‘’Knowledge is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” ― Albert Einstein
Last year, I did some soul searching which was basically evaluating my life and the lives of those who had access to me. I made a long list of those I have always admired (The fine ones with fancy stuff), Those that motivated and inspired me (the ones I wanted to be like), during my evaluation it became clear to me that each category of my peers had distinguished characteristics/attributes that made me form the perceptions I had about them. More importantly for me, were the ones I wanted to be like – Oh My! They shined all the way, had answers to every question in class, among friends, anywhere and everywhere and I remember attributing it to them being the teacher or lecturers favorite. Guess what I discovered from my evaluation series – The people I wanted to be like were not academic intellectuals, they simply had a deep quest for knowledge and were inquisitive about life and its components, they were bold to ask questions and never afraid to fail at first attempt; they take every moment as an opportunity to learn, they are not close minded and they embrace every form of teaching.
This made me have a rethink on my journey and how close minded I have been which has been nothing but self-limiting and I made a vow to make it right by actively developing and cultivating the habit of learning especially because every gathering of successful people I have been privileged to sit in has been governed by a common principle – Learn, Learn, Learn! You just can never be too old to learn because Knowledge never goes out of style, it is power, it is what makes us who we are and what ends up placing us where we want to be, it is the driver of our path. And because of this, the things I thought were fascinating and interesting suddenly became meaningless as I decided to pick up hobbies that will enhance my growth such as meeting people from different places, trying to find meanings for words I never knew existed, trying to learn new language and the best of all my appetite for reading grew overnight.
I have come to realize that great and successful people don’t know it all, they sometimes don’t even know it at all but they stay with the questions much longer than ordinary people, they stay learning as if they are going to live forever because they believe so much that it is only through learning that they will go places others only dreamed of.
Personally, the more I read, the more I realize that I know nothing and I can only keep at it to get answers that will catapult and prepare me for every next level of my life.
My dear young ones, you cannot get tired of learning, you cannot get tired of seeking answers, you cannot get tired of failing because Failure teaches important lessons and you cannot get tired of getting Involved…. And Do not forget – The Goal is to be nothing short of the best there can ever be.
I will round off with one of my favorite quotes;
“The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, “is to learn something. That’s the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honor trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.” ― T.H. White, The Once and Future King
Lots Of Love,
Eniola
thebigsisterinitiative.com 