A favour to ask first: This newsletter is a little shy of 150 subscribers, which might seem like a small number, but it is a crowd to me. This year, I will be finishing my undergrad degree and as part of the requirements to fulfil this degree, I am writing a research project on The Impact of the 2/3rds Gender Rule on Women in Kenyan Politics. I would like to kindly request that you help me fill this survey to help me finish my project.
Hey friends,
About a month ago, I started doing newspaper reviews on Tuesday mornings on #BiasharaTuesday with my friend Richard on KUTV. Given that we have been very close friends for a couple of years, it is easy to have banter and discuss the whole plethora between politics and business. And despite the crazy morning schedule that I have had to endure for those couple of weeks, they have easily been my best weeks. Today, I wanted to share with you a few lessons that I have picked from the newsroom.
I have learnt to be more intentional - The newspaper review segment starts at 7:30 a.m. which means that I have to be at the TV station an hour earlier to read all the newspapers for the day and form opinions. But an hour is too short to read through 3 newspapers, so ideally, the previous night, I often sleep late catching up on world news so that the next day’s news does not seem so foreign to me.
Knowing that I have to wake up and do this every week, and that my friend will be counting on me has been the game changer. Those few weeks have also helped me re-think how I spend my time and how I assign my blocks of time. Tim Urban’s advice now more than ever has gained more nuance and every so often I ask myself, “Which blocks of my time should be treated as non-negotiable in their labeled purpose and which should be more flexible? Which blocks should be left blank, with no assigned purpose at all?”
No news is good news - Good news unfortunately rarely ever makes its way into the papers. The headlines are almost always covered with tragic stories or corruption scandals and political rifts. It’s easy to leave the newsroom feeling hopeless about the future. I have learnt to constantly remind myself that just like social media highlight reels, bad news sells. Knowing that has shifted my life’s perspective and appreciation for good stories, a good chat with a friend, and the value of silence. Sometimes all you need is to shut out the noise and breathe.
Shrinking yourself does not serve the world - A couple of years ago when I began my Political Science degree, I was utterly confused and hopeless. For 2/4 of the years of my campus life, I felt that I had missed the mark, failed to pass on the baton of those who had gone ahead of me, and wasted my life. I was scared and for the better part of those years, I tried to suppress any thoughts about the future…because anyway, where was it?
In third year, by sheer luck I met this lecturer who was willing to listen to our political ideas and I decided to speak up , read more and write my ideas. Years later, this single decision, of speaking up has helped me find work experience and share my ideas with others in the world. Playing small never served me or the world.
Have a great week ahead.
Ngoiri
Notes to keep
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
By Marianne Williamson