen,” she says.
“But of course, I won’t stop myself from feeling sad. That’s also four years of being together….it’s not like I’m not going to cry. Before, I would stop myself from crying because I’d think it would only make me more sad. When you stop feeling that or going through the process, you’re also not allowing yourself from taking a step higher. Sige, you cry about it, but when you’re done, you move on. But if I don’t cry about it, it’s going to stay there, bottle up, and eventually, I might break down and get messed up even more.”
In her exercise of self-actualization, Nadine Lustre is thinking about herself first. This time, she’s bravely going to a place she’s never gone to before—allowing herself to completely submit to the circumstance and let the feelings run its course. Now, there really is no more holding back.
Nadine Lustre On Self-Love
Holding this wisdom close to her heart, Nadine Lustre swears that aside from coming to terms with these initially unsettling truths, a serious case of self-care and self-love has to be considered in the journey of healing one’s weathered and withered soul. “It’s true, self-care and self-love is taking care of yourself, physically, like indulging in a long, nice shower (as evidenced by her posts with her favorite Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Body Wash and Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Body Lotion) or pampering yourself with skincare and all that. But for me, most importantly, self-care is giving yourself time and being patient,” she says.
“I believe in that kind of self-love, you have to take care of your physical self. Me, when it comes to taking care of my skin, you have to use the products that are really good for you. To be honest, it took me so long to find the perfect skincare. Growing up, my skin gets irritated easily, and when the products are really strong, it would even get worse. It really is a journey and a process that you have to give it time. You really have to keep searching for the right product. It can’t be like, this product isn’t working for me, maybe my skin is just really bad. No, it’s really just because the product doesn’t sit well for your skin. You really have to go out to find the perfect one.”
Much like her continuing quest to achieving her best self, Nadine Lustre is just as conscious when it comes to the things that touches her skin. “You really have to check what’s in the product, because there could be a specific ingredient that is harmful or the skin cannot handle,” she says, which is why she trusts the right one for her skin, Bioten. “Definitely, aside from Bioten being on the same level as me on sustainability, it’s all natural. You can’t go wrong with that. And I mean, that’s where we get all that’s good for our body.”
More than anything, this manifestation of self-care is also a way to fine tune and resuscitate all the parts that makes us complete and content. As Nadine Lustre says, “Now, we really have to listen to not just our bodies, but our hearts and minds as well. We like to strike while the iron is hot, but it doesn’t always apply. You can do that, but you have your body or mind is saying otherwise.”
Her Wildest Dream
Nadine Lustre is not one to live with any regrets, especially at this point of her life, staking a claim on her brave new front. “There’s nothing that I would want change in my past. I feel like all of those experiences are essential. And all of the things that were said to me, all of the stupid things that I’ve done, all of my mistakes, and all of the people that I’ve met along the way, they were essential for me to achieve what I have and to be where I am now,” she says. “It’s like in movies, when you change something in the future changes or something in the present changes, and I don’t want that. I just want live life.”
So, where does she want this life to take her next?
“It’s as simple as having a house, either on a mountain or beside the beach. It’s not something people would usually think of when it comes to wildest dreams. But for me, it’s actually just being able to have my own place where I can be at peace, that’s it…that’s all I need.” Sure, it might sound like an oversimplified escape, especially for someone who many will argue already has the world and more. But that’s just it, Nadine Lustre will always be about the unexpected. Just when you think you got her all figured out, she will pull a fast one and surprise you, because all she really needs in this life is somewhere where she can just be.
