On this episode, I am joined by one of my best friends’, Lily Munyinyi, as we discuss confidence.
Lily and I have been friends for the longest time. How long you ask? (I love stressing the length of our friendship, I take a lot of pride in it.) So long we used to be joined at the hip. So long that there was a time you never said my name without hers or hers without mine shortly after.
But when people meet us, the first thing they notice is how different we are. As I said, Lily and I have been friends for the longest time and have been compared for the longest time. Lily is the extroverted, bold, confident and more rebellious one while I'm the introverted, meek and anxious goody-goody two shoes.
They aren't entirely right but they aren't entirely wrong either.
I've always admired Lily's boldness and confidence. She walks with her head held high, speaks to strangers as if she has known them for years and takes risks. So in this episode, I ask her the questions I've always wanted to know the answers to. Where did she get her confidence from?
What I love about this episode is being able to pick the brain of a person I love. When you have been friends for years like we have, there is a danger of becoming comfortable and accustomed to each other that you don't ask new questions. But in the Sunday sunshine, I begin to see my best friend in a new light and from a new perspective.
I know I say this a lot in the episode but I have a Lily bias. I lean towards her because I have done for years. Lily is a light in my life. She is refreshing. She is loving. She is kind. She empowers me, challenges me, champions me. And when I look back on our friendship, particularly in our teen years, when I felt uncomfortable feeling my own feelings, I am grateful I had a person who shamelessly expressed herself. A person who exemplified it to me so I had a template and framework I could learn from, that I could apply to myself. So yes I’m biased but I’m glad I have the opportunity to gush over somebody who I love.
I think the biggest takeaway from this episode is about Lily as an individual. I think a misconception of the bold friend is that they know no fear. But Lily is not fearless. She feels fear, she recognises the fear. But the difference for many is that she does not allow the fear to stop her. She moves with the fear, carrying the fear because the weight of her fear does not match the strength of knowing herself and what she is capable of. She recognises that she is greater than her own fear. She recognises that she will slip up at times and make mistakes but she can go again, she can pivot, she can reassess.
I’m saying this about her in response to the episode but I’m also hoping and praying that this continues into her future. I also hope for myself as someone who was not necessarily raised this way. I hope I can continue to learn and build my own confidence.
Lastly, I hope this for you as a listener.
I hope you take risks, I hope you take bolder steps, I hope you move with fear knowing that the weight of your fear does not match the strength of knowing who you are.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Keep up to date with all things Mis/educate:
Twitter: @mis_educate
Instagram: @mis.educate
Follow The Host, Sarah:
Twitter: @bysarahg_
Instagram: @bysarahg_
Follow Our Guest, Lily:
Instagram: @lilyalxce_
Snapchat: lilyalice4
Music by:
Matthew M. Moore
Instagram: _iammattmmoore
Site: matthewmmooremusic