I cannot believe that my livestream, Coffee Break turned a year old! That’s one year of talking to a tiny camera, reaching out to each and every person watching or listening in the hope that I am doing God’s purpose.
When the Enhanced Community Quarantine lockdown (ECQ) started last year, I was flooded with many thoughts of what ifs and what could have been should I contract the virus. In two weeks, I took six domestic trips to and from Manila, went to a tertiary hospital for laboratory tests, and was in a major mall twice. Suffice it to say that I became very anxious. I acknowledged my anxiety, cried, and prayed to gain a better understanding of the situation. After a week or so, I told myself that I cannot get stuck in this stage. My inner self was telling me to hold hands with others. Many may perhaps be dealing with all sorts of emotions, and they may not have the knowledge or the capacity to tear themselves away from those emotions. I could lend a hand, or a voice.
I have always been comfortable in voicing out my thought processes, so I thought that I can have conversations about family sanity and well-being. The “live” button on Facebook was just there, after all.
On March 20, 2020, I did one episode for my private Facebook friends. On the following week, I did it Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for about 40 minutes through my Facebook page: /michelealignay. I’ll just see how it goes. My mandate was clear and the push of the Spirit was strong: I have the capacity and expertise to help others. Whether they were concerned about their family life, well-being, or faith, they can take away something from Coffee Break.
Fast forward to 2021. When you are doing God’s purpose, good souls are never far behind. You may now find Coffee Break with Dr. Michele in YouTube and Spotify. Our conversation pieces are converted into articles which you may find in my website www.michelealignay.com. Some episodes will have about 600 views, others beyond 1000. Coffee Break has become an opportunity for watchers/listeners to pause and reflect over their lives.
Do I ever run out of topics? The 23 years that I’ve worked as a counselor, psychologist, speaker, professor, and writer has prepared me well for this mission. Each conversation is tutored by a wellspring of expertise and experience, delivered straight from my heart.
On the first year anniversary of Coffee Break, I woke up to messages from friends congratulating me for being a nominee for “Female Social Media Influencer” of the Catholic Social Media Awards 2020. It’s something I don’t expect because I don’t consider myself as social media influencer.
Like others before me, I am taking part in the mission God has planted in me, and that is to influence others to become better versions of themselves, to nurture love and growth in their families, and to contribute in making the world a better place than they have found it.
Thank you, friends, for joining me in Coffee Break!
Be well, and let’s have coffee soon!