It was Sir Isaac Newton who said, "if I have seen further than others, it is by standing
on the shoulders of giants."
Behind every success story is a mentor.
And they are the giants on whose shoulders we stand on.
No matter the waters you intend on venturing into, be it charted or uncharted, it would
do you a whole lot of good to identify people who have accumulated vast experience over
the years, and have them direct you, or hold your hands, in your pursuits.
That's how you build on their success stories.
The billionaires who we see today all had mentors who they looked up to along the way
to their success and fortune.
Mark Zuckerberg had a "friend and mentor" in Steve Jobs.
Bill Campbell mentored Steve Jobs.
Bill gates had a mentor in Warren Buffett.
Benjamin Graham mentored Warren Buffett.
And Oprah Winfrey had a mentor in Barbara Walters, and the list goes on and on.
As the old saying goes “there is nothing's new under the sun”.
For every step you intend on taking, there has been someone who has been there before,
and done it, either directly or indirectly.
For every invention, there must have been a discovery.
We only make our path from the road others have taken.
Who is a mentor?
A mentor is someone with a vast wealth of experience in a given field and has a track
record of significant and noticeable victories and success in a required field.
In short, they have seen it all.
The paths to take, the mistakes to avoid, the pains to bear and endure, the habits to
drop and the habits to cultivate, the friends to drop and the friends to make, the books
to read, and the list goes on and on.
Basically, mentors have experienced it all and can guide those who look up to them.
So why should you have a mentor?
And do you actually need one? (if this is a question you asked yourself in the past,
I hope this answers your question)
The importance of having a mentor can be likened to the importance of having a neck to support
the head or having the skeletal frame to support the flesh on our bodies.
Mentors help in shaping and supporting us in every step we may desire to take.
So below are a couple more benefits of having a mentor to guide you through your journey.
They are the map with which we use in navigating:
Every captain needs a map to chart their course across the waters.
The map keeps them informed of obstacles that might be present along the way as well as
helps in navigating around dangerous obstacles successfully.
Mentors are like maps in human form.
They are the maps we can look at to have an almost hitch-free ride in the course of our
journey.
Indeed, we can't take the exact path of the people we look up to due to individual differences
or choices.
But It’s also true that we are likely to encounter the same obstacles along our path
and having a mentor can help you make the right choices and decisions as well as help
you navigate your way almost seamlessly.
They offer opportunities and also teach you to make them:
Mentors will show you how to get water from a rock.
Due to their wealth of experience and the contacts they have met along their success
journey, they can easily give you recommendations to make a job easier.
They can also give you the guiding principles needed to make your mark in your chosen industry.
A mentor will be sincere in his advice:
The only time a map can be misleading is if it wasn't read or interpreted correctly.
A mentor will tell you the truth to your face without fear or favour.
Remember, they have nothing to lose by telling you the truth but everything to gain by being
associated with your success.
Your friends will tell you what you want to hear, but your mentor will tell you what you
need to hear.
Mentors can be a yardstick in challenging yourselves:
An aspiring basketball player who looks up to the likes of LeBron James, Steph Curry,
Kevin Durant, and other successful NBA stars will always feel the need to do more than
what he or she is currently doing.
Mentors keep you on your toes and challenge you to be better than you think you are.
They ignite the fire and passion necessary to make you want to break an existing record
or set a new one.
Having a mentor in any field of life, especially in the area of sports, will be the additional
spring you need to take your game to the next level.
Their stories will help you write yours correctly:
We learn from success and failures alike.
So, when a man who you look up to for guidance and inspiration tells of taking the desired
route due to the challenges he faced, you should take him seriously.
As stated earlier, we learn better from the mistakes of others.
When we look to people ahead of us, we tend to avoid the mistakes they made and thread
with caution.
They help us prevent losses that ordinarily we would have incurred due to ignorance.
Mentors make you believe that your dreams can be a reality:
Probably, you are on a path you chose, and you keep wondering if you would ever make
your mark in that field due to your present circumstance.
Having mentors will assure you that the fact, that they succeeded in that field means that
you can be successful regardless of the challenge.
Mentors are sometimes the only light we see at the end of a very dark tunnel.
They help remind us that if they could pull through, from a very dark place or experience,
then so can we.
