“All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I’ve been
And how I got to where I am
But these stories don’t mean anything
When you’ve got no one to tell them to
It’s true, I was made for you”

— The Story, Brandi Carlile

Hi friend. Yes, the you Brandi is referring to is you, sweet reader on Medium. Also, I know what you’re thinking, I’m 25, how many lines do I really have on my face? The answer is enough, for now.

If I had to…

I open a fresh new email message and start typing the message that I have been actively postponing for a week:

Good evening Mr. XYZ,

I hope you are well. (No wait, scratch that. Do I start with that? Or is that too generic and robotic at this point?)

I’m sorry to bother you with — (wait, why am I sorry? I’m not sorry. Why do I incessantly apologize to people for no apparent reason? Scratch this all together. I should be more direct and just ask for what I need.)

I am looking for more information on ZXY and…

Coming to terms with the fact that you don’t fit into a box is liberating and lonely all at once.

I quickly came to realize that I wasn’t made to do just one thing. Nor was I made to do something that already exists. The creator in me always wanted to build things in everything she did.

Although the world as we know it today is a lot more receptive to non-traditional career paths, it’s still adjusting. And as such, the out-of-the-box creators are still often underestimated. Until they’re making money of course…

I don’t know about you, but it…

I realize how controversial this is going to be, but I’m going there anyway.

Do you know those words or phrases that people use that make you cringe on the inside? The ones that make you uncomfortable because you feel like they are just not helpful?

That’s how I feel every time someone throws out the “I /she/he/they deserve” bomb. Don’t get me wrong, people often use this word with the best of intentions, and they are not bad people for resorting to it. I just personally don’t find it helpful. At all.

I mean, really, why do we use…

WRITING PROMPT

I remember being 10 years old and sitting in the kitchen before dinner time. I would come into the room with my tastebuds leaking with curiosity. There was and still is something unique about the anticipation of a meal.

As I was sitting at the kitchen table, I would watch as my nanny prepared the food we would eat. She did everything with care, but more importantly, with the love of all the time in the world.

I usually wanted to help and to be active. On the evenings when my nanny would cook her traditional Phillipino spring rolls, I…

More often than not, people get triggered.

Their buttons are pushed, and they can’t resist acting out. It happens, and that is part of the sad joy of being a sensitive human. So what makes people different then, if most of us are triggered by something?

My guess? It’s how we choose to respond.

More specifically, whether or not we let our rampant emotions dictate our character in a heated moment. Or at least, how much we let them dictate our impulsive actions…

So you think you know someone who is ‘chill’? Or you consider yourself that someone? …

In the online world, conversations happen somewhat unorthodoxly through the comments section of the online platform. They don’t happen in real-time, with facial expressions or tones of voice. They happen behind a screen, with time to thoughtfully (or thoughtlessly) plan out a written response.

Still, these conversations are important.

Let’s take Medium as an example. Comments are important because they can be encouraging, supportive, they can pamper your ego, and they can get you more reading time on your articles.

But all those things only scratch the surface of why comments are important.

If someone is taking the time to…