43 na ako. Mas malinaw na sa akin kung ano ang gusto ko, sino ang gusto kong kasama, at paano ko gustong mabuhay.

Sa birthday episode na ’to, napag-usapan namin ni Kai ang relationships, regrets, at pagpili ng sarili mong direksyon. Pati yung mga pangarap na kailangan mong balikan at tanungin: gusto ko pa ba ’to?

Buhay mo ’yan. Kilalanin mo kung ano talaga ang gusto mo, at panindigan mo ang mga desisyon mo.

Self;Talk Episode #27 - My Life, My Terms. (Birthday Episode)

Tara, kwentuhan tayo. Cge cge~

There’s one line from Rob Rubin in this episode that stayed with me:

“Just because you can take it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.”

This conversation is centered on men’s mental health and the different ways people deal with pressure, loss, relationships, responsibility, anger, sadness, and difficult seasons in life.

We also talked about accountability, emotions, perspective, pattern interrupts, metacognition, and what happens when you become too close to your own problem to see it clearly.

Not everyone processes things the same way.

Some people talk about what they’re going through.

Some keep it to themselves.

Some stay busy.

Some don’t realize how much they’re carrying until it starts affecting other parts of their life.

So the question becomes:

How do you work with what’s happening inside your head?

Join me and Rob Rubin in this episode of Self;Talk.

Episode #26 “MEN MATTER TOO” with Rob Rubin

Ang daming bagay tungkol sa sarili natin na akala natin “ganito lang talaga ako.”

Pero saan ba talaga nanggaling yun?

Sa family?

Sa work?

Sa experiences natin?

Or sa version natin na matagal na nating nalampasan?

In this conversation with Mapi Rebadomia, napag-usapan namin yung people pleasing, being a breadwinner, toxic environments, cutting people off, starting over, and taking responsibility for the life you want to build.

Hindi naman kailangan burahin yung mga nangyari dati.

They’re part of the story.

Pero hindi ibig sabihin na sila pa rin dapat yung nagsusulat ng susunod na chapter.

And one line from Mapi that I really liked:

“No itself is a sentence.”

Sometimes breaking the narrative simply starts with knowing—

who’s driving?

“BREAKING THE NARRATIVES”

A conversation with Mapi Rebadomia

Self;Talk with Ken-ken Somera

It’s been a while since I uploaded a Self Talk episode.

For this one, I sat down with Floi Wycoco.

I’ve known Floi for years, so I’ve seen parts of the journey behind where he is today.

The wins.

The setbacks.

The health problems.

The business problems.

Losing his dad.

Starting over.

Then starting over again.

What I wanted to understand was not just how he bounced back.

I wanted to talk about what happens while you’re still in the middle of it.

When things are not working.

When you don’t know what the next move is.

When your confidence takes a hit.

When you have to rebuild with whatever you still have.

One thing Floi shared that stayed with me:

“Don’t be afraid to start all over again.”

Because sometimes, pagbangon is not one big comeback.

Sometimes it’s one small decision.

One opportunity.

One relationship.

One small win at a time.

This is Self Talk Episode #24: "PAGBANGON"

(a conversation with Floi Wycoco)

🎙️ Episode 23: “Ang Panget Mo.”

May mga salitang ilang segundo lang sinabi…
pero taon yung tinatagal sa isip ng tao.

“Ang panget mo.”
“Tumaba ka.”
“Hindi bagay sayo.”
“Mas maganda siya.”

Paulit-ulit mo siyang naririnig hanggang sa isang araw…
ikaw na mismo yung nagsasabi sa sarili mo.

That’s where it starts.

Not just insecurity.
Identity.

Sa episode na ’to ng Self Talk, kasama ko si Dr. Kyla Talens para pag-usapan kung paano naaapektuhan ng comments, stress, environment, at self-talk yung confidence ng isang tao.

And here’s what most people don’t realize:

The body listens to the mind.

Stress shows up physically.
Pressure changes behavior.
And the way you see yourself affects the way you move through life.

We talked about:

• confidence and self-image
• emotional stress and its effects on the body
• how repeated words shape identity
• and how self-care becomes different when you finally start respecting yourself

Kasi minsan, hindi mo kailangan maging ibang tao para gumaan pakiramdam mo.

Minsan kailangan mo lang tigilan yung version ng sarili mo na puro mali yung nakikita.

#SelfTalkWithKenKen #KenKenSomera #KylaTalens #Confidence #SelfWorth #MentalHealth #SelfImage #Mindset #PersonalGrowth #Healing #InnerWork #PodcastPH

🎙 Episode 21: A Better Version of Yourself with Jia Xi

May version ka na marunong gumalaw… kahit hindi perfect yung pakiramdam mo.

