Guest Blogger: Damola Pedro

HI! It's the weekend :D

I have another guest feature for you all today. It is one of my friends Damola Pedro and she is always full of surprises. Enjoy!

WHAT I LEARNT FROM LIVING

Initially when Bunmi asked me if I was interested in writing an article for her blog, the first thing that came to mind was a big no, I’m such an avid reader and writing is not one of my strongest skills. In fact after my brother read my dissertation, he laughed so hard because I have a way of complicating things and making my sentences incredibly difficult to understand. It must be the mathematician in me! And of course, I’m being a show off by telling you I am a mathematician, bite me! However, in light of what I am actually going to discuss in this article, I decided to take up this challenge and write my heart out.


In the middle of a conversation with someone close to me, it dawned on me that I am at my happiest when I am learning. Not necessarily learning within an academic setting. It could be learning whilst conversing with a friend, a stranger, a colleague or anyone I find talking to. It could also be learning through several experiences or just learning from life. I enjoy the whole process because it’s almost random in the sense that you don’t consciously set out to actually learn something, it just happens. I will be focusing on three categories of learning that are incredibly important but taken for granted


Learning from People: we learn from people simply by listening. Being curious and interested in who a person is, what they have to say and the experiences they have to share. So how do we learn from people? How do we make sure we are rightly positioned to learn from the people that are within and outside our network? I think the simple answer is to have an open mind and open heart towards the people we meet regardless of their social class, age, race, etc. And it always begins with a simple question with genuine interest; you’d be surprised how much information you’d gather in a short amount of time.


During one of my visits to my hairdresser, I told her I was about to begin the academic year at a new institution and she gave me a piece of advice that stuck with me. She advised me to be friends with people that challenge me intellectually and socially. She also said I shouldn’t settle, I should keep surrounding myself with people who would ignite the fire in my belly. I literally ran away with this piece of advice because it completely changed my perspective and it changed my life. How was I able to learn from my hairdresser? By simply listening and listening some more.


Learning from Experiences: I strongly believe the path our lives take is heavily determined and dependent on our experiences. These experiences shape and influence our thinking solely because of what we are exposed to. So for me EXPOSURE is a very big deal. Exposure will determine who your friends are, it will determine what sort of business venture you go into, it will also determine the investments you make. 

In fact let’s push it further and say exposure will determine the life your present and future family will have. Therefore what you expose yourself to, shouldn’t be taken lightly.

One thing I am constantly trying to do and telling anyone who cares to listen is to constantly get out of your comfort zone and challenging yourself to do things you ordinarily wouldn’t and go to places you have never been to. This is where exposure comes from. Remember at the beginning I mentioned my initial reaction towards writing this article was going to be a no, I decided to take up this challenge and surprisingly, I am enjoying it.


I guess what I am trying to say is that exposure expands your mind in a way that you are able to find confidence and strength in who you are and what you are going to be. An expanded mind is a very powerful tool, because you are able to be more, do more and live a more fulfilled life.


Learning from Life: I understand this sort of learning can be slightly vast, almost ambiguous. However, I want to focus and emphasise on learning from living in this present time. Not three or ten years from now but this moment, this present now is what I am talking about. Many of us, myself included are very focused on the future. We plan, plan and plan some more. We forget that now is what we prayed and hoped for, so we forget to enjoy it and plan for another tomorrow that we would probably forget to enjoy again. The cycle continues and we wonder, “Why does it seem like I am always chasing something?” and we become unhappy. 

If there’s anything I have learned this past couple of months, it is to enjoy this present moment I find myself in, make the most of it because this season of my life is going to pass swiftly, leaving nothing but memories behind. I want those memories to be memories that remind me that I lived in the present, not one regretting and wishing I enjoyed it more. Life is so fragile, time moves so fast, everything happens so quickly, if you forget to live in the present, the future isn’t going to be any better because you are going to continue in this futile rat race.


Just take a minute, stop and make a decision to always live in the moment, the future is set, what will be will be, there are trillions of things we have no control over but this “now” moment we have and it is such a precious gift. I strongly believe that we would always get our hearts desire; the only uncertainty lies time, where our hopes and dreams will come to fruition. But best believe that when they do come, it would be at the time that is best for you

I hope this helps someone out there and I hope you will apply some of these principles in your daily lives because these have helped me grow as an individual over the past few years.

Thank you all for reading