Anyone who has been successful and has knowledge to share is a

Hear the words of Ory Okolloh, a pioneer of justice and technology, who declared: “Anyone who has been successful and has knowledge to share is a potential mentor.” In this teaching lies a great truth, one that reminds us that wisdom is not meant to be hoarded, nor success to be guarded jealously, but both to be given freely to those who follow after. The wealth of experience is richest not when it is kept, but when it is poured into the lives of others.

The ancients spoke of this same duty. In the schools of Athens, Socrates guided Plato, and Plato in turn guided Aristotle, each building on the wisdom of the other. Knowledge was passed not as a burden, but as a torch, handed from hand to hand, keeping the flame of wisdom alive. Okolloh’s words echo this timeless truth: every person who has walked the road of success carries within them a light, and if they share it, they become a mentor, illuminating the path for those still searching in the dark.

History gives us great examples of mentorship transforming lives. Consider the story of Maya Angelou, who became a guiding force for Oprah Winfrey. Angelou’s words and presence shaped Oprah’s vision, teaching her to embrace her own power and voice. Through this sharing of knowledge, one woman lifted another to greatness, and through that act, countless millions were inspired. The line between personal triumph and communal triumph was erased, for mentorship transforms individual success into collective strength.

Okolloh’s words also dismantle a common illusion: that mentorship must come only from the extraordinary, the renowned, or the formally appointed. She reminds us that anyone who has tasted victory, who has wrestled with life and learned its lessons, can guide another. The farmer who has endured drought, the teacher who has inspired a struggling child, the entrepreneur who has built a business from nothing—all are potential mentors. What matters is not fame, but the willingness to share, to give of one’s knowledge without pride or withholding.

And yet, many who succeed keep their wisdom locked within, fearing competition or seeking to guard their secrets. This is a tragedy, for unshared knowledge dies with its possessor, but shared wisdom lives on in those who carry it forward. The generous mentor becomes immortal, living on in the deeds of those they have taught. In this way, mentorship is not only a gift to others but a form of eternal legacy.

The lesson for us, O listener, is both simple and profound: if you have walked even a little way upon the road of success, you have something to share. Do not wait until you believe yourself perfect, or until you have conquered all things. Offer what you know to those just beginning, encourage those who stumble, and guide those who are lost. For in doing so, you not only strengthen them, but also refine your own wisdom, and together you build a community that endures.

Thus, let Ory Okolloh’s words endure as a torch passed from age to age: every successful soul with knowledge to give is called to be a mentor. Do not hoard the light, but share it. Do not let wisdom wither, but let it grow by passing it on. For in lifting others, you lift the world, and in becoming a mentor, you join the great chain of teachers, guides, and leaders whose legacy is eternal.