Michelle (M): There are times that it seems that we live boring lives. There’s no excitement, no tension. You feel nothing, and have no drive for anything. The sparks are gone, the chemistry is lost, gone na ang gana.

Your focus and passion ebbs and life seems dull. Have you ever lost your interest for something or someone? There was a time in high school when I had my moments of existential anguish. Oh the angst of the young and the restless!

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Darwin John (DJ): There really are times when we feel lost. We run out of answers to our questions, or we run out of questions to answer. But when we look closer, we also see a mind that’s like concrete: thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.

When this happens to me, I try my darn best to keep an open mind. Not too much that my brains begin to fall out, but just enough to be able to focus my energy on things that are within my span of influence. Incidentally, that’s also when my interest begins to warm up. Life is beautiful, but it’s tough. It can be nasty and brutal where competition and measurement count for way too much for way too long a stretch of our lives. And so, we don’t always feel good about anything or everything. And in times like this, we just have to make a choice on how we deal with what we have. Life isn’t just about what we feel. It’s a decision.

M: I read what you wrote about your birthday. You’re what — 36 going on 25? Seriously, when there are moments that we lose interest in things that we used to love or liked to do, it helps to stop and just let the moment pass. No need to struggle, no need to explain or rationalize things.

We just sometimes need to be still and be able to let go. For example, it’s difficult to write something that makes sense when nothing makes sense. And there’s a line from a song that speaks volumes to those who are at a loss on what to say, or do: “You say it best when you say nothing at all.”

DJ: When I reach a point when I can no longer figure where I came from or where I’m going, I normally stop and do nothing. Inaction bothers us because it makes us think we’re not doing anything about the situation. But doing nothing isn’t always wrong.

Come to think of it, the last time we were lost in a forest was when we kept moving even if we didn’t know where we were heading. The more we walked, the more we’re lost. And this is true in almost anything. When I find myself too confused on what to say, the best course of action is to say nothing.

Too much activity can cause confusion particularly when we lose sight of the end in mind. Sometimes, it can reach into a point when someone tells us to go to hell and we actually believe them and even look forward to the trip! Beware.

M: I think it helps that even if we lose focus or direction in our lives, we should not be afraid about the sense of momentary loss. We all need time and space to try to find ourselves, with or without the help of others. It is when we think we are found, that we might be really lost. What I think is important is that we do not lose sight that we are here in this earth for a purpose.

Ultimately, life is not about the big events but the little moments. Life may be mundane, uninteresting or miserable for some. But it will not always be that way. Especially if you take the time to be still so you can better hear the resounding love of God in the silence of your heart.

DJ: And if you still think that you’re about to break, take that day off, turn off your cell, be unreachable or even benignly irresponsible, if only occasionally.

Taking the time to rest isn’t being lazy. It’s being sensitive to your needs and your limits, and knowing where to channel your energy. Besides, it’s also when we take time to be still when people close to us appreciate us more because we’re calmer, loser and more fun to be around.

The wise often say that the most precious thing we have is life. Yet it has absolutely no trade-in value.

Make the most out of it. Try not to let the rain dampen your spirits. And finally, do remember this when you’re blue: start breathing again. You’re alive. Happiness is appreciating life. Live it! Love it!

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