Chapter 13: Mentoring: How to Find One and be One


If I have been able to see farther than others, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.

—Sir Isaac Newton,
physicist

What Is a Mentor?

A featured character in Homer's Odyssey is a man called Mentor, a loyal advisor of Odysseus who was entrusted with the care and education of Odysseus' son, Telemachus. The word "mentor" has since come to mean a wise and loyal advisor, teacher, or coach. Most of us think of a mentor as one person who takes another person under his or her wing, shares knowledge and skills, and helps that person advance in business. But the truth is, there are mentors everywhere.

I've had dozens of mentors throughout my life. They come and go over the years. Right now, one of my cousins is a mentor, although he would tell you that I am his. In many ways, my cousin is just starting out in life. He's been married just a few years, he just had his first child, and he's starting out in a new profession. He comes to me for advice, and I've helped him out in a number of ways.

During our time together, however, I learn from him as well. He's got a great outlook on life. He's investigated many different cultures and has taken many paths I might not think to explore. He's introduced me to some different ways of thinking and has given me a quest for learning in fresh new areas I might not have found on my own. So we have, in the best sense, been mentoring each other.

A mentor can be a family member, teacher, or boss. A mentor can be a person from history whom you admire and wish to emulate. A mentor can be an author whose ideas speak to you in a special way. The world is full of raw materials that we can use as mirrors to reflect positive images back on ourselves. Humankind has produced thousands of wise, intelligent, caring, energetic, motivated, generous, successful men and women, living and dead, who have given us a fabulous legacy from which to learn and prosper.

It is up to us to listen to what they have to say, to choose from the best and the brightest, to follow what they have achieved, and then to pass on what we have learned to those who come after us. That is the best way to live in the world today and to leave the world a better place for tomorrow.

A teacher affects eternity. You can never tell when his influence stops.

—Henry Brooke Adams,
U.S. historian




Diamond Power. Gems of Wisdom From America's Greatest Marketer
Diamond Power: Gems of Wisdom from Americas Greatest Marketer
ISBN: 1564146987
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 207
Authors: Barry Farber

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