Why mentoring?

Why Mentoring? by Laura Celly

Mentor Definition

According to Oxford Dictionary, a mentor is an experienced and trusted adviser; according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a mentor is a trusted counselor or guide.

When you think about every great book there seems to always be a trusted guide or adviser.  In Harry Potter, it was Albus Dumbledore, to Bill Gates it was Warren Buffet.  Even music legends have mentored others.  According to the website www.sonic1029.com Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters, former Nirvana drummer, and overall awesome human Dave Grohl have taken part in multiple mentorship programs over the years, to instill the love of music in the next generation of rockers. Most recently, he’s been going back-and-forth in a ‘drum battle‘ with 10-year-old Nandi Bushell. But back in 2015, he also served as a mentor through a program called Sonic Teens that helps kids cope with anxiety and depression through music.

However, what if you are an everyday person, someone who is not on some literary journey to the unknown but is trying to navigate through everyday life. Someone like you and I, who may have come from humble beginnings and may not have the connections that others may have been blessed with.

Traditional Mentor Roles

As a young child, I looked for my mentors in my family. There are so many of us, I come from a family of thirteen and I have 8 older brothers.  But there never seemed to be a connection between us.  Actually, for most of my childhood I felt like I was born into the wrong family, my brothers may have joked about me being adopted, but truly I felt I did not belong to that group.  I was certainly different from the rest of them.  So I looked elsewhere for a mentor, my schoolteachers and church youth leaders. It was a different time, when educators were respected by parents and church leaders were trusted with their children.  I was fortunate to have had positive experiences and relationships with teachers.

Growing up in my household was very different from most of my cohort.  My mother had chosen a life as a mother and did not see past that. This is why I needed a mentor; I had bigger plans for my life, I was going to create a path that was my own. So, in middle school I remember one teacher, Ms. Linda Rogan (name changed for privacy).  She was a strong young single lady who was making her way through the education system.  She was going to college, dressed professionally, spoke well and connected with all of us.  She even had a physical disability that would not stop her, it was not a major one, but she would point it out if we asked.  She had an extra pinky finger on both her hands. This did not stop any of her students from thinking she was the coolest teacher around.  After school, she introduced a classmate and I to long jogs, yoga and floor aerobics.

One time I shared with her that I had a boyfriend from church.  She asked me about him, and I shared that he was a senior in high school while I was only in 8th grade. When I saw her reaction, I knew that was not the right thing.  I bottled up and never spoke to her about him again.  I was so afraid she would tell my mother and that I would be in so much trouble. Ms. Rogan helped me, because very soon after that I realized that not only was he far more sexually mature than I was, and he was not college bound! So he and I went our separate ways, just her reaction to my sharing with her was enough for me to know it was not right.  What if Ms. Rogan was not there for me, what if I never said anything about him.  Surely, I would have ended up a young teenage pregnancy as I had seen so many in my community.  My entire life could have shifted to one of struggle and poor circumstances early on.

Mentor Impact

Mentors are a critical part of life. Even in the Bible there are many verses about mentors. In Proverbs 9:9 it says, “Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.” Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Mentoring Being mentored and mentoring is a natural part of life.  It provides accountability, encouragement, and a safe environment to share your thoughts without the fear of being wrong.  You are in a learning environment when you are with your mentor.  Trust in the process and see where it takes you, there is only one direction to go and that is up!

At maximizeu.life we can match you with a mentor after completing your DISC assessment.  This is a great tool to help determine your communication and work type.  This can also help you make sure you are in the right position for your behavior type. You can sign up today for the DISC Assessment at https://maximizeu.life/cart/?add-to-cart=5472 .  Once your assessment is complete, we will go over it and discuss your goals and match you up with the right mentor for you! We have mentors in all areas of business, finance, personal relationships, health, wellness, at www.maximizeu.life we are here to guide you in your growth journey to a better you!