Mentors

This past week I was reminded of one of my mentors who has crossed over as her birthday came up and it made me think of all the mentors I have had along the way and a few that had an everlasting effect on my life – Mary, CT,  Alika, Erin – I am forever grateful. Mentor. With its origins in Greek mythology, where Odysseus leaves his son Telemachus with his friend Mentor to teach him while Odysseus was away fighting and then Athena snatching him away, you might not know where to start to identify what a mentor really is.

Today’s mentors are much less intimidating as they are simply the people you admire and who are willing to help you chart a course that is right for you. You can have mentors for both personal and professional development. One of the most important qualities of a good mentor is one who knows how to listen well and will not simply tell you what to do or what you want to hear. Also, mentors are meant for a “season of time” not a lifetime, although the impact they have on you may last forever. Mentors are often seen as needing to be a decade older – and that certainly helps with life experience – but I have had a couple of younger mentors who have been equally important to the course of my life experience. How do you know when you have found a mentor? It can be after a concerted search effort or as simple as finding that person, who while having coffee together, you just click. That person whose advice and counsel help you find clarity on your personal journey.

And who knows, someone might be watching and learning from you. Take a look around.

until next time…