3 major differences Mentors make in our lives

The role of mentors has always been a crucial part of one's development. Don't get me wrong, but more than our multiple teachers throughout our school & college, a select few mentors have played a more significant role in our overall development and have prepared us well to take up life's challenges. I can share from my personal experience that they have not just imparted knowledge to us but have held our hands when it was needed the most. I am indebted to a couple of my mentors for shaping not just my professional career but guiding me on many personal issues as well. Through this article today, I would like to share the three big differences Mentors bring to our lives:

1) They connect at a personal and individual level:?I am a self-aware person, and I know for a fact that I am not the best at a lot of things. I have struggled a lot on my professional front, even though my intent was always right. In such challenging times, the easiest thing to do for a senior is to judge someone and write that person off. While there have been instances where I had to go through all this, but there are also many incidents that I remember where some seniors held my hand and helped me arrest my declining self-confidence. They trusted in me more than I could do. They could see what was good in me rather than making me feel bad by highlighting my difficult areas. They were patient in dealing with me as they believed in me, not just based on my current state but on my potential and willingness to change. Their connection with me was deep at a very personal & individual level, which made all the difference.?

2) They believe in you more than you do in yourself:?A good mentor will always be a visionary who appreciates the current state but is eagerly looking forward to the future. I have never come across a great mentor who is not optimistic and sees a promising future ahead. Their greatness lies in preparing everyone for a bright future basis the potential people have. They are rarely biased and believe immensely in human potential. They know and appreciate the fact that they deal with not just an employee or a human being but a personality which is made up of 'personal realities' that vary from person to person. They have the required intelligence to go deep beyond the surface, which is a must to believe in someone when they are under much doubt.?

3) They have both intent as well as content to make a difference:?Mentoring is a lot of work. It is time-consuming and calls for a personal commitment. Mentors not only help their mentees in tough times as a convenience but commit themselves to it as a full-time job. They see this as a responsibility and act accordingly. One of the biggest differences I have seen between a great mentor and an average supervisor who just guides daily, is that these Mentors have a lot of content and, at the same time, have the right intent to serve others. They work hard on themselves to be updated and ready to add value. Without these two, I don't think we can get value from a mentor when it's needed the most.

Life is an exciting journey for us to enjoy and learn on the go. I always say that almost all the questions life has for us are out of the syllabus. One can't prepare beyond a point as life is full of surprises. So, to navigate through this excitement, we don't just need guidance but guidance backed by wisdom. A great mentor does that beautifully as they have not just experienced life more but learnt the lessons well and are willing to help others. We all need one in our lives, and blessed are those who have one.

Do you have one such mentor in your life, or are you that one mentor for someone? ?

Sandeep Mishra