The University Called Life

But you are not paying attention to classes!

Don't just get through the day. Get from it.

— Jim Rohn

In all my sects, everywhere I have to lead a conversation or a group of people to achieve something, especially when that particular event requires a conversation starter, or an ice breaker, I almost always start with this question: What did you learn today? Or over the weekend, or in the past week? It always revolves around learning something. And there is a reason why.

I worked with a lawyer fresh out of secondary school as a litigation officer. And while it wasn't all cream-coloured stars and red roses, it was a very valuable experience for me, and I think to a large extent, I started having sense from that phase of my life.

As a teenager, I was thrown out into the wild to perform the duties of a clerk/litigation lawyer. I would go and file cases in court, go to different obscure places in Lagos to submit letters to clients, and sit in at court proceedings, listening to the arguments — or non-arguments in most cases.

In all of that, one thing that stuck with me the most was the drive back from court, filings, mediations, arbitrations, whatever meeting we had that required the presence of my principal. On every drive back from these meetings, the Barrister would ask, "So, what did you learn today?"

At first, I dreaded those moments. They were the worst part of my day. What do you mean, what did I learn today? I am not in class. I already passed WAEC. Why are you putting my intelligence in question? I am no longer in school. I am working for the money, not for the learning! Can you please move, sir?

Sometimes I would manage to scramble something out, and on some days, I would say I didn't learn anything. On days when I would cook up something I learned, he'd ask follow-up questions that would make me think, arrrghh!!! On other days when I say I didn't learn anything, he'd proceed to tell me what he learned, then ask me what I learned from that.

He never engaged me or told me why he always asked what I learned. Until now, I don't know exactly what his thought process was.

He had this library in his office. I wasn't interested in books at the time, so I was more drawn to his TV and collection of cassettes, so I would sneak into his office on days he wasn't around to watch movies. Then one day, I saw this book on his table, "An Enemy Called Average" by John Mason. It was a book that had one-page chapters, like a devotional. I flipped the pages and read a chapter, and I thought it sounded clever.

That chapter’s message was that there was something to learn everywhere, always, no matter where you are and what you are doing. And that if you are not on the lookout, you'd very easily miss the learning from every moment. To separate yourself from mediocrity, be on the lookout for what you can learn everywhere, always.

It tied into what I was going through at that moment, so it stuck in my head. I thought to try it, and it worked! You could learn from every tiny little moment, everywhere you are! No matter how mundane what you learn may seem to be, you learned it!

It could be that you learned to smile at strangers because they smiled back, and it eased your angst. It could be that you learned to walk opposite the traffic, not along it, so you can easily spot reckless drivers and move before any damage is done. It could be that you learned to treat people more kindly. It could be something silly you learned from a movie you saw. It could be that you learned to be wary of people you reconnected with, who you thought you knew, only to be shocked by their new attitudes.

What you learn doesn't have to be completely correct. It could be open for further learning, but it doesn't negate the fact that you learned something! You can learn something from every situation, everywhere.

And you must have guessed right by now. From then on, I not only started to wow my Principal during those drives back to the office, but I also started looking forward to those moments when I got to share what I learned. What made those moments even more impactful was that, as I shared what I learned, I got to understand it better, I got to explore my deeper thought processes about the subject matter even more, and also got to learn from the perspective of the other person.

Overall, that experience informed my belief that you can learn something no matter where you are, if you pay close attention. The universe is a university, and you are always in a class. Don't sleep through all the classes. That's what the average man does.

I thought to share this today because Jim Rohn said something that reminded me of those moments. He said, "Don't just get through the day. Get from it." The day is right there, willing to teach you with every passing second. Are you willing to learn? Are you willing to get ahead of the average?

Don't just waltz through life. Walk through it and let it walk through you. Pay attention to your focus. Focus is what separates the Greats from the Averages. Wherever you are, be there. Be present. Be in the moment. Be like a sponge and absorb the teachings that surround you. Don't show up casually because "casualness leads to causality." Don't practice indifference! It leads to inertia.

You are already attending the University called Life. You might as well listen in classes and learn from them!

To Your Growth,
Your Coach,
Abiola Okunsanya,
Handzinspired.