I've never been into the idea of eating grapes during new years, nor have I ever stand on a chair thinking that receiving the new year on the ground was bad luck. However, this year, I tried it, and whether these tradition truly change around your luck, something has changed my path this year and I am thankful.
It all started with a phone called my dad received about two weeks ago. The producer of this famous Peruvian TV show, Esto es Guerra, asked him if I wanted to audition for the teen version they are releasing this year. When I first thought about it, it seemed absurd, but as I reflected upon this opportunity I was more convinced to try this out. I spent days overthinking this in my bed, my thoughts ate away my sleep. For me it wasn't about the fame or the money, it was about becoming independent, committing to a job at the age of 17, and being able to support myself. It was this heart racing dream that gave the last push to make this decision. This opportunity will open doors, not only for contacts, but it is also going to give me the foundation capital so that in the near future, I can open my first business.
It all started with a phone called my dad received about two weeks ago. The producer of this famous Peruvian TV show, Esto es Guerra, asked him if I wanted to audition for the teen version they are releasing this year. When I first thought about it, it seemed absurd, but as I reflected upon this opportunity I was more convinced to try this out. I spent days overthinking this in my bed, my thoughts ate away my sleep. For me it wasn't about the fame or the money, it was about becoming independent, committing to a job at the age of 17, and being able to support myself. It was this heart racing dream that gave the last push to make this decision. This opportunity will open doors, not only for contacts, but it is also going to give me the foundation capital so that in the near future, I can open my first business.
The casting was nothing close to what I had imagined. Over 40,000 teenagers from all over Peru were raging to get a spot, you could feel the competition everywhere air. I waited for two days to get a shot, not even, considering the magnitude of teens auditioning. I don't know if it was fate or simply my determination that got me into the 40 finalists, but it definitely wasn't easy.
I'm not insecure, but the confidence I had to build within me to impress the judges and master the challenge was beyond the confidence I needed for a swimming national tournament. The task was simple to understand, but tough to accomplish. I had 20 seconds to convince the judges to keep me in the competition. I was one of the thousands, so I had to remain humble yet impactful. I saw many get rejected by the judges who were sitting in turning chairs. If they disliked your speech they could spin their chairs 360 degrees, they had the power to give you their back and get you kicked out. One turning chair could save you, but if two judges turned away you were immediately out.
This has been one of the most extraordinary learning experiences I’ve been exposed. It may sound weird at first, but just hear me out. I was not aware what I was getting into, but I knew it was something that was going to change my path and add some spice. I didn’t know a single person who was applying, yet I knew that would make the experience richer. And most importantly, I did not know what I was supposed to do in order to be accepted, it was a big risk. Honestly, I was planning on quitting, but I am glad I fought through. It was too time consuming and I felt that being on TV might change my life around too much. Nonetheless, that idea of TV not being my thing, gave me another reason to try this out. However, standing in live TV for 20 seconds taught me that confidence is the ingredient to surpass any challenge in life, and if you believe in yourself and are determined to attain something you can do it. Additionally, it taught me to always be humble because there is nothing worst that bragging about your strengths, this is what got many competitors eliminated.
This has been one of the most extraordinary learning experiences I’ve been exposed. It may sound weird at first, but just hear me out. I was not aware what I was getting into, but I knew it was something that was going to change my path and add some spice. I didn’t know a single person who was applying, yet I knew that would make the experience richer. And most importantly, I did not know what I was supposed to do in order to be accepted, it was a big risk. Honestly, I was planning on quitting, but I am glad I fought through. It was too time consuming and I felt that being on TV might change my life around too much. Nonetheless, that idea of TV not being my thing, gave me another reason to try this out. However, standing in live TV for 20 seconds taught me that confidence is the ingredient to surpass any challenge in life, and if you believe in yourself and are determined to attain something you can do it. Additionally, it taught me to always be humble because there is nothing worst that bragging about your strengths, this is what got many competitors eliminated.
At times I feel I’m jumping too much a couple of steps further and thinking futuristic, but I’m glad I was given this opportunity and I have the perfect age to experiment and try out new things. Even though I’m still on the road to the final 20 who are picked for the TV show, I’ve learned a lot and I’ve gone a long way to quit, so I am willing to fight for it. The last bit I’m missing is the physical test, which in my case, it seems like it will be my strong part, but I will not be settled until I get the results. I don’t want to get my hopes up, I still have a lot to learn and a lot to practice, but I will let this motivation drive the way and see where it takes me.
And as always, thanks for reading.