From Shinji Ikari, the former Third Child, now the Supreme commander of NERV, who served with faith, humilty, and optimism.
To the Philippine Cosplay Community that is continue to grow with their hardwork. Let your praises be heard. May God be with you all.
About the growth of the Cosplay Community
I observed the growth of your cosplay. By all of your hardwork, you achieved the widening of its influence. Happiness and sharing is evident as cosplayers help one another to build a better community. But in the past few years, after transisting from underground to mainstream, cosplaying is now in the midst of confusion and chaos. Some cosplayers today are seeking attention and fame by putting in their heads that the art that was created for fun and brotherhood, or sisterhood, has turned into a competition where crab-mentality came to play, turning each and every cosplayer into pride-driven beasts. What do you expect after you win a "useless" verbal war? Bragging Rights? Shame on You! You let your own pride corrupt into your heart and mind. You hate one cosplayer that his or her own hardwork instead of his or her own pride to attain his or her respectful place. That is jealousy! The ones that we want to hate are those who want to corrupt your cosplay community and alienating its aspects and values esp. those who think of fame alone and attaining it by killing each other's spirits with their own words. Those are the ones that needs to be knocked down in their pedestals! If you want to praise him or her, do it in a simple way. If you want to correct him or her for his or her faults, don't do it harshly like you spank a child with a thick bamboo stick. Instead, do it and say it nicely. Be neutral and humble. Always accept corrections at the same time accept your faults and flaws. Remember, this nis a community. no one is alone and no one will be alone once you helped each other hand-in-hand.
About Fame and Responsibility
As for those who became famous in our community, please do not take it for granted, esp. its own responsibilities. Take it with humility. You deserved the opportunity. But, you must remember that don't put your fame on your heart and your head. You must never forget that fame is a temporary prize in this earth God has even more valuable treasure for you. Don't always focus on what the world has given to you, but keep an eye on some on those things that God will gave you. Be in content. Be happy on those things that you have and don't be envious on those things that you don't have. Fame and Glory is just temporary cheap thrills. Instead, offer it to God and be humble. Don't use it for your own good. Be an inspiration to others and share your knowledge and your life to them, whether you are famous or not, as long as you have humility in your heart.
As for those who became famous in our community, please do not take it for granted, esp. its own responsibilities. Take it with humility. You deserved the opportunity. But, you must remember that don't put your fame on your heart and your head. You must never forget that fame is a temporary prize in this earth God has even more valuable treasure for you. Don't always focus on what the world has given to you, but keep an eye on some on those things that God will gave you. Be in content. Be happy on those things that you have and don't be envious on those things that you don't have. Fame and Glory is just temporary cheap thrills. Instead, offer it to God and be humble. Don't use it for your own good. Be an inspiration to others and share your knowledge and your life to them, whether you are famous or not, as long as you have humility in your heart.
About Happiness and Believing in one's self
And, always remember, have fun. Be happy. Don't always waste your life on nothing. Have an optimistic outlook in your life. You only lived once. As a cosplayer, you can just smile whether you are stressed or exhausted. Don't wear a mask. Just be yourself. Be happy for what you are, but don't attach yourself too much. That is selfishness. Just remember that this cosplay community has full of unknown people. Make yourself even more friendly. Open your heart and mind to communicate with those people. And always wear a smile. Even make-up can't mask a woman's heart. Remove it and a woman will be true to herself, especially when she is a cosplayer.
To the Reader of this Letter
To those who read this letter, remember that hardwork can be rewarded as long as you have faith and humility. Have Fun and Be Happy. God gave you cosplaying because you cultivated it with the talents that He gave you. Don't be ashamed that you are a cosplayer. You don't have the power to change the community, but you have the ability to motivate those to continue to cultivate the community instead of himself, or herself. I pray that your cosplay community will be blessed by the Lord Almighty, who gave you the talent to make the imagination of many come alive by means of cosplaying.
Final Words
To those who look only for fame and wanted to throw cosplaying into a brink of confusion, change your ways and help the cosplay community to grow. Share your talents and inspire those that will start cosplaying.
And to those who are humble enough to grow your cosplay community through hardwork and faith, you are now blessed by God. Now, share your blessings to others.
One more thing, don't always expect to earn respect to others. Instead, seek understanding more. Impose your respect to others, but don't seek authority to them. That way, you are always be respected but in a simple and humble way.
May God Bless you and your cosplay community. I will send my prayers to you. Let us not "run away" and face the future that lies ahead of us.
