Encounter with a Church Younger Sibling - Confidence & Challenge

I had some free time, so I met up with a younger sibling in church for coffee. Since I'm kind of like a church 'older brother' (?), I often look out for the people in the church. Among them, I met with a younger sibling who was facing some difficulties, both in society and within the church, and we talked.

I believe that giving advice to someone is a precious thing. It's a recognition that I've grown as a person in the eyes of others and that I've had a lot of experiences. Sometimes, this can be a weakness.

Since my college days, I've been involved in mentoring activities, and even when looking at the Enneagram, I'm the type of person who enjoys helping others. Because of this, I have a tendency to reach out and offer help first. I've noticed myself giving advice even when the other person didn't want it, and there have been times when the other person strongly rejected it, leading to conflict.

That experience taught me a lesson, and now I'm more cautious when giving advice to someone. I only offer help when they want it. I approached the friend I met today cautiously, and even though I came across as a bit of a 'know-it-all,' I tried my best to encourage them.

The core points I shared were, first, 'confidence,' and second, 'challenge.' Son Heung-min's father, Son Woong-jung, tells the children who learn soccer from him this: “What is a man? Confidence! The wall of world soccer is never high!” That's right. Confidently show what you've learned and experienced. If you lack confidence, you may not be able to fully utilize your abilities and perform to your full potential.

Nothing happens if you don't do anything. Even if you have something you want to do or try, nothing will happen if you don't challenge yourself. Even if you're not good at it, you have to try it first to find out if you're good at it or if you like it. Personally, when I like someone, I think it's better to confess my feelings and find out how they feel, even if I might get rejected and lose them, rather than not confessing out of embarrassment or fear of rejection and regretting it later. It's better to confess, express my feelings, and get confirmation, even if it means regretting it later.

Through today's interaction, I'm grateful to be able to be a good senior and thankful for the younger sibling who listened to my experiences and is willing to try them out. I also had a good time reflecting on myself and recalling my goals while providing help. In the future, even though I'm still lacking, I hope to have more opportunities to share my story with many people and give them strength. And I feel the need to continuously strive to be someone who can provide support.

https://youtube.com/shorts/yG8zCumed9A?si=_16vRTMLqxohG2cd