Enter the mentor

by Lionel Wijesiri

An ex-subordinate of mine called the other day to tell me he had been promoted to Marketing Manager for a large, national firm. I shared his good news and thought to myself about the years we had worked together. I remembered the day I hired him as a Junior Sales Executive, his first professional job.

He has worked hard to get where he is. He was intelligent and good with people. He was a quick study and I enjoyed sharing my experience and knowledge with him. I may have been his first mentor but, definitely, I wasn’t his last. Yet it got me to thinking about the importance of mentors.

All around, you may see people who are doing, having, and being what you’d desire for yourself. Have you ever given thought to how they achieved their dreams? The obstacles they’ve overcome? The paths they’ve had to walk? And has it ever occurred to you that perhaps the quickest way to realize your desires is to learn directly from one of them — to acquire a mentor to lead you on a straight-line path to your goals?

The importance of finding a mentor in your journey to success — be it spiritual, financial, or relationship -based — is often one that’s overlooked in a do-it-yourself world. Granted, it will all be done yourself, but finding a guiding light, someone who’s “been there” and “done that” is an exceptionally efficient way to grasp your personal brass rings.

Finding a mentor is not an impossible mission but before sharing my thoughts on how to do it, I’ll tell why I think it’s important. We discover new things on our path and learning from own errors is the most expensive way to advance.

Getting advice is free and getting advice from “old stagers” can save you lots of time and energy. Mentors are similar to our parents when we were young - they unselfishly teach us their secrets of life - be it family relationships, growing kids, or advancing on the career.

For those who are seeking a mentor, I have two pieces of advice. First, look for someone who has the ‘’right stuff.’’

That is, look for someone you respect and admire, whom you feel comfortable with, who has expertise in the area in which you seek mentoring, and who is willing and available to devote some time and energy to the process.

It could be your boss, a trusted relative, your campus professor, a senior colleague or a reliable professional. As you choose your mentor, you should look for one who’s one who’ll lend a supportive hand continuously while celebrating each of your goals.

Second, once you find a good mentor, do your best to cultivate this relationship. A little bit of admiration and appreciation can help you a lot. Most mentors whom I have seen, mentor out of personal caring and satisfaction - so let them know they are appreciated. Do not forget you’re seeking for sources of wisdom.

Enlisting the help of a mentor isn’t just “believing what someone else believes,” it’s taking your own journey, discovering your own reality, but with the guiding hand of one who personifies that which you’d choose for yourself.

Well, are you ready to take the next step into your life’s journey?

Follow your intuition, remain open to all possibilities, and you may find that your mentor appears through the power of your own readiness — willing and prepared to guide you to every single one of your heart’s desires.

Remember the old Indian proverb: “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”