QUIZ: Hero or Mentor?

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In our journey to lifting ourselves and those around us, we’ve often discussed where we fit into the story that we’re telling, most often by asking, “Which role am I playing? ”

A Quick Review:

At the heart of every story, you will find the Hero. Heroes want to overcome their challenges and achieve their goals. We can all relate to the hero, and we may even want to be the hero. However, if we are the hero, who does that make our audience or listeners? Are they victims? Villains??

If we’re looking to influence others, we must make them the Hero.?

In storytelling, the Hero meets an important character known as the Mentor (sometimes described as the guide or wise one) along the way. The Mentor may give the Hero some advice or a special tool that helps the Hero on the journey. Importantly, the Mentor does not take over, nor achieve the goal for the Hero. The Mentor simply aids the journey.?

By now, you may feel very familiar with this concept, but today, we’re putting our knowledge to the test.

Hero or Mentor?

Lord of the Rings

J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic is one of my favourite stories. As Sauron prepares for a takeover of Middle-earth, the One Ring of Power turns up in the hands of a hobbit in their quaint underhill home in the Shire. The ring must be destroyed, kicking off over a thousand pages of adventure.

Gandalf

A wizard of great power: Gandalf is wise, resourceful, and a champion of Middle-earth. He leads many adventures and collaborates with all kinds of backgrounds and species: from dwarves and elves to horses and eagles!

Frodo Baggins

Raised on his uncle Bilbo’s tales of adventure, Frodo is known around the Shire as a bit of a troublemaker—an adolescent Hobbit who likes to spend time with his best friends at the local pub.?

So who is the Hero? And who is the Mentor?

Guided by Gandalf, Frodo travels across a continent, through the gates of Mordor, and into the heart of Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring and save the world. Gandalf’s task is to provide Frodo with everything he can in order to complete this mission, making Frodo the Hero and Gandalf the Mentor.

Harry Potter?

This fantasy series follows the adventures of Harry Potter and his friends as they attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and, ultimately, defeat the most evil and powerful wizard of all time: Lord Voldemort.?

Albus Dumbledore

Lauded as one of the greatest wizards of all time and Headmaster of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore saw to the care of young Harry Potter after his parents were tragically killed.?

Harry Potter

Famous among the wizard community as “The One Who Lived” when Voldemort attempted to murder him as a baby, Harry Potter was ignorant of his heritage until his eleventh birthday, when he was invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.?

So who is the Hero? And who is the Mentor?

Through Dumbledore’s mentorship, protection, and eventually sacrifice of his own life, Harry Potter is able to defeat Voldemort and save the world, with the help of his community and friends. Thus, Harry is the Hero and Dumbledore is the Mentor.

You may be seeing a pattern…

Too often, the Mentor is represented as an old white man with a long white beard, but it need not be this way. The Mentor can be anyone. You don’t need to be older or wiser to have more life experience. You simply need to care about the Hero’s challenges and give the Hero something that helps them achieve the goal.?

Mulan

When China is invaded by The Huns, the Emperor imposes a conscription requiring one man from each family to join the army and defend their country. In order to prevent her elderly and disabled father from fighting in the war, Mulan disguises herself as a man so that she can take his place.?

Mulan

After a series of clumsy mishaps at the local matchmaker’s, Mulan is told she is a disgrace to her family. She’s later kicked out of the army when it’s discovered she is a woman. However, she earns her honour back (and then some!) when she saves all of China.?

Mushu

A “a pint-sized, fast-talking, self-absorbed Chinese dragon,” (according to Disney Wiki ), Mushu is tasked with awakening Mulan’s ancestral guardian. When he accidentally destroys the statue that houses the guardian, he chooses to help Mulan himself.

So who is the Hero? And who is the Mentor?

Despite Mushu’s motives beginning with self-interest, he ultimately helps Mulan defeat Shan Yu, leader of the Huns, and they both return home, having restored the family’s honour, making Mushu the Mentor and Mulan the Hero.

Which role do you play?

The Mentor Mindset requires you to see beyond the surface and find the greatness in others. When you believe in their extraordinary potential, you help awaken them to greater possibilities. The Mentor Mindset does not involve stepping in to take over someone else’s life and fix it for them. Instead, it empowers them and sets them free to do this for themselves. It is through overcoming challenges that the Heroes grow the skills they need to experience the next level of their life. The Mentor Mindset helps them believe that this is possible and encourages them to take the journey with a call to adventure.

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Imagine the power of doing this for the people around you.

How many lives could you lift? What legacy could you have? Applying the Mentor Mindset to your life can allow you to inspire your team, motivate your colleagues, empower your children, and enhance your relationships.

How does this help you in your daily life? The Hero-Mentor dynamic changes how you approach every conversation and has the power to transform your relationships. The question you need to answer before every interaction is this: Which role do you play?

Thank you for joining me for another LIFT Your Impact newsletter.?

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