It is impossible to overstate the importance of a mentor in a person's rapid growth and development because a mentor can be compared to a potter, and a mentee to clay that is been shaped from an unformed state into a desirable state. A mentor can also be compared to a mirror that allows us to see ourselves as we really are and helps us reshape ourselves into a desired status that is in line with our goals and life's path.
Everyone who wants to reach their goals on time must have a mentor in their life because their way of living, their life experiences, and their advice typically serve as a roadmap that directs our path in life so we don't fall into the same traps that others who have traveled that path before us have.
Although there are many different types of mentors, they all have a similar overall impact: they will encourage you to move forward until you have accomplished your objectives or whatever it was that drew you to choose them as your mentor.
WHO'S MY MENTOR
Shola Allyson, a Nigerian singer who primarily sings gospel music, life, and motivational songs, is my mentor and the person I've learned the most from over the years. Although I don't know her personally, being one of her fans has allowed me to communicate with her on multiple occasions via Facebook when I needed advice on what to do at various life crossroads.
Other people I consider as my mentor aside her are Jesus Christ and Evangelist Opeyemi Akintunde (who's in Novelist, gospel film making, an actress and a youth evangelist).
FACTORS CONSIDERED IN TAKING HER AS MY MENTOR
I don't typically choose a close friend or family member, nor people around me to serve as my mentor, but when it comes to life and all that it entails, after reading and listening to her life's journey, which was filled with many difficult obstacles, I found myself empathizing with her because of how much she managed to accomplish in spite of all the difficulties she faced.
Speaking about the criteria I used to select her as my mentor, they are as follows:
- Similarities in our life journey: One of the main reasons I picked Aunty Shola as my mentor is the apparent similarity in our life journey patterns. As a result, I thought finding a mentor who is older than me, who has gone through comparable experiences to mine, and is currently doing well would be a good fit.
- Her Bluntness: She doesn't know how to disguise words, emotions, or how she feels about anything, which is another reason I chose her. I felt like I needed someone who would tell me the truth straight out without changing their words to fit my needs or avoid offending me, which when hidden could possibly be a path towards ruining my future.
- Her Success Story: Her success story is one of a person who rose from grass to grace, from being dismissed and careless about, to someone who everyone wants to be around. I've been through the first stage(of grass) and felt that if I can follow her path and learn from her well of wisdom, success(grace) will undoubtedly be mine to achieve as well.
It is impossible to overstate how much of an impact she has had on my life since I chose her to be my mentor because of her counsel, music, and ongoing mentoring, my life has undergone and is still through a favorable turn.
Thanks for reading and sticking with me thus far. I hope it was worth your time. This post was inspired by a @hive-learners community topic that discusses mentoring; you can read the full details in @kronias post.