JUNE 2, 2023
The term “Mentor Match” was hatched from our Foundational Band of Brothers exercise and has hopefully caught on with others in experiencing the joy of having a mentor in our lives. “People helping people while helping yourself.” That is a Win/Win in my book. John Maxwell shares with us that, “it is hard to improve when you have no one but yourself to follow.” Who are you following today? Yes, you might be secretly trying to emulate some super stud athlete, but are you just watching in awe or getting off the couch and trying it yourself? Try practicing with your mentor to improve your own strength and skills. They are there waiting to shine. You just need someone to draw them out.
I hope we have all had some sort of mentorship in our past. It might have been a teacher, a coach, or maybe it was our parents or friends. GREAT! Keep that thought but think of someone who might be able to challenge you (if you are up for a challenge) to take you further and deeper in life by their presence. This takes discipline and grit but maybe you will learn something about yourself and about what path you may be on. Be selective in whom you choose as a mentor. Choose mentors with character and experiences that you desire for yourself. Remember, the greatest assets to our growth journey in life are deep and enduring relationships with ordinary people who love and care about others.
Your Elevator Guy has practiced being mentored and mentoring others during my lifetime and wasn’t always successful. But when I did make a good connection, the relationship went to a new level. My mission was to lift others up because I needed a lift myself. I was interested in learning from inspiring people and knew the benefits of mentoring and being mentored. When I found them, I listened, gained confidence in life, became more empathetic, managed my stress level, developed patience, and a little bit of wisdom. I learned to manage my fears, worked toward a shared vision, and challenged my thinking in what was most important in life.
Mentoring is a process and takes a sense of self-awareness. When you become self-aware, one of two things happen.
- First, (and the most common) is when a person’s pride swells up and he/she cannot bring him/herself to ask another person for advice. (Fear of looking stupid.)
- Second, the other reaction is to humble yourself and say, “I need your help.” That decision only leads to greater knowledge, but often develops maturity. It reinforces the fact that people need one another, not just when they are young and starting out in life, but their entire lives. (Who do you seek advice from these days?)
When looking for mentors, you may need more than one. Think about the impact a mentor could have on the four areas of your life, Physical, Emotional, Psychological, and Spiritual. Try putting a name to each one of these areas and ask for their advice. What have you got to lose? As a bonus, you just might find that certain mentor who needs YOU as much as you need them. That is our Win/Win.
Elevator Guy
Quote for the Day; “Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can.” Ralph Waldo Emerson