Lara-ism

2024 has been the toughest year of my career so far, but I’m proud of how I’ve handled it with grace and composure. Interestingly, it also turned out to be the most rewarding. The Universe truly works in curious ways.

Recently, I had the honor of being selected as a speaker for World Mental Health Day during a global webcast. There was no assigned theme, no prompts, and no scripts. I’m grateful that the Leaders and organizers trusted me to speak freely—no reviews, no approvals. I knew exactly what I wanted to say the moment I was informed. Talking about mental health has always felt natural to me.

I centered my message around three key points: vulnerability, curiosity, and kindness. As I refined what I wrote, I decided to align it with the language Shell is currently using—Care, Courage, and Curiosity. It was a perfect match:

• Have the courage to be vulnerable.

• Stay curious when things get tough.

• Choose kindness to strengthen the ability to care for others.

I recorded my presentation with the intent of transcribing it into an article, but for now, I’ve decided to share the audio instead. Please excuse the pauses, especially the moment when someone went off mute (and said “call my brother!” in a language unfamiliar to me 🤣) mid-speech.

These days, with so much fear, violence, and uncertainty in the world, it’s easy to feel jaded. But I take comfort in knowing that Shell remains a powerful platform for positive change. I’ve been given the opportunity—twice now—to use my voice, share my story, and create meaningful impact. While I’m humbled by the trust placed in me, I also feel encouraged to keep showing up and contributing to conversations that matter. ❤️💛💜

First episode of the year is a salad of things. I talked about 1) how officially, my diagnosis is bipolar disorder type 1 (not type 2) and the consequent medication adjustment, 2) how I've been coping, while still in a depressive episode, but now able to function enough to work half days, 3) how we don't have be optimistic all the time especially during this pandemic, the same way that we shouldn't tell people to see their trauma as a good thing because it's what made them who they are today and lastly, 4) how one of my childhood trauma is affecting my relationship and my perception of marriage. Whew! I hope you get something out of that chaos.

Fresh from a therapy session, I recorded to share an epiphany about my diagnosis (as Bipolar Type 1 Disorder). In this episode, I focused on the other pole of the spectrum, that is Mania. I shared examples of manic behavior, which include my own. This, yet again, is another reminder that not all mental health disorders are extreme. Sometimes, they may seem like simple and normal behaviors, so don't be quick to judge people.