During your journey, you will need someone to remind you that all your efforts and hard
work will not be in vain and that the resources you have invested over the years will count
for something at the end.
Only words from people who have successfully experienced what you are going through and
come out successfully will affect you.
Talk they say is cheap, but not that of a mentor whose words are from experience.
We can always draw from their wealth of experience:
They say "experience is the best teacher" and this speaks volumes regarding mentorship.
Nothing can be as easy and satisfying as having someone who has all the answers you might
require, regarding the next steps in your journey.
And the beauty is these aren’t just answers they remembered from study, but solutions
gained from their personal experience in the subject matter.
Practice they say makes perfect, and they have practiced and can almost be called perfect
in their area of expertise.
So it would do you good to attach yourself to someone successful in your field and learn
at their feet.
Things to look out for in a mentor
Having said all that, it is also important to note that there are certain things to look
out for in choosing a mentor.
Some of them include the following.
A mentor should have a good track record of success:
Someone who you intend looking up to should have already carved a niche for him or herself
in the required field.
They should have a success record that inspires you and challenges you to come out of your
comfort zone and strive for excellence.
A mentor should be accountable:
This is a fundamental trait you should look out for when choosing your mentor.
A mentor who cannot be held responsible for his or her actions is not worth following
or emulating.
There has to be a justifiable reason for whatever it is they do, and it should be within the
required standards.
A mentor should have a track record of honesty and professionalism:
Anyone who lies might have probably lied about their achievements as well.
A person who should mentor you should not have a character flaw in terms of lying or
being honest.
Honesty, they say, is the best policy.
A mentor should not be of questionable character:
The person whose achievements you aspire towards should have the right personality to back
it up.
Anyone who has a history of illegal activities and the likes is not worthy of emulation regardless
of the achievements made.
This isn’t a case of "throwing the baby with the bathwater" but rather ensuring that
your character or personality is not stained or smeared in the process.
A mentor should remind you of who you want to become:
Your mentor should inspire and motivate you anytime you come in contact with what they
represent.
If a mentor doesn’t ignite a new fire within you, then you are probably looking at the
wrong person.
You must consider the above criteria before calling an individual a mentor.
Anyone who can influence your decision and preference deserves to pass some personality
checks.
You wouldn’t want their bad habits rubbing off on you.
Frequently asked questions about mentoring
Every facet of life has people who have made giant strides in that particular field.
While some are accessible, others aren't, and this can be due to the celebrity status
they have attained in their fields.
Can we make mentors out of such people?
Is it okay if I never get feedback from my mentor?
A few of these questions are answered below.
Can distance be a barrier to having a mentor?
It's easier to learn from someone closer or someone you can practically learn from.
Still, thanks to the advancement in technology, distance is no longer a barrier to tapping
into the wealth of experience mentors have to offer.
Social media has made it almost possible to follow people and be aware of their daily
routine.
So you can use this platform and catch up on your mentors.
You could also ask questions and be attended to online.
Is it okay if I don't get feedback from my mentor?
While it might feel discouraging to not get feedback from someone you look up to, you
should also understand that they have lives.
They also have a million things to do and people who want the same attention you seek.
So, something’s the best thing you can do is study their material and the resources
they have made available such as books and videos.
Attend seminars they host, and I can assure you that the answer you seek won't be far-fetched.
Can I have a personal relationship with my mentor?
Mentors are humans too and have feelings as we do, so we must maintain a strictly professional
relationship.
Your mentor should be the reason you want to start a journey and not the reason you
should end it due to a failed relationship.
Can my mentor be a family member?
Yes, of course!
But do not abuse the privilege granted by such an individual because you may tend to
take their availability and listening ear for granted.
Remember, they have other activities and things to get done.
While you might have other burning questions to ask about mentorship, I highly encourage
you to Google them and search them online.
In conclusion, every successful person had someone they looked up to, so you must have
a shoulder you can stand on and see things from the eyes of someone who has walked that
path.
There is nothing wrong with replicating the success of someone else.
Your success will always be unique regardless of the similarity in your path.
So ask the right questions from a mentor whose achievements you would like to replicate and
navigate deep waters with, not only because you are a good sailor, but because you have
a good map.
So make your journey easier today, and get a mentor!
That’s it for today’s video.
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