Few months into my national service year some years back, I did a proposal to NYSC (National Youth Service Corp) to train some corps members on how to successfully express their entrepreneurial spirits and write a salable business plan for their business ideas. Fortunately, after series of meetings, the proposal was gladly approved and I was quite excited to get down to my assignment. But just as I stepped out of the Zonal Inspector’s office, with the approval letter in my hand, a fellow corps member rushed towards me and whispered, “Chinonso, believe me, I don’t need your training. I already know every single thing that you’re going to teach.” To be honest with you, when he uttered those words, I stumbled mentally and dropped my bundle—I was flabbergasted! I didn’t know what to reply, but somehow my mouth opened and the words, “Okay, no problem then” were emitted, and I hurriedly walked away. Ironically, on the day of the training, right in the hall, that same fellow was seated on the fourth seat on the first column to the extreme right. I couldn’t believe my eyes; but then I smiled and started my training.

There is nothing as self-destructive as believing that knowledge is a constant or a destination. Unfortunately, that was the mind-set of that corper as well as several other individuals that occupy the earth surface today. Well, since the corper only existed in the past, I will only direct my present (and future) message to the group known as individuals: you and me. Listen, man’s potentials are just so enormous; and his major assignment on planet earth is to continually discover, develop, and effectively deploy them before his game is over. But these potentials can only be discovered, developed, and deployed according to the prevailing knowledge that he carries and expresses. Now, since knowledge is a progressive concept—today it’s here and the next minute it’s there—it behooves him to continually and consistently search for it in order to maximize his potentials.

Listen friend, if you desire to maximize your potentials in this 21^st century, then you should live a life of continuous learning. You should be passionate and committed to searching for new knowledge that will help you grow with the changing times. Apparently, the world is changing faster than ever before; and this has also accelerated the rate at which knowledge moves from birth to obsolescence. Therefore, if you think the knowledge you possess today is enough to last you through the journey of life, then you’re shooting yourself in the foot! Don’t let your quest for knowledge be limited or defined by the 6-3-3-4 educational system or occupational system, or any other system that put a stop on your limitless potentials. Rather, make it an on-going commitment and responsibility to be a person of life-long learning.

The fact is that the Grand Creator has designed life in such a way that it’s governed by unchanging principles. And when these principles are violated, consequences abound! But when they’re embraced and followed, the rewards are gargantuan. One of the principles of life is the Principle of Continuous Learning. When you follow it, and you keep following it, the truth is that success will follow you. Therefore, my earnest prayer for you goes thus: “May you learn until you die…Amen!”

P.S: After my training, that corper walked up to me and shook hands with me. “Thanks for the training,” he said.

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.