LatinosUSA

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«A Dinner With My Younger Self» by Atty. Madelyne L. Carsula – Tolentino

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I had a dinner date with my younger self…

She arrived 30 mins ahead of the agreed time… I arrived very much on time…

She was wearing a blue halter neck midi dress and strappy sandals… I was wearing a white relaxed fit long sleeved polo with sleeves rolled up, denim jeans and a pair of white sneakers.

She ordered nachos and chicken fillet with truffle sauce and mashed potatoes on the side. I ordered medium well steak with buttered veggies on the side.

For drinks, she ordered sangria. I ordered warm chamomile tea.

She ordered a slice of chocolate cake for dessert. I ordered nothing but another cup of warm chamomile tea.

She told me her frustrations with her current job and how she wanted to quit. I told her not to badmouth anyone no matter how frustrated she was and to not let those frustrations derail her from pursuing her dreams. Gladly, she was receptive of my advice.

She was so excited in sharing about discovering her passion- poem writing. I shared in her excitement and invited her to collab with me in creating a self-help book.This really stoked her.

She finally got tired of sharing her stories and asked «how are you?» I just said I am doing well. Unsatisfied, she further asked me to elaborate… I then replied, I have finally learned to accept the way things are… and to let go of grudge and revenge…

She said she was proud of me for making it this far.. I of course thanked her for not giving up and for keeping all the lessons she learned from all the frustrations, disappointments and challenges she hurdled. I told her how I admire her for her bravery and grit.

We hugged each other as we bid goodbye and reminded to keep in touch always and forever.

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Illustration by Mj Rafol

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Author’s Bio

Madelyne L. Carsula – Tolentino
Author, ABCs Of An Empowered Human

Atty. Madz, as fondly called by her colleagues, is a civil servant.

She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education major in Mathematics from the University of Santo Tomas and earned her law degree from the same university. She obtained her license to teach in 2001. She became a member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in 2006.

She is an alumna of the International Law Enforcement Academy in Bangkok. A member of the inaugural group of the MIT Sloan School of Management’s Women Leadership Program in Boston, Massachusetts in 2023.

An anti-corruption advocate- she has conducted lectures on the various anti-corruption laws of the Philippines.

Empathizing with the struggles of motherhood, especially those who are into breastfeeding, she volunteered to be one of the peer moms in her organization. She has also participated in various relief efforts for typhoon victims especially mothers and babies.

Advocating self-empowerment, she has recently published a self-help book which aims to guide its readers in discovering, unleashing their potentials, and ultimately becoming the best version of themselves. Her book ABCs Of An Empowered Human published by the CentralBooks-Publish On Demand was launched in July 2024.