While the concept of self-achievement/learning seems to be popular, I don’t exactly believe there is a self-learner of a particular skill – well, except it’s your discovery.

For those who know me personally, I say it a lot that I got a lot of help, support, and push from those who are ahead of me in the things I do – career, media, and music.

Let me paint it this way – I can claim that I’m a self-learner of C# as it was not part of the topics I was taught in the university. But when I think a bit more about it, I would say I got resources from this website, that blog post, that tutorial somewhere. That is someone – maybe even more than one teaching me. So, I was not exactly self-taught, I was taught just outside the traditional medium – most times free. I was taught by that blog post, that video, that book.

Almost the same applies to getting ahead in life, there are folks who had no business helping another person grow in their quest. These can be your mentors, sponsors, disciples, or just generally anyone who has/had an input in the process of your being what you are today.

For me, two individuals stand out – even though there are tens of them – maybe even more than I can mention that has had one thing or the other to do in making me who I am today. Of course, that is aside me putting in the work, learning and yearning to grow. Most times, I say I am lucky to have met these people.

When I decided to study computer science, my idea was that I would be going to the university to learn how to fix computers, install operating systems for people, etc. That was the environment I grew up in. It wasn’t until few days into resuming university that I knew I could write code and make money from it. About 1 year after, I met the man who would become my first boss and life-long mentor. The first day I met him – my impression was – I want to be like this man. Also, during those times, I came under the mentorship of another man who has been a blessing to me and lot of my friends.

By the mid-semester of my second year in the university, I had 2 people I was looking up to be like – academically and professionally. Good thing for me was that they are always reachable to answer my questions.

Now, I cannot possibly pay them back for all the goodness they have done for me. But one thing I can do is pay that goodness forward. And how do I do this? I mentor someone else; I show that kindness to someone else. I say to that kid from the rural area that life is beyond what they see right now that there are opportunities ahead. And as I do this, I imbibe that culture to also pay it forward.

That my friend is the  big picture. That is what we should aim to do.