When I published my first article on this portal (Whatever you think, you become), I received a lot of feedback from readers, both known and unknown.

Some people were happy for me while others offered genuine suggestions on how to make subsequent articles even better. It was such a great feeling.

I was still on cloud nine until a reader asked a question that would set me thinking deeper even after giving a prompt answer. ‘Are you broadcasting your success?’ My answer was obvious and straightforward, ‘no, I’m not successful yet’.

How could the same article that had inspired others appear like a broadcast to some? This reader knew I was not yet successful so why would he ask that question in the first place? Was it another way of saying to me, ‘Jack! What do you know about life that makes you think you can inspire others? Where were you when we were we?’

I kept asking myself these questions.

There are many people who are of the opinion that anyone who shares an idea about life or writes about life’s experience but is not at the same level of success as the Kwasi Twums, the Dangotes and the Bill Gates of this world is just another too-known guy an an attention seeker.

For fear of being branded ‘too-known’, many people have been cowered into their own little corners with their experiences, brilliant ideas and inspiring stories which could be useful to many others including the companies they work for.

 If one is a regular contributor in class, it will not be long before his mates will give him a befitting nickname. Share experience and ideas at work and your colleagues will be on your case as playing politics.

Friends, whatever your standing in life is today, you have made enough mistakes that are worth sharing. It’s good to share just so those who have not made those mistakes yet but are likely to make them could learn lessons from yours.

Wherever you sit in life today, you have done so many things right that are worth sharing to inspire others to do same or even better. Simply put, there is always someone behind you who needs that lesson and inspiration.

There are so many people whose lives would have been better than they are today only if they had that someone who shared their experiences with them. Only if they had that someone who pointed them to the right direction and only if they had that someone who inspired them just a little bit.

Many lives are being wasted and useful energies being exerted into wrongful ventures all due to lack of direction.

The end product of this is evident in the number of start-ups that collapse within the first year, the number of university students who select courses that have zero impact on what they want to become, the many careers that have failed and the number of marriages that breakdown within the first year or two.

Our nation needs a new crop of leaders to develop, leaders who are inspired and will not make the same mistakes their parents made. They can avoid those mistakes only if they hear about them. It’s therefore important for us as a nation to encourage people to open up and share with the young ones.

Those who open up and share their experiences have a lot of courage. They are courageous because they are not ashamed of the mistakes of their past. They that share their stories do so not because they are successful or boastful. They do so because they are not ashamed of where they have come from and of the road they have journeyed on. Their intent is to inspire and guide others from the mistakes they have made.

My brothers and sisters, as long as your story is genuine, you do not need to be the owner of a multi-billion dollar company before you can inspire someone. Let’s encourage and learn to share.

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Steve is a Mechanical Engineer and currently works as the Maintenance Planning & Systems Superintendent at Perseus Mining Ghana Limited. He's passionate about shaping the minds of the next generation to make our country and the world better than we met it. He's a speaker and loves to write.