THE MENTOR…

MENTOR:  n.,   a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.

This definition kinda make me feel like a “mentor” is superior to us.  It’s a very definitive word, and sometimes I wonder if I could be one of those guys; ANSWER= YES!!!  We all are, and I’m here to tell you that we all have something within us that made us a mentor to “someone”.  We might not even know who we impacted, but we did.  I’m no better than any of you, not even better than one, but please try to remember this; to the world you may be one person, but to one person, you may be the world.  Think about that, if you’re a teacher, how many children,(or adults) have you impacted?  If you’re a policeman/policewoman, how many young people have looked at you and know that you put your life on the edge EVERY day, and you still inspire them to want to be “on the force”.  How about a fireman; those who seem to have the gravy job at their firehouse, but then have to go into a fire at a house, or a commercial building; or using on of their EMT’s to save someone’s life.  That is a a humbling feeling, to go out on a job as it comes, and save someone’s life.  Unbelievable.  How about the engineer who creates, or fixes a project that promotes safety to the public.  let’s step way over to the other side, a waiter at a diner, you’ve just served a MEAL, to someone who may not have eaten all day, or two days, or maybe three… and you just gave them something continue their life!

This can go on and on, Doctors (and I can’t go on without giving thanks to a special man in my life, Dr. Isaac Yang!), nurses (who REALLY are my mentors, or should I say “idols”!), housewives who put life into a newborn, and give them a spirit and a soul just by being with with them, on and on…please acknowledge yourself as a mentor! Someone is always looking, and admiring you; so please be observant as your day goes on, and even saying “hello” to someone could brighten someone’s day, know that!

I’m a fitness consultant, we all know that.  Am I a mentor?  There was a long time when I would have said “no” to that.  What so difficult about teaching someone to train, or to help them with an injury?  I will tell you this; I always ran away from my strengths, because I wanted “more”.  More of what?  That’s a question I can’t answer, because I don’t have an answer.  What I do know, now, is that people contacted me with questions about themselves, and how can l help them with what I know; my expertise.  We ALL have that, some sort of expertise, and I’ll bet you that finding your expertise it so simple for you, because it’s something that is one of your strengths.  It is you.  Just being YOU is the most fabulous thing that you have; no one can duplicate “you”.  Oh, someone might try, but there’s only one of “you”.

I work with people, so it’s my obligation to really listen to what they are saying, and get to know them, fast!  I don’t judge them, that’s not my job, it is to know them, so that I can try to make their day a little brighter.  If I can get them to know and have confidence, in what I’m trying to explain to them, then we’re on the right road.  Now, this is what I’ve been doing for almost 30 years, (oh boy…..), so I do have a little rehearsal going on here, but I really do try to look through their eyes, and see where they would like to go, so we might get on that road together.  Sometimes we might have to compromise, but that is the beauty of getting to know someone; you’re not “bowing” down to them, you’re also teaching them your thoughts, to enlighten their thinking, “mentoring” them!  That’s the point, here, is it this thought process can be a a word, a phrase, an action, or your complete way that you run your life, that can affect someone.  You are a terrific person for just being you!  Give yourself a break, and pat yourself on your back, you definitely deserve it.

I also think that if you think back to your background, from when you were young, maybe even when we were kids, or to last week, as an adult, what phrase sticks out in your mind, or even a word?  Who was it that said or did, “whatever”, something that means something that stays in your mind?  That was a moment of being a mentor.  It could have been that one moment, or there’s someone who’s has been in your life all along, that’s the mentoring TO you; but keep in mind, those are the same situations that you have been mentoring others.  This has been “you”, your whole life.

There is a reason that this thought of mentoring came into my mind; we all are a part of it.  Mentoring is simple, basically,it is us being us.  Very simple.  Some people have days that aren’t their best, they might be in a depressed state, but please try to remember how you have been influencing others; you’ve empowered them with some sort of knowledge, your knowledge.  You not only can be a special person, you ARE a special person, keep telling yourself that.  Every day, know that you’ve done something special, and that it will happen again, today, tomorrow, and on, possibly to the person you can’t even see.  Let that mentoring out, and as we’ve said before, “keep on truckin’ “!