Blog by Jedde

I never thought that a single candy can teach me an important life lesson. But it did, and I would like to share that story with you today. It happened one afternoon while I was in a cab. I was exhausted after a long day under the sun, working, facilitating, and running around the warm wide space of Sentosa in Singapore. I could recall feeling heavy and fatigued. It wasn't just because of the heat but also because of the challenges I had to solve that same day that drained me out. I was on my way back to the office, along with an assistant staff and the ride was not as comfortable as I would have wanted it to be. The exhaustion paired with feeling famished made my stomach growl. It was then that I remembered something that made me look forward to finding it. I had saved one last candy inside my bag! So, I searched for it sluggishly but as eagerly as I could until I found it, tucked inside one of the pockets. I took out the candy, ready to rip it open and enjoy the much-needed sugar...

I wore a special necklace today.  What makes this necklace special to me is that one of my most beloved people in Singapore, Jasline, gave this as a memento of our friendship. I vividly remember the day when she handed me this thoughtful present. It was a drizzly Saturday night and we were enjoying our conversation from a trip to Sentosa in Singapore.  When the fun had settled, she came up to me with a box and a letter. Curious, I asked her what it was. She told me to open the box first and what I saw inside brought a smile to my face. It was a beautiful, minimalist necklace with the letter "J" inscribed on a tiny circular silver indicating my name "Jedde"   and a phrase engraved on a minute silver column that says:  "This too will pass." This phrase means so much to both of us because we have gone through countless turbulent moments in our lives. It is a reminder that nothing is permanent in this world, including our emotions, feelings, our difficult situ...

There's a lot I've to unpack in this story. It took me some time to decide how and what to say. I have decided to let courage prevail and so here I am, writing this piece of my life to say that finally, I am home.  Ah, this isn't one of the typical stories that'll make you feel good. This is one of those vulnerable moments of mine, of which I have decided after careful thought, to share with you. I hope you don't mind receiving a piece of my story? Vulnerable moments have stories of defeat in them and I worry that perhaps, today's story may not be your cup of tea. But, if you give this a chance, this might ignite a spark in you, and better yet, open your heart to acknowledge another angle of the story from a millennial overseas Filipino worker. Should you feel that this isn't your cup of tea, I shall respect your decision. However, should you decide to sit with me by the fireplace and hear my story, please stay and I shall welcome you wholeheartedly. Let...

The sun rises and it is sure of itself. Its rays do not need to be told where it should be. In that moment of serenity, the certainty is strong. No doubt springs from the horizon, only beauty. On the ground, a flower blooms. A tulip, a dandelion, a chrysanthemum. The flower does not compete with the other. Fearlessly she opens, happily she blooms. When she withers, she doesn't say "What if." When she dies, she gives a smile so sure. Her fallen petals, soft on the ground. A kiss of life and a memory of beauty, now buried on the dirt, satisfied of the life she's lived. The human watches all these - the sun with its rays, the flower with her petals, the petals falling on the ground. The human wonders - how, why, where, when, what. Asking, demanding, exploring, slowing down, speeding up. Fearing, doubting, sulking, tensing. The human is not sure of herself. She feels she needs to be told where she should be. Stuck on a place, with so much uncertainty.  She asks if she may...

"When it rains and it pours, the thunder and the lights shatter in the sky, and your heart wonders  in solitude, if you're  truly ever worth loving. They told you that you  get the love you deserve, but as soon as the lightning strikes, you are illuminated with the truth - that you are too broken to be put together and nobody keeps a broken glass, not even the king's men who  put Humpty Dumpty  together again. In a stormy night when the clouds are burdened  with tears gushing through  their  tender skins; you gather your broken pieces and lay there in silence. The door opens and  the one  who brings the lamp appears. With his sleeping soul, he sees you in the ebony of darkness and takes a step - and each step of his  is coated with  deafening  silence. The lamp bringer  casts  a  light on your broken pieces; A timid flicker at first,  and  then a loud burst altogether - of  a million stars shi...

October 2013 Campaign Period - It was the night of the presentation. The most awaited time for everyone to hear the candidates speak and for the people to make their choices.  Most people do not know this, but I ran for public office before. I was 19 years old then, the youngest of the candidates. Petite, but confident, uncertain but headstrong.  I knew why I was there at that moment. I wanted to serve. So I ran for public office. One particular evening, I was about to deliver a speech addressed to the residents of the barangay. I prepared myself subconsciously, taking in deep inhales and steady exhales as I rehearsed the content in my mind. "I must not forget this line, I must remember to cite this law to make it more impactful, I can do this!!!" These words became my mantra.  As I was repeating it like a broken record in my head, my hands began producing sweat without my knowledge. My heart, too, started thumping loudly like a giant gong has been hit, making me feel nau...

Many times, I have no idea what I'm doing. Sometimes, I find myself writing so confidently while there are also those moments when I just try to wing it. For me, the most important thing here is, I write. Like doing the verb and actually writing .  I knew I became committed to writing the moment I wrote consistently, not when I "said" I will. Then, I found out some surprising results. There are now 33+ posts on my blog, 14,000 inspired readers all over the world, and I've received invitations to be featured on podcasts and shows in Singapore. It's definitely humbling and awesome!  Listen to The Positive Arena Podcast here. There are plenty of us out there who wants to start something - a podcast, a vlog channel, writing a blog, building their own business and so on and that's absolutely great! However, there are only a few who actually take the first step of doing it and making it happen.  My question is, "What's stopping you?". To which I kn...

A wise man once told me, "You have to try playing more games with other people. The more defeats that you experience, the more you grow your patience, and the more you'll strive to become better at the game." I jokingly rolled my eyes at his advice, feeling bitter about losing in an online game we both were playing. Then, I shrugged my shoulders and decided to move on, laughing at the experience. Well, if you had not already guessed, the wise man in this story is Alex. 😉 Gaming as our pastime and a hobby. One thing about me is that I get quite frustrated when I lose. Being someone competitive, I like to win and I put it in my effort to make sure it happens. However, because I give it my best and still taste the bitterness of losing, it then makes me feel irritable. That's why when I started immersing myself more in the world of gaming, I became vulnerable to the bitter taste of defeat. A taste I didn't like. Along the way, I came to realize ...