“If you have knowledge, let others light their candle at it.” Margaret Fuller
Each one of us has a story to tell, an experience to share, an insight to offer. It is our responsibility to extract these gems from our heart, our memories and, if we can, share them with others.
When we share our knowledge with others, we break down barriers, build openness and trust, and strengthen relationships. Further more, we deepen, expand and even clarify our own understanding through mutual sharing of feedback and meeting different perspectives.
Throughout our lives, we all have greatly benefited from the wisdom of others. All our advances in arts and sciences, technology, history, geography, and evolution of human thought itself are linked by our innate ability to record, refine, and share our knowledge with the world that lies around us and ahead of us.
So how can you share your gift of knowledge? Lets examine a few methods:
- Share your skills – Each one of us is blessed with a special talent, ability, or skill set. And when we share those talents and skills with others, we not only help them to shine their light but also strenthen our own life vision and purpose. A case in point to this would be MC Mary Kom, an Olympic medal-winning boxer Indian boxer, who inspired by a true incident in her own life went on to volunteer her skills and funds to start a female-only fight club at Imphal, India, to teach girls self defense and protect themselves against sexual violence.
- Mentoring – Albert Einstein said, “ The only source of knowledge is experience.”And knowledge borne out of personal experience is the greatest gift a mentor can offer to his mentee. Many of us have had the good fortune of having a figure in our lives who has had a sustained positive influence on our life, someone who believed in us, and continued to empower us on our journey ahead. That person can be anyone, right from a parent, to a teacher to our boss. And one way to repay this debt is by paying it forward and using our knowledge to empower someone else. For example, Denzel Washington, the two-time Academy Award winner was a regular at the Boys and Girls Club in Mt. Vernon, NY. As a confused young boy, he was helped by his childhood mentor to redirect his path. Today, he is the national spokesperson for the same mentoring organization working towards helping millions of young people dream big.
- Sharing books – Sharing an uplifting or inspiring book can be one of the most noble and satisfying experiences of giving. Books are not only a source of knowledge or experience but also a source of solace and wisdom to many. Og Mandino credits books for rescuing him and transforming him from a wandering derelict & a suicidal alcoholic at 35 to one of the most widely read inspirational authors of all times. People appreciate receiving books that deal with issues relevant to their lives. And if you cant afford to buy a lot of books, you could share a synopsis of what you have learned so that, if they wish, they can buy their own copy or borrow it from the library.
- Storytelling – the art of storytelling is as old as mankind itself. Earliest drawings of cavemen have reflected the use of storytelling to re-enact hunts or communal experiences for fellow cavemen. Story telling till date and more so in the digital age remains one of the strongest mediums of transferring and preserving knowledge, age old wisdom, cultures, histories, and opinions. Using stories to share knowledge is one of the most simple, artful, and memorable mediums of communicating an idea, succinctly and effectively.