Hi my dear Hive friends! It’s been a while since I posted. Apart from getting sick after coming home from the retreat last May 19, a lot of things started to shift. Energetically, it feels like I’m entering a new phase in my life. I got the job stability, my speakerships are lining up, and I’m going to Thailand soon.
Who is this person I’m becoming? Someone who loves to come to work, does public speaking, and travels? If you had told me about these activities two months ago, I would’ve doubted you. But instead of doubt, I am very thankful for everyone who has supported me up to this point.
Enough with the updates! I’m here to share with you my recent speakership engagement at Mapua MME Student Council’s mental health student dialogue entitled “Bata, Bata, Kaya Mo Pa Ba?” last May 30, 2023, in Zoom.
“The event aims to shed light and give importance to mental health awareness among our students and peers as well as to provide the students with a safe space to obtain proper counseling from experts to tackle their mental health issues.”
I was the first speaker among three other guest speakers, which helped set the tone for how I would discuss my topic of validating and encouraging the students to have alternative healthy ways of coping, like any opening remarks, inspirational yet impactful. I want them to know that I see them as humans first before students. Before they identify themselves with any societal role, gender role, or career position, they are human beings with human needs and human feelings.
I drew inspiration largely from their title, segmenting it into two parts, “Bata, Bata,” and “Kaya Mo Pa Ba?” The former acknowledges that we are, in truth, still very young despite the world telling us to figure everything out. Meanwhile, the latter is a question from a place of doubt, an unsureness of one’s capabilities, and in need of reassurance.
Rather than rapid-firing them with information, I looked at the students on my screen. I felt they needed to experience what comfort feels like than hear what it is. They needed to feel that they can be at home from within. So, we did a deep breathing exercise with my voice as their guide.
Their reactions were priceless. There was a wash of inner peace and calm. I saw a student smiling with relief. One shared they didn’t know that simply breathing will ease their anxious thoughts.
Little did they know, I revised my whole presentation and focused on validating them and understanding what they were going through because of a fortuitous event - meeting a participant a day before the webinar.
Back track to May 29, when Kate, my sister, asked me to accompany her to the City Health Office. She had been sick as well and had to request a medical certificate to return to school. Since I know my way around the city hall, I thought I would show her the way, plus I really missed her so this was just an excuse to see her. Hehe.
Upon arriving, I saw her with two friends, who were dancing in the middle of the city hall’s parking lot. I sneaked behind my sister and surprised hug her, which was probably not a good idea after she admitted I scared the living hell out of her. She was with Yannie, whom I met already, and Ken, who was a fresh face among her social circles.
As we walked to the back of the main building, Kate and I locked hands and had our chika time while the bubbly pair followed our trails. Kate got her medical certificate signed.
Looking at these college kids like a trio of lost puppies, I decided to treat them with milktea, quenching their thirst after walking around the whole day. That’s when I had the idea to interview them about the webinar I would have the next day. I was curious about what these students want to hear really from a webinar speaker.
I’m sure I wasn’t their first webinar speaker who would talk about mental health, so it’s best to ask them what they want from a mental health student dialogue. Their answers were honest and vulnerable:
- We want to be validated. That college life is really difficult and we don’t have much resources to learn about our emotions.
- We just pick up our phones and be on social media most of the time to distract ourselves.
- It’s hard when you are alone with your thoughts.
- Yannie said, “The difference between high school and college is now we have a choice, but most of us are still trapped in the high school attitudes and mindsets.”
Naturally, my empathy goes out to them, as their eyes stared off a distance from the milktea shop windows. There was a longing for comfort in their eyes just like I had when I was a college student. It brought me back to a time when I had nobody to validate, assure, or cheer me up apart from myself. Now, I can be that adult who will support them. I thought, “I know exactly what to do in my webinar.”
We were snapped back to trivial conversation topics when I asked Yannie to add me as a FB friend then Ken followed. However, as I searched for Ken’s name, underneath his profile was his college university - Mapúa University! The exact school where the webinar was organized!
The following day, I smiled as I saw his name on the screen and even messaged me to say his congratulations. Do you think this is fate? Do you think this is some divine assistance?
Thank you for reading and supporting my blog 💜
Share your unbelievable moments in the comment section too! I would love to hear them 😊
ᴬˡˡ ᵖʰᵒᵗᵒˢ ᵃʳᵉ ᵐⁱⁿᵉ ᵘⁿˡᵉˢˢ ᵒᵗʰᵉʳʷⁱˢᵉ ˢᵗᵃᵗᵉᵈ.
