Episode Transcript
Hello, my name is Aziz and I'm the son of a divorced mother. She is really my superhero. That's why it's important for me to support women, to share their uniqueness, their personalities, perspectives and emotions about life. Too many women in this world feel alone. They worry about the judgment of others and they struggle with their mental health but when they listen to the rare girls podcast where empowered women share their voices and tell their stories, many women will feel inspired to live a life of freedom and to overcome all insecurities. They will feel. It is a safe space to find their confidence to remember their unique beauty and to feel their self-worth. And they will connect with the sisterhood of rare girls who encourage their success and support their dreams. That's what this podcast is all about. My guest today is Cynthia Akumbi. Cynthia is a global activist and the youth ambassador for the ONE Campaign in Belgium. After completing her bachelor's degree in French and English, linguistics and her master's in African Studies and Globalization in between the years 2010 and 2016 in Cameroon where she had an amazing childhood, Cynthia decided to further her studies abroad. She is a holder of a master's degree in linguistics and literary studies from Fréa Université de Brucelles and is currently rounding up with an advanced Masters in African Studies and International Relations. This came as a result of her passion for politics, justice, equality and her quest for a world that is just and preaches about women's empowerment. As hobbies she loves, watching documentaries, reading, swimming, playing the piano, traveling, and most importantly, she enjoys spending time with her friends, celebrating with them, and chatting over everything. Cynthia, how are you today? I'm good as is, and it's actually a privilege for me to be here today, because I must confess, I've gone through a couple of the podcasts you've done with the other ladies, and I must say you are doing an amazing job. So it's a privilege for me to be here today. Thank you so much. I truly appreciate your support. I really thank you for everything. I'm honored and lucky and I would like to start with this nice first question which is, Cynthia, if your friends could describe your personality, what would they say about you? Honestly, I always love about this question because it's something that I get so often, especially on my birthday and I know like there's 99% of words that I always get you are kind, you are versatile, and you are ambitious. I never get a description from any of my friends without them mentioning the fact that you're a versatile human being, you're very ambitious. So I guess if they were to describe me in three words, it would definitely be your kind, your versatile, and you're ambitious. I love that. And I want us to dive into the ambition part. What does it mean for you to be very ambitious? Because this project encourages the ambition of women. So step by step, I'll ask you to like how to overcome any like anxieties related to it. But first, let's define it in your opinion. Very ambitious. That sounds cool. What does it mean to you? How does someone approach his life in a very ambitious way? Yeah, I guess get trying as much as possible to get the best part of life. That is how I always see being ambitious. Because at that time, they so gave me that adjective that I kept on pondering within myself, like, is it-- does it have something to do with pride? And I was kind of happy they gave me the answer, no, you always want more. You're always in a quest for more. You always-- you're never-- it seems you're kind of delivered to it, and we are happy with the positive kind of progress that you keep making. And I think sometimes when I also have to-- when I sit down and I listen to my mom, The way she tells me about my childhood stories, I get so impressed. She said, you've never been satisfied with Lito. You always kept on asking, why is this happening this way? Oh, you're going to I'm going to be the next Queen Elizabeth of England. She said sometimes my dreams when I was going to abuse to scare her. And I don't know if I should say this now. Being raised by a single mom where I that's a little bit of background story by a single mom. My father at the time was a teacher. They had their issues and separated and things didn't work out. But I mostly had a very amazing relationship with my father, so though they were not together. I remember my friends telling me one day in school that children that are raised by single parents are so weird. I hope you're not going to be one. I swear as this, that got me. I never forgot that line. And I must tell you for a fact, I spent every second of my life telling myself, since you're going to be better, you have to prove them wrong. You have to tell them single mothers are way more than 10 fathers put together. And as a matter of fact, even when I went to school, I can't, I must say like for friends who really know me, I think I always found myself somehow at the top, like when he had to do with leadership, I would see myself in secondary school being a member of the school council, being the president of the drama club because I always enjoy writing script. There each time my principal had like an occasion, he just had to call me since I work out something. I remember I'll be stressing over weeks then I'll go to the principal and be like, "Mr. Principal, like what do you want the team of the drama to look like?" He would just look at me and say, "You are up to the tax." This way was that gave me like the encouragement that I needed that I felt that I was doing something great. I was a senior preferred girl in my school. I was the editor-in-chief in the school magazine. I was the president of the Utah Postulate Commission. I mean, I was this and more. Even when I moved to the university back in in the Western region of Cameroon, where it was essentially French, and I was living from a typical English culture. I remember the week when I