Yun yung binubuo mo.

This episode is about functioning and growing while managing depression.

Hindi yung biglang okay ka.

Hindi yung instant shift.

Yung totoo:

You learn how to work with your state, not wait for it to change.

In this conversation with Jia Xi, we talked about how progress actually looks like:

You show up.

You do what you can.

You keep structure in your day.

You build systems that support you.

Kasi ang difference ng taong umaangat?

They don’t depend on how they feel.

They build habits they can rely on.

We went into:

how identity is shaped by consistent action

how routines create stability when emotions fluctuate

how to stay productive even on low-energy days

and how small wins build real confidence over time

Here’s the key shift:

You don’t need to solve everything at once.

You just need to handle today better.

And when you do that consistently…

Mas nagiging steady ka.

Mas nagiging clear ka.

Mas nagiging capable ka.

That’s how you build a better version of yourself.

Not by waiting for the right feeling.

But by creating a way to move forward anyway.

After this conversation with my friend Justin Pinon
napaisip din ako.
madaming tao ang may gustong magbago.
Pero paulit-ulit pa rin sa pare-parehong mga pattern o habits.
Hindi dahil kulang sila.
Hindi dahil wala silang alam.
Kundi dahil hindi pa buo yung belief nila tungkol sa sarili nila.
And I’ve seen this too many times.
You can give people tools.
You can give them strategies.
You can even guide them step by step.
Pero kung hindi nila kayang i-confirm sa sarili nila na
“iba na ako ngayon”…
Babalik at babalik sila sa dati.
Overview sa usapan namin, may isang bagay angtumatak sakin:
Change doesn’t happen when you say it.
It happens when you prove it to yourself.
Yung moment na hindi ka na bumigay sa dating habit mo.
Yung moment na hindi ka na nag-react the same way.
Yung moment na pinili mong gawin yung mas mahirap, pero mas tama.
Dun nagsisimula yung shift.
And to be honest…
Kahit ako, I still catch myself.
May moments na automatic yung response.
May moments na bumabalik yung old pattern.
Pero ang difference ngayon, mas aware na ako.
And once you’re aware…
you have a choice.
Hindi mo kailangan patunayan sa ibang tao na nagbago ka.
Mas importante na mapatunayan mo sa sarili mo na
kaya mong piliin yung next version mo.
Again and again.
Kung may isang bagay kang kukunin sa episode na ‘to, eto yun:
"Know your value.
Then become it."
#KenKenSomera #JustinPinon #IdentityShift #SelfAwareness #PersonalGrowth #GrowthMindsetPH #PodcastPH #RealTalk #FYPPhilippines

🎙 Episode 20: Know Your Value with Simon Peter Domingo (Online Filipino Freelancers)

Hindi mo tataasan ang rate mo…
kung hindi mo tinataasan ang tingin mo sa sarili mo.

Yan yung core ng episode na ‘to.

We talked about identity.
From Simon… to Paolo.

Kasi minsan, hindi skill ang kulang.
Clarity.

Hindi mo pa alam kung sino ka sa laro.
Hindi mo pa alam kung anong value mo.

And hangga’t hindi malinaw yun,
kahit anong opportunity dumaan…
hindi mo rin mahahawakan.

Sa freelancing, ganun talaga.

You start small.
You build experience.
You learn how to communicate what you can do.

Pero darating yung point na kailangan mong mag-shift.

Hindi ka na beginner.
Hindi ka na pang entry-level.

Kailangan mong sabihin sa sarili mo:

“Eto na yung value ko.”

At pag naniwala ka na dun,
dun pa lang magbabago yung galaw mo.

Mas maayos ka magsalita.
Mas malinaw ka mag-present.
Mas firm ka sa presyo mo.

We also talked about this:

Same effort.
Magkaibang environment.
Magkaibang bayad.

Kaya importante kung saan mo dinadala yung oras mo.

Kung gusto mong tumaas yung kita mo,
hindi lang sipag ang kailangan.

Skill.
Communication.
Positioning.

Yan yung magtataas sayo.

And the truth is, nandyan na lahat.

May tools.
May community.
May mentors.
May access ka.

Ang kulang lang talaga:

Desisyon na mag-level up.

So kung nandito ka ngayon,
tanungin mo sarili mo:

Alam mo ba talaga yung value mo?

Kasi once malinaw na yan…

Iba na yung laro.

🎧 Listen to Episode 20 of Self Talk.