Memoirs can teach us some valuable lessons
EXPERIENCE one finds is the greatest teacher. Acquiring knowledge through taking on assignments gives the student a better understanding of what how to accomplish those tasks. Doing requires effort and often physical and mental application.
When trying something for the first time one is also prone to make mistakes which can be useful to understand what works and what does not work.
Unfortunately, life does not permit for one to physically experience and do everything. At times there is also no need as there are shortcuts available that others have already discovered. Learning, therefore, can also be accomplished through the experiences of others.
Biographies
For this reason, one is a fan of reading biographies and memoirs. People sharing their lived experiences is a brilliant way to learn more about the world and how to go through it. Reading the biographies of people one would consider successful, is a fantastic way to try and understand how they got to that place.
There is no single formula to success and success is relative, however, there are principles and habits that one can adopt from people that can make the journey more achievable.
A number of successful people, for example, are said to be avid readers and often in their biographies they share books that helped them on their journey. One such person is Lenard McKelvey, more commonly known as Charlamagne tha God.
In his book titled “Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It”, he talks about some of the books that guided him when he was growing up including “The Autobiography of Malcolm X”, “The Art of War” and “The 48 Laws of Power”.
Charlamagne is an American TV and radio personality who grew up in a small town Moncks Corner, South Carolina. In his memoirs, he shares his experiences of coming from this rough neighbourhood that would fit the stereotypical black American hood, to becoming one of the leading media personalities in New York.
The book is splint into eight principles: It’s not the size of the pond but the hustle in the fish; PYP (Pick your passion, poison, or procrastination); F*** your dreams; There are no losses, only lessons; Put the weed in the bag!; Live your truth; Give people the credit they deserve for being stupid; Access your black privilege.
In each chapter, Charlamagne uses anecdotes from his lived experiences to explain the principle and why he thinks it’s important to live a certain way. The chapter “There are no losses, only lessons” talk of how he got into radio after failing at a rap career. He speaks of how he was fired multiple times but each firing turned into a blessing as it helped him prepare for the next stage of his career.
The book contains explicit language is some parts but this illustrates the genuine nature of the account and the author. He does not portray his life to be glamorous or himself special to be where he is today, but he does acknowledge how fortunate he was in various circumstances and how his commitment and fortitude helped him succeed.
Selling drugs
In the book he talks about dropping out of school, selling drugs, going to prison, trying to make music, his early career in radio, working for free, making the most out of opportunities, relationships and staying true to oneself.
Although a number of the experiences might be foreign, particularly to non-American readers, the lessons in the book are sound and it is interesting reading an unsanitised account of someone’s life.
As motivating as it is reading biographies and memoirs of people from other countries, one yearns for the day that more Zimbabweans share their journeys with the world.
People in all sectors: politics, sports, arts, business and religion should consider putting down their life experiences so that many others can read and learn principles that could lead them to success.