told myself, since I know this is done, you've handled a lot of posts of responsibilities, you have to step down. You won't imagine I missed school for that week, because I didn't want to take part in administrative functions, I was tired, because I think it came with a lot of responsibilities, and everybody telling you, you are a role model to me, And just one flashback, there was a day my teacher came into, that was lower six, the sixth level of high school. And she said, today, she said in front of the whole class, I'm kind of proud because I entered the form five, which is the ordinary levels. And I asked who is your role model? And so my greatest dismay, the students all called your name Sinfia. You are a good leader, you are a good senior prefect, you're doing so much, and I want you to keep that up. You know, for some reasons, I was supposed to be happy, everybody was cheering, but I kind of felt pressured. This is you multitasking, everybody looking up to you, oh, you're the brilliant one, you're this, you're that. So I think I felt the need again to leave up to expectation to make sure I never disappoint anyone. So, you know, that was just a little bit of digression. So I think that passion kept, it just went on and on and on and on. And that week, as I was saying, I come back to the story in the university. So I missed that week because I was afraid I was going to be voted into something. You wouldn't imagine the following week, we had a new director at the university and he had actually postponed the election, student elections. So I came in that week and he was there like making sure everything was okay. Then I remember so vividly, I start like almost like the third row or the third column in the classroom. It was like, and fee 1000 at the time in between 2010, 2011. Then students, then the director was like, I really, and then the student administrators were there, they all want us that way exposed to hand over power. And they said, "Oh, we've had, we are here, so that you choose those you think they are capable of handling these posts of responsibilities. We have an editor in charge." Oh, was it at the time they call it charge a disaffair academic, which could be literally translated as, "We need a president in charge of academic activities." So I remember I was there pointing to some friends in front that I had just met, not even up to a month. I was pointing to them And before I knew it, everybody was clapping. So when they said, oh, what a great choice because there are about three people pointing to the same person, stand up. Then I turned behind and I was the one. He said, yes, you looking behind. No, no, no, this is not funny. So the girls had just made way. In my mind, I was like, no God, this is not happening. This is the university. So I went up, they voted and I was, I emerged a winner. I was made president in charge of academic activities. I ended up being an MC for the Faculty of Letters and Social Sciences. I was doing a lot of MC work here and there, and that's in a non-share my story. That is it. Thank you so much. I have so many questions. I'll begin with this one. You said, and I agree with you, that a single mother can be more than 10 fathers. That sentence that someone told you about you growing up with a single mother gave you the drive and the energy to be better. Many people bullying criticism, many girls grow up, maybe their parents or relatives or kids at school, they notice things and they tell them, "Oh, you are gaining weight" or "you're too skinny" or "you're too tall" or whatever it is. And often that can lead them into depression, into isolation and into becoming bitter. What was different about you or how do you approach the world so that challenges make you push to be better rather than go into your cocoon and become more of a bitter person. Honestly, to this very day, I really must confess I was always this powerful for some weird reasons. I remember because my other brother was just too am I see my other brother is very shy, he's very reserved and very quiet. And sometimes when I tell people that we've never had to quarrel, why Gwenov even see this date, like we just have like these nice conversations. And sometimes I just have to push him to say something because he's very quiet. I mean, we had this amazing kind of relationship. But then I remember when we did like a little bit of primary education, sometimes his friends get got bullied. I was this round, this very bulky child. But I don't know for some weird reasons. I don't think anybody just dead to me. I remember sometimes I could get things from friends and then I would just see something that belongs to you and I wouldn't want to give back. Sometimes I think I had, I think I was troublesome but then my brother was bullied because he was a quiet one and each time I came I fought and then even in primary four I remember there's this, I had this very student I think even each time we meet each other on the way we still laugh about it he will be like since I literally got me well flocked and And then you know back then in school when you're fighting with your classmate and somebody's like putting down points, your point is like, "Oh, Cynthia too, this person is zero." And it, you know, it's giving you the energy that you're doing great. People just fight. Like, I just always believed that was beautiful, I was enough, and there was nobody that could say anything else. I always had this kind of confidence. I don't know to be said to be candid, I don't know where I came from, but I just grew up with this confidence. like get into that room and show them who you are, who you've got, who you are. I mean, you know, so I remember like fighting for my brother and then each time somebody just called my name, then you know people are like, no, don't just mess with her. And the thing is, I grew up realizing that it's so important to set boundaries, train your mind in such a way that it can accommodate things that you alone want to accommodate and it can actually send out things