by Adedayo Ademuwagun

Pope Francis has only been pope for about two years now and he’s already made such remarkable impact on the Catholic church and the world.

The pope tweets, covers magazines and uses Google Hangout to chat with kids. How is this not the coolest pope ever?

There’s nothing wrong with learning from someone even if we don’t share their faith or belong to their church. So whether you’re Catholic or not, here are seven top things you can learn from the pope as long as you read with an open mind.

1. He thinks outside the box

Some people think only people who worship God the way they do will lead a happy fulfilled life and that everyone else is miserable, lost and heading to hell. They’re so obsessed with their religion and their church, and they think anyone who doesn’t go to their church or worship God they way they do is less of a human being.

The pope isn’t like that. He understands that you can be happy, live a good life and attain fulfilment no matter your religion. He understands that what really matters ultimately is to be a good person, and he often makes this point in his speeches. This is something we can learn from him.

2. He doesn’t stick to the script

A lot of people would expect such a top religious leader to speak in a certain way and communicate certain laid down views, but the pope obviously doesn’t stick to the script. He speaks his mind on abortion, divorce, and all those controversial stuff that most religious leaders keep to the script on.

Some days back he was speaking to an audience in Italy, and he said it’s selfish to not want to have kids. This is a country where more people are choosing not to have kids.

Now the interesting thing is that the pope himself doesn’t have any children and his doctrine forbids it for certain people. Yet he still said what he felt about the subject even if it transgressed his church’s doctrine in some way. This is emulable.

3. He looks at the bigger picture

A lot of people get so judgemental about religious rules and stuff like that. They’re quick to cast stones and slam the hammer on people who break the rules, but Pope Francis is more considerate in his ways. He looks at the bigger picture. Sometimes it’s important to know when to make small concessions for the greater good, and the pope clearly gets this point. So while others are judging the faults, he’s busy working to help unite the world and reach out to more people with the good news of his religion. We can take a cue from that.

4. He connects with everyone

Some people are so choosy that they can’t relate with people who don’t measure up to their status or live in a fancy part of town like they do. They’re very selective with the people they hang with. They just can’t put up with people who’re beneath them or something. But the pope relates with everyone — kids, prisoners, non-Christians, gays, poor people — everyone. He doesn’t discriminate.

Regardless of your status, you can take a selfie with the Pope. He just knows how to connect with everyone, even ordinary, lowly people, on a personal level. That’s why they call him the people’s pope.

5. He keeps it simple

Think about our CAN president who totally looks like Rick Ross and then think about the pope.

Pope Francis doesn’t sit on a throne, pull up in a Bugatti or wear fancy regalia even though he could. He’s the Pope. But he does things like he’s one of the people and he just keeps it simple.

He wears a plain cassock. He lives in a modest house. He carries his own briefcase and sometimes eats breakfast in the Vatican canteen like everyone else. He doesn’t wear any bling bling. On the night he was elected he rode the bus with his cardinals. Now what do you say about a pope who’s humble enough to use public transport?

6. He’s the kind of person who reinvents

Pope Francis didn’t just become pope and say, okay people you know what? I’m gonna be like every other pope before me and run the Vatican like it’s always been run.

The Vatican was literally stuck in a previous century before he took charge, and the Catholic church had a public image tarnished by scandals. But he’s changed the narrative in just under two years and now when people think about the Catholic church or the pope, the perception is a lot different.

For the first time ever, the world has a pope who uses the phone, who sends emails and who sometimes takes selfies with worshippers at the Vatican. The pope has practically reinvented the papacy.

As individuals we have to be like that. We’ve got to constantly reinvent ourselves, shedding those stuff that’s setting us back and working to become a new and improved version of ourselves. That’s the way it should be.

7. He’s got a great personality

Once when Pope Francis picked up the phone and called a nun in a missionary school in Italy to commend one of their campaigns, the nun thought it was some sort of joke. She was like, the pope’s calling me on the phone? She was thrilled. Who wouldn’t be thrilled?

Pope Francis is the kind of man you’d love to have a gist with, the kind of man you’d love to invite into your living room, someone you’d love to take a selfie with, watch a movie with, drink some coffee with, someone who’s got a great personality.

Don’t forget he’s 77 — and he’s the pope. But he’s just cool like that.

We should be like that too. We should be friendlier and more accommodating to our staff, our family and other people around us. Now that’s something we can learn from the pope even if we’re not Catholics.