Mentoring: An Honorable Contribution to Society

The Merriam-Webster.com defines "mentor" as a noun that can mean a trusted counselor or guide.

Along the way, in this journey we call life, have you ever stopped to think about who has helped you along the way? None of us has gotten to where we are alone. Perhaps at one time you have even acted as a mentor for someone you know well, helping them to understand a difficult problem or issue in their life. Maybe they came to you because they decided you were the best person to ask.

No matter what age or where you were in your journey, you were most likely impacted by others.From the early years of first grade, as that first teacher was encouraging you to learn the alphabet, someone was always around to help in your struggles.

The lesson I have learned is when someone is passionate about what they do, they are very willing to share their knowledge with you. You can usually ask these folks any question and they will give their time and knowledge to you. Why? Because they truly want to.

Maybe it's the old idea of, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you".Be pleased and honored when someone comes to you for advice or assistance. Never be annoyed or bothered that someone needs help from you. It truly is a compliment.

Our friends certainly are our life mentor's, but we probably do not look at them in that way. Sometimes our friends can be a "bridge" to others who have the knowledge that we need. In today's world, this is often referred to as "networking". We truly have technology on our side these days. With the Internet and all of the available sites on the Web, the world is truly at your fingertips. There are endless amounts of web sites, chat rooms, and message boards to visit for information.

The only issue with all of this available information is that it will never replace the time your physically sit across the table from someone to discuss something. You can see the excitement and energy when they are talking about something they are really in to.

Mentoring is a very honorable position to be in. Most all of us are more than happy to help fellow people move forward in their journey. Having said that, I would personally like to take a moment and thank "Alyce" and "Mike" here on the Associated Content site for always being so gracious to answer any question I have.

You may wonder how exactly you could mentor someone. Teach what you know to someone who is coming up the ranks. This could be in your company, it could be someone just learning a new business that perhaps you retired from. It can be you the school teacher. It could be showing a young girl who no longer has a grandmother about knitting or baking pies. It is truly anything you know and everything you can share with someone else. Start today and decide to give back.