that you consider toxic. I saw a lot of people being bullied and I used to just ask myself. And I would tell my brother, I remember holding him one day and shaking him, "You are a man, be a man. You can stand up for yourself. You don't need people to speak. I don't need to fight for you. I'm supposed to be your kid sister for crying out loud." And I think that was just it. And then I will remember fast forward to secondary school. That was just from one. I remember being sick. I had this, there were some rashes that were actually coming out from nowhere. And then my grandma, where I actually spent a very good part of my life. I literally just go with how my mom went into business to be able to fend for herself. And then I remember her, I remember missing school that day to go with her to the hospital so that the doctor could check what was wrong with me. And I had missed an exam actually. So on my way back, there was this girl, in a kind of a fire relation though, she looked at me in the face. I'm like, "Are you suffering from HIV/AIDS? You look so skinny. Look at what is this with these rashes." I remember turning behind and not even like thinking twice give her like a crazy slap. She fainted and believe me I think that's when I realized no the physical fighting wasn't just for me. I got so funny because within three days you know then my mom would be like you've killed somebody I hope you learned your lessons I've always told you this not how to go about it this is not how you fight you can you can always talk to people you know so I was a type I was a no nonsense person, you could not just say, you could not just give yourself the privilege to tell me whatever thing that was crossing your mind, you know. So I was that kind of person. But then I stopped, then I realized that our words do have power, you know. You might necessarily not fight somebody physically, but you used to or to realize that even in the next life, the person who actually thinks twice were addressing the other person. So when the lady got out of the hospital, we made piece and I told myself, Cynthia, you can do better. So I think for people that have always had like these issues of, oh, this person you're far, I just think is to train your mind psychologically to be able to speak up. First, admiring yourself, knowing that I'm the best version of myself, this is the best I can be. And then I always tell myself I am a work in progress. Each time, most often when I was caught, I remember the year before last in Turkey during the best Diplomat Simulation Conference where I was invited by UNESCO, they were saying like how do you become people always ask how do you become a global activist, how do you get in touch with these international organizations and talk, I just told them you have to develop this confidence, this self-worth, this esteem that each time you arrive or you present yourself somewhere, people will not know, this is not an MC vessel. You always have, if there is actually an occasion that warrants you to prove yourself to people. You should be capable of telling them, "This is who I am, just with your presence and with your words." So I always tell people, "Don't allow yourself to get bullied. Don't allow people to detect their frustrations upon you." Because we are living in a kind of social media age where everybody has the freedom of speech. Everybody sees whatever thing they want. They see whatever trash that comes out of your mouth. And sometimes people to project their insecurities and their frustrations on the weaker ones. What I can't achieve, I will want to project it on you. I'll be like, "As is yours, you know what I'm saying? This thing you're doing is trash." But that's because I can't do it. And the victim, that's because I can't handle what you're doing. And the person that even goes out there and attempts, is trying to bring you down. That's to make you feel the insecurity that that person is actually projecting on you. So I tell people, train your mind. Know who you are. are. If you put yourself if you put in your mind that I'm a constant work in progress, you should actually be working towards that. You shouldn't allow people to tell to tell you about what you can do and what you cannot do. When I say tell somebody I'm capable of doing this. Sometimes I tell you, then I don't allow you to get into that argument. They will be like no, but how I'm like, the last time I checked, I'm actually informing you. It's not as if I wanted to get into a debate with you. This I'm giving you the information. You know, I'm telling you I'm not asking you. So they'll be like, well, That is because you know the subject matter better than they do. And I think there are also kind of discussions where you never see me get involved in. Because when I look at what some people are saying, I'll just be like, no. I look at your mindset and I'm like, I cannot get involved with this kind of person. You're going to drain the energy that I have. I know there are some people and I always tell people also choose your battles wisely. There are people in this world that you just ignore. And I always say this word, sometimes keeping quiet and letting go is being an accomplishment. That's because you don't believe to yourself and you don't bring yourself down to the standard of those people. You get it. So that's knowing your word. That's knowing yourself as team, knowing that I'm better than this. There are some people on the way that you cannot just start a political conversation. I would just look at you and be like, "No, I see your mindset. I see where you're going to, and I know it's just going to be a fertile fight. It's something that is not going to bring out anything." And each time I want to engage in conversations with people, I should be able to know that if either you're allowing me to share my points of view without any maybe, how do I say it? We are sharing this conversation to learn from each other. Not as if I'm trying to prove a point that I'm better than you, or you're trying to dictate