What’s your purpose of waking up?

We can all recall a famous line from a well-known coffee brand advertisement — “Para kanino ka bumabangon?”

We often neglect this commercial when we are watching TVs since we have heard it a lot of times. Unknowingly, that one line would be a very difficult question to answer especially when we are our demonstrating fear and anger, or when we are hitting our lowest point and deepest emotion yet no one can see. We already might asked ourselves during those hard times, “What is my purpose to live? What reasons do I have to stand up and keep on fighting?”

We wake up, and we continue to do so, because despite all the bad things that happened, a little spark inside us hopes that tomorrow wouldn’t be as bad as today.

I remember someone telling me that there’s a reason why sunsets are beautiful. Its sparkle is the promise of a better tomorrow.

Everyday, we wake up because deeply in our hearts, we want to be better than what we were yesterday and to be a step closer to our ultimate goals and ambitions. We stand up because it’s a chance of achieving the better world we always dream of having. Although we have mountains to climb, we should believe and remain steadfast because sooner or later, we are all going to reach the top.

The sweet adventures of Brayden’s Brookies

Due to the implementation of community quarantine, many spent most of their time at home searching for “quaranthings” to do to make their stay even more productive. Given that some of us are working at home, others try to help out our frontliners and nearby communities, grow their own plants, apply for free online courses, do a series of exercises to stay fit, learn new talents, and even improve the hobby of becoming the next master chef.

Our 27-year old friend here, Ghee Santos from Manila, always had friends, family members, neighbors and colleagues who rave about his cookies. Out from a simple baking hobby, he decided to share the delight of his recipes through a small brand, “Brayden’s Brookies”.

I know what you are thinking. Why Brayden’s Brookies? It is actually a combination of brownies and cookies (thus “Brookies”) named after his nephew (Brayden). Sounds tempting, eh?

When trying his first cookie variant, “The Monster’s Favorite,” you already allow yourself to enjoy the pleasure of homemade “brookies” that are made soft and chewy. To ensure freshness, Brayden’s Brookies are baked on the date of pick-up and delivery!

Photo credit: John Joseph Manalo

Here are some reviews of Brayden’s Brookies from its first batch of orders:

“Ang solid nito ‘tol! Nawala badtrip ko pagka-kagat ko.” – Christian

“This is so gooood, okay siya! And for the price point nya, it’s worth it!” – Patty

“I like the choco sa gitna, and nasarapan din mga officemates ko!” – Neza

“Pa-order uli next week, nagustuhan ng kapatid ko.” – Jay

“My boss likes that it’s thin. My other boss likes that it’s a little moist. Good job again, kaibigan!” – Xuxa

“Nagustuhan ng boss ko! Taas ng standard nito, padalahan mo ako uli! Isingit mo boss ko, he is the owner of (company name), not just a manager. I’m so proud of you!” – Anonymous

Photo credit: John Joseph Manalo

Avail the Monster’s Favorite today for only P130 per box of 6, P250 per box of 12, and P500 per box of 24 classic chocolate brookies! Orders can be made through Facebook Messenger or Instagram (@gheesnts & @braydensbrookies) and payment can be done through GCash and BPI transfer.

Enjoying cookies? Try Brayden’s Brookies!

6 ingredients of good friendship

Genuineness. Friends “like” each other. There should be nothing fake about friendship. These healthy relationships are rooted in love, the bonds of which are trustworthy. It is never about what either party stands to gain, but all about just having that person in our lives. Friends are dependable and protective of each other’s interests.

Non judgmental. Friends love you just as you are! Always supportive, a friend’s business is not to criticize you, tell you what to do and how to do it, instead friends believe in each other, and have no hidden agendas.

Loyalty. Friends will always have your back! Loyalty solidifies such relationships. Rarely is there back-biting, gossiping, and spitefulness; true friends never gloat over your mistakes or snicker when you fall. What makes friends so priceless is that they stand by each other and are always the first to lend a supporting hand.

Mutual respect. You are precious just as you are! It’s all about respecting and appreciating all the differences in character, personality, career paths, etc … and never wishing the other person was different. Most importantly, “changing” or “fixing” the other should never be on the agenda. A friend respects your thoughts even when they do not agree; and never thinks he/she is superior.

Open communication. Talk to me about anything! Unless it’s superficial, friends are not afraid to discuss deep-seated feelings, thoughts, vulnerabilities, dreams and fears — knowing there’s trust and love. Friends know how to listen and not make it all about “me”. You can afford to let your guard down around friends and simply be yourself.

Forgive and forget. I still love you, regardless! Things are not always perfect. Yes, there will be misunderstandings and arguments, but friends don’t let these stand in the way. Friends sometimes make mistakes and even when they let us down, we are still able to forgive and wipe the slate clean, knowing that the intention was not really to cause pain. Hardly is there tension, mistrust, resentment between good friends.

Source: http://www.duniamagazine.com/2011/10/6-ingredients-of-healthy-and-honest-friendships-td-jakes-video/ (abridged)

23 emotions people feel, but cannot explain

Felt something weird but cannot find the exact words to describe that feeling? Here are some emotions we sometimes feel — and actually searched for it!

