Some years ago, when I was buying facilities to set up RoyalQuest Schools, I bought a durable, fanciful and expensive water dispenser. I forgot to buy the water jug at the same time. For some reason, the jug was not bought for a long time and by the time it was bought, the dispenser had lost functionality and needed some servicing, the same product that was tasted and working very well before it was bought.
It is a fact that the more a product is used, the more it loses value. It is also a reality that some products lose efficiency with time even without being used, especially electronic products like batteries, cars, generators, and so on. Such products start depreciating and become susceptible to damage if unused.
This is similar to how the human brain works. When it gets redundant, it depreciates in function if not exercised.
The difference between success and failure is not in the availability of information. It is how the information is used and processed by the brain. Every brain can receive information and knowledge but the brain that wins is the one that can apply what’s received positively. The best way to make positive use of the information received is by challenging the brain to think and applying the thinking to life.
Just like physical exercise helps to build strong muscles, brain cells build and maintain connections when they are active. By challenging the brain through learning and processing information, brain cells become healthy, mentally alert and more productive.
Have you wondered why you forget some practised skills after some period of not using the said skill? I took some elective courses in French language while in the university and could speak French fairly but today, I can barely understand French because I never practiced it after school. The same way the rain increases the water flow of a river, constant exercise of the brain increases its efficacity.
Reading books, listening to good speeches, seeing instructive movies, learning new ideas, exploring new skills, playing brain games, staying socially active, and engaging in creative pursuits are the different ways to engage the brain and ensure it doesn’t depreciate in function. Redundancy is the complement of efficiency and the easiest way to improve a skill is to do repeated practice.
Every child possesses an incredible inner potential and deserves the opportunity to embrace and nurture it. Whether it is wild, big, or crazy, he needs to be confident in every idea and explore it in full. Gradual but constant exploring of these potentials is important to keep the brain active.
Simply put, use it or lose it. The human brain must be efficient with its space, especially that of the young and vibrant.
It starts with creating ideas, developing them, and cultivating an innovative mindset. These foster a growth mindset and inhibit redundancy in productivity.
We want our children and youths to grasp that Intelligence, abilities and talents are developed through engaging their brain actively.
✍️Amara Ann Unachukwu