to me and telling me and compelling me to buy your ideas. We are having a civilized conversation where at the end of the day, both of us both actually goes home with something you get. So that is how I fight for my... So that's how I saw this idea of people maybe bullying or you having this mindset of depression. How do you overcome it? Know yourself, be confident, know what you've got to offer, train your mindset in such a way that you set boundaries to what you can let in and what you should actually shut your doors on. That's what I would say. Thank you so much for that. That was very wise and enlightening. And I want to take this conversation into more of a global direction since you are an activist for justice, for equality, for women's empowerment. Can you share these ideas and these principles? How did you discover that they're so important for you? You're willing to fight for them? What are you fighting against? What are the things in this world that you want to improve and evolve? And just give me a background and a vision for this activity and being a global activist for these values. Honestly, as I said with the background, I just realized that everywhere I found myself, I was given this position. And funny enough, like in many cultural organizations or many in many scenarios of my life, I didn't, they will hardly just make me a floor member. each time I went and it's not as if sometimes I even solicited for these positions. You just have to see it and when it's time for voting people just so I told myself you I think I attended one conference at a time that was seen was it in Cameroon yes I think it was in Cameroon actually in the center its center region and back then I was really working as a researcher with the African you know domain NGOs so when I attended this conference they said sometimes certain events happens to you and it's like God's call. You cannot run away from them. You cannot run away from these things. You always find them spontaneous. And when that continues, and when you see that happening all the time, like on a regular basis, just know for a fact that it's a message that they are sending to you. So I remember going home from that conference. I think it was actually Women Empowerment Conference actually. When I went home, I started pondering and then I was looking, I was doing a kind of respective maybe view of my life, growing up, I mean the challenges and I'm like, "Oh could this be a message? Were you born to be a leader?" And then I remember just standing in front of the room and shouting, "Ah!" And then I'm just screaming. Then I went into the room, I'm like, "Mom, how do you see me in 10 years to come?" She said, "You're going to be great. You're going to impact the world. You are going to make your presence filled in every room you enter. I can't and say that for a fact. And we're like, okay. I was really so happy. I went to bed that day really smiling because to be honest, my mom has always been my greatest fan. Honestly, she, in whatever thing I leave my hands on, sometimes they try and I think that to an extent it's always because of her prayers. She's always guided me well. You know? And so most of the values that I had, she gave them to me. So like when I went, when I left that conference, I told myself, this is actually a message. Oh, was I born to be a leader? How do I, what are the things that really, really touch me in the heart? And I realized growing up, I could see most of my friends, not even just friends like in the neighborhood. And then I used to complain to my mom, oh, I don't have these. I have friends that have these little shoes. I have these friends that have these. Mom, why don't you get them to me? Then she sat me down and said, if you are content in this life, you'll go far. Those people can afford those things. Their parents are ministers and they are this and they are that, but we barely struggling. Just the fact that you have a roof over your head, you're attending, you're going to school. I think these are resources that some people don't have. Then I was, I think I apologized that night and I told her I was never going to go back to it again. Then when I looked around me, I would realize there were people that could even barely afford maybe some, maybe school shoes or maybe clean uniforms. Then I saw how my grandma valued education. I tell you, like to those friends with whom we grew up, especially in high school, my grandma would be like, you cannot go to the farm. You cannot go to tears, just study. All she wanted was just for you to study, just study. And somehow I was really great because I hated farm work. And I remember days that I'll have to fake being sick just because I didn't want to go to the farm. And I really studied and I was always doing my best. So I think that came from that conference. And then I just started dreaming like, how can I support women? I see a lot of people, women who don't go to school. And then the Anglophone crisis of 2017 made matters worse. We had a lot of dropouts. We had a lot of people, I even see these who have actually abandoned studies. Then I told myself, "What can you do?" I remember working hand in glove with a couple of friends, then we came together with the Zions Bright Foundation, which was out to empower those who had nothing to try to create something, give people that were willing some sort of businesses to sustain their families. you know, sustain themselves, get empowered, and in turn, maybe provide for their families. So it really kind of shattered me. And I'm like, I wish women were given more opportunity to excel. And then sometimes you go into political rooms, discourses, and where people still think that women do not have anything to offer. But then I said, when I read the, so I think when I also read the book Becoming Michelle Obama, and this political discourse of Barack Obama, the promised land. I saw how, you know, little changes, you know, the tiny growth where they basically express how, you know, growing up and getting to the White