1. Sonder: The realization that each passerby has a life as vivid and complex as your own.
2. Opia: The ambiguous intensity of Looking someone in the eye, which can feel simultaneously invasive and vulnerable.
3. Monachopsis: The subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place.
4. Énouement: The bitter-sweetness of having arrived in the future, seeing how things turn out, but not being able to tell your past self.
5. Vellichor: The strange wistfulness of used bookshops.
6. Rubatosis: The unsettling awareness of your own heartbeat.
7. Kenopsia: The eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that is usually bustling with people but is now abandoned and quiet.
8. Mauerbauertraurigkeit: The inexplicable urge to push people away, even close friends who you really like.
9. Jouska: A hypothetical conversation that you compulsively play out in your head.
10. Chrysalism: The amniotic tranquility of being indoors during a thunderstorm.
11. Vemödalen: The frustration of photographic something amazing when thousands of identical photos already exist.
12. Anecdoche: A conversation in which everyone is talking, but nobody is listening
13. Ellipsism: A sadness that you’ll never be able to know how history will turn out.
14. Kuebiko: A state of exhaustion inspired by acts of senseless violence.
15. Lachesism: The desire to be struck by disaster – to survive a plane crash, or to lose everything in a fire.
16. Exulansis: The tendency to give up trying to talk about an experience because people are unable to relate to it.
17. Adronitis: Frustration with how long it takes to get to know someone.
18. Rückkehrunruhe: The feeling of returning home after an immersive trip only to find it fading rapidly from your awareness.
19. Nodus Tollens: The realization that the plot of your life doesn’t make sense to you anymore.
20. Onism: The frustration of being stuck in just one body, that inhabits only one place at a time.
21. Liberosis: The desire to care less about things.
22. Altschmerz: Weariness with the same old issues that you’ve always had – the same boring flaws and anxieties that you’ve been gnawing on for years.
23. Occhiolism: The awareness of the smallness of your perspective.

That’s right, I had a nosebleed too! Got some other highfalutin words describing our feelings like the ones above? Don’t hesitate to share them!

Phosphenes

I really don’t clearly remember how things started. It’s just that, you really caught my eyes and captured my attention. Then suddenly, things changed. With that one simple hello, we started our conversations. I shared a lot, and so as you. Talked about our common interests and our future, teased each other with jokes that I know, made the two of us laugh. Uplifted our confidence when no one does and dreamed together to achieve our goals in life.

We stayed all night long talking around random things. Shared facts about ourselves that most of the people don’t know. Opened secrets to each other and deeply discussed throughout the night, being unaware of time. If it’s only possible not to fall asleep, I’ll just cherish all the memories with you. I’ll always take advantage of the time  and the opportunities of talking to you. That’s what I just ever wanted, and I’ll never get tired of.

I may not be the sweetest and best person you know, I may not reach your standards or may not give those things you ever wanted, but when you are with me, I’ll assure that you will be fine as long as you are in my arms and everything will be alright, whatever distance or any circumstances we may face together. But I guess, this is just a dream. A dream that will just stay as it is. A dream that will never come to life. A dream that is just a wish our hearts make. A dream as drastic as avalanche but as colorful as phosphenes.

Impossible thoughts, hazy memories

We can assume that we are not in the usual state of ourselves if we do things we never do before. Taking a huge step is a big deal since we don’t have a clear vision of what the results of our actions will become in the future. Although blurry, we are still eyeing to a specific fate — just like the tossing and flipping of a coin, we have already plotted in our minds what we really desire, either be it heads or tails. Even if we try to improve or just be our best selves, we’ll never know the probability of our losing and winning.

Some already have been torn into pieces, and tried to tie and stitch their broken fragments alone. Withdrawn, they strove to survive and move forward, not looking to a possibility of making things like these happen again. But, would it be a meaningful leap if we let ourselves be open and available again? Would it be a significant one if we ready ourselves to be shattered likewise?

When staring at the night skies, we often watch as the moon smiles. While in our heads, we imagine scenes with someone we visualize in front of the many stars we failed to see.

There are moments that we close our eyes and pray for specific things we want to receive and people we want to spend time with. We already have a complete ideation of them, but what if we receive the otherwise? Would it have the same content we asked for but of a different packaging? What if we ourselves are given as presents yet neglected?

We don’t want to break our own hearts by expecting people to be attached to us as we are to them. Maybe we are just being afraid of someone losing interest in us after getting so into them?

We are prisoners of our own thoughts, caught in the current of its flood. We tend to break our own rules then overthink of things we are unsure. Sometimes, we weep that we can’t even speak a word and just fall asleep until our eyes runs dry for tears. Are these words that we can’t speak worthy to be heard? Are tears and cries the only source of healing no matter how much we try?

These feelings are so complicated — our minds run wild but still, we get hopeful of the many positivities the future might bring us. Although these thoughts are impossible and just filled with hazy memories, I always cling to a dream that you too might be eyeing the same.