Beauty queens are expected to live up to ideals around perfection, but beyond the crown and a parade of elaborate gowns, there is more than meets the eye—family problems, mental health issues, and identity crises.

In the iWant original “Beauty Queens,” we get to see the real struggles of seemingly flawless people – a family of beauty queens played by Gloria Diaz, Maxine Medina, Winwyn Marquez, Ross Pesigan, and Maris Racal.

Here are five eye-opening lessons of in the life of “Beauty Queens,” which is streaming for free on iWant:

1. You can’t set a template for someone else’s life.

Dahlia (Gloria) fulfilled her promise to her mother by becoming Miss Universe 1969, but imposing her own ambition on her children drove them away. Her beauty queen status made her seem perfect, but her controlling nature and failure to empathize with her children made her lose them.

2. Have the courage to walk away from what you don’t want for yourself.

As the eldest child, the sweet and innocent Daisy (Maxine) had no choice but to follow in her mother’s footsteps and trained to become a pageant girl. But in her rise to fame, she felt uncomfortable being objectified by men. Because of this and the immense pressure on her, she decided to leave the pageant life and incidentally found solace in a life of prayer. Although she traded her crown for a veil, she became utterly happy and content in serving the Lord and the poor.

3. Fight for what you believe in.

In the series, Tingting (Winwyn) originally wanted to become a beauty queen like her mom. However, after having been exposed to certain realities, she changed her perspective on pageants and began seeing them as a way to “commercialize women’s bodies.” Her principles molded her strength and independence—and this led her into becoming a beautiful and loving mother of two.

4. Own who you really are and allow yourself to shine.

Among Dahlia’s children, only her son Rico (Ross) wanted to be like her. Unfortunately, Dahlia could not stand this truth and shunned Rico, who had to leave his family and to create her own path in life away from his mother. By embracing and standing up for himself, Rico was able to have his own glory and found true love in the process.

5. Know your own worth.

External validation may feel great and flattering, but no one else can truly empower you than your own self. In a world where social media following is a metric of one’s “significance,” break out and learn to listen to your own voice.

If someone makes you feel like you are not enough, hold your own. Chin up, true queens do not need the approval of everyone. They only need to recognize the beauty in everyone and in their selves.

Watch “Beauty Queens” for free on the iWant app (iOs and Android) or iwant.ph. For updates, like www.facebook.com/iWant, and follow @iwant on Twitter and @iwantofficial on Instagram, and subscribe to www.youtube.com/iWantPH.

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