House, all of a sudden, I'm like, I just said, you see, so these things actually take time. So they grow within you, the environment actually plays a role and things that only become actually push you to become an activist. That is when you have a kind heart, I think, because I was seeing these issues and what I was doing with friends at the time before looking to Europe and I saw how they made me happy. How just putting smiles on people's faces made me happy. Even in a wide year, sometimes I try to be like a great humanitarian, but sometimes I just ask God, "God, can you just give me much money so that I can help women excel, so that I can make everybody at least have a case of education? Can you just give me more money so that I can empower this single women?" Because sometimes Sometimes people don't know the struggles, especially of single women, but I think they are doing so much. They are really trying. Sometimes people think it's because they were real world, but then there were just circumstances of life that actually put them in that situation. And I think the society doesn't celebrate them enough because some would choose abortion, but then these people are like, let me, let me own up to my mistake. I think that's the part that we should celebrate more. This is a mistake or maybe that they found themselves, they didn't actually anticipate. I don't think anybody actually get into a relationship with the hope of having it being called a broken relationship in the future. They always hope for their best, but then life happens. So when life happens and they pick up the broken pieces of their lives and decide to forge ahead, I don't think they should be criticized for that. So I always had in mind, if I really get into the group space where I have the resources, I'll make sure I empower these women to the best of my knowledge, giving them maybe the possibility if they don't even want to go into book reading like imparting financially to start off something for themselves to know that their errors is not like it's not synonymous to judgmental or like end of your life you know but to let them celebrate them tell them you are bored you are courageous i mean you're brave you're doing well and you can do better you can still become the best patient of yourself if you want to you know give them that mindset because i think society as kind of criticising single mothers in such a way that the men of nowadays think women cannot do anything. Men of nowadays sometimes come to single mothers and be like, you know you already have a child right? So you should be happy I'm coming to you. A friend of mine was actually complaining about that just a few days ago and she was like, I really need to get into a relationship. I said but marriage doesn't make you who you are. Marriage should not give you the confidence that you need. Marriage should not actually bring out the best in you. You should be going into that man's life as an asset, you know, don't go like a liability. I was telling her, "No, you're a little bit harsh." I said, "No, I don't think so." You make it seem like he's going to come and add a lot of value, but go into his life in such a way that when you live, you should be able to look at him in the face and tell him you will never find someone like me and be intentional about it because you know the kind of value you should be bringing into his life. And I always told myself that I'm never going to be a liability, that each time that when I got into relationship I will know when I tell you you'll never get someone like me I should mean it and it should be a fact I'm not disputing that with for any reason in the world so I think most of these things being a global activist has actually also it actually also I mean broaden my scope going through different scenarios seeing people suffering seeing people who want to have so much to say but can't speak up that's what motivated me to become a global activist people that have a lot, the introverts, people that have maybe great aspirations to share with the rest of the world but can't speak up. So in my mind, I told myself, you can be the voice of the voiceless, through the least things you do. Maybe just by being, not just an emotional speaker, but just by being you, being that example, being a Bible that others can open and read. I think there are some people's lives that you look at them and be like, I want to be like this person. I grew up and I just got used to so many of those words and sometimes people tell me what if you were really criticized openly. I would tell the people maybe when that moment comes I would have an answer but for now when I judge from what friends, family, acquaintances, maybe social media people say I guess I'm doing great and sometimes I even have to go on my WhatsApp status or IG story and just post some of the great moment. They're encouraging words I get from friends. They're They're like, "You're this, you're that." I'm like, "I've never maybe read from someone, "you're doing, you're doing, but you're doing, "you're being, you're being, no." So sometimes I feel these are the people that I want to help that actually make you, I mean, that actually make me the global activist that I am, because all I've always wanted is to see people excel, see women grow, see women, I mean, realizing great project, seeing women being given the opportunity that they deserve to express themselves, share their vision about the world. I mean, and just be great. 100%. Thank you so much for that. And to finish this, there might be some teenage girls or in their early 20s who have been through the pandemic and because of social isolation, they have been more introverted than ever. And that led them to overthink things, worry about taking risks going out of their comfort zone to build their potential. What's your advice for them so that they go for their big dreams and not worry about judgment of other people or the risk of failure or just overthinking what might happen in a negative way. I must actually start by saying it's okay to feel at a given point in time that you might be a failure because that is a driving force that takes you out of your comfort zone. I will be lying, I will actually be lying if I told you they are not these, then I will actually sit and say, "What if you fail all these people? A lot of people are looking up to you. What if because any listening I do, I think just turns out big and people are writing me or doing great little things. I'm like, what if you become a disappointment? What if this doesn't work? What if, what, what if, what if you can prove yourself, you know? So I think when those moments come, sometimes it's just to, I know it's easily said and done, but I've practiced it myself, especially when COVID came and everybody just went in. I think just read books. If you can actually just manage to get out of bed. If you can manage to get out of bed, I think it's a great step. It's something that should be uploaded because sometimes with depression, you just want to stay maybe under your blankets for the next 24 hours. But if you can just get up, open the windows, appreciate the fresh air, appreciate the fact that you are alive. I think getting up and I always tell people sometimes the fact that you get up in the morning, you go to work and come back. People don't say these things enough. People don't even appreciate the gift of life. I think I think if you have life, it's already enough motivation to know that there are better days ahead. People always ask me, the last trip that I went on a girls trip just last month, when I left Spain, we went to Albania, where we stayed in seven different cities. And when the organizer of the trip asked the girls to give the personalities of different characters, I remember people with some other girls were like, since I've never seen somebody with your energy, you always positive, whether you eat or you don't eat, because that's the mindset that keeps me going. I want to see the best in everyone. I want to see, I want to believe that the future is bright. That is a thought that always like keeps me going. Even when they say, "Oh, Africa is not going to get great by 2035. Oh, the EU, the European Union, the African Union are not going to come together. They're not going to do great partnerships." I'm like, no, I believe that this going to the future is bright. So for those people that might be going through depression because of certain circumstances to be caused by climate change or whatever reason or family problems, or sometimes they fight from within because sometimes we fight with our inner selves, with our personalities. You know, that you know, there's always a quiet mindset that says do this and there's always that loud mindset, just don't do this. You know, that fight of personalities, you don't know who you are. Even struggling to figure out who you are is also sometimes. some things that bring about depression. So when this moment comes, sometimes I talk to if you can just meditate, take the break that you need, you know, but at the moment, at the end of the day, make sure that when you're coming back from that break, you're coming back as a better somebody. You're coming back as a better version of yourself. Get out, take fresh air, take a walk. Somebody like me, the evenings you see me on my bicycle and people be like, "What are you doing out at 10pm?" Those are the moments for me that I recollect my thoughts, I evaluate my growth, Then I asked myself, "This you did, do you think it's going to work?" So I'm cycling, you think I'm just cycling, but I'm thinking, you could just see me maybe by the river, just throwing stones in the river, and I have a lot of thoughts going on. You will notice me sometimes, I'm just trying different things. You know, those are the moments where you discover yourself more. So if you're going through depression, just tell yourself, "Oh, this is just a face. Everybody has passed through this." Those are what I tell myself, because believe me, in moments of depression, no one is going to save you. You have yourself, you are the only person that can take yourself out of that situation. Because you listen to these motivational speakers, of course they will tell you what you want to hear, but in OBD it is up to you to implement that which you've heard. It's up to you to drag yourself out of under that blanket. It's up to you to go to say, "No, I want to read more books. I want to do this. I want to do that. I want to become..." Nobody is going to save you. And we are actually in a world where people will rather criticize the 1% that you have not done, 99% of positive things that you have done, people have so much see nowadays. And people just easily get frustrated with one comment from social media or one comment from a friend. So I think during those moments, you just have to take a deep breath, take a holy day if needs be, read books, talk to some trusted friends, because I don't really always believe in being just keeping it all by yourself. I know, I don't know, among those your best friends, the best friends also have other best friends. Don't worry about what they may see. Be vulnerable if you have to. Because among the 10 friends you will not tell me you don't have at least one that you can trust. Talk to someone. Because in the course of talking, you listen to them, you clear your mind. Don't just take it all out. Just stand out, get fresh, read more books if you have to, take a break, evaluate yourself and tell yourself, "I am coming back stronger." And when you do, let everybody be able to like dictate and notice the difference and the change in you. Thank you so much, Cynthia. That was absolutely both wise and inspiring. I wish you all the success in the world. I wish you to make the impact that you dream of, to stay very ambitious and limitless in this world. Thank you for sharing your voice, for participating in this podcast, and I wish you to keep going. Thank you so much Aziz. It was a great pleasure being here. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)
