Mentoring

If you would  have asked me about mentoring someone in the past I would have said it is not for me.  What I did not know is that I have been mentoring folks my entire life and just did not know it.  Now you are probably assuming (assuming is a bad thing if you know what I mean) that mentoring is always positive but that is just not true.

For example, if you spend your life being critical of folks for what they do or even for what they do not do you are mentoring.  And yes, I am using the word mentoring very liberally and you could use the word influencing but I kind of like mentoring.  More specifically, I have a friend who always introduces me as his mentor for many years.  I felt complimented knowing that he is a very moral and ethical person (those are two very distinct things) and is quit successful by man's measurement.  Ok, let me explain.  He has built a very successful company that is profitable and in man's measurement he is very successful.  I would agree.  However, from a moral and ethical perspective he is successful for many other reasons and NOT because of me mentoring him but a lot of folks who have poured into his life.  Let's review those successes:

• his children live moral lives and are leaders in their college
• his wife is faithful in her spiritual life and her marital life
• he respects and honors his parents
• he treats people with respect and honesty

I could go on and on but let's get back to mentoring.

Yesterday I met with a young fellow starting his own business.  He complimented me by asking for input on how he was building his business.  It was very rewarding to give him a little insight from my perspective on how to think about his business.  If that is mentoring then I really like doing it.  If you have something to share with other folks that can help them improve their life, I call that mentoring.  What fun and so very rewarding.

As I look back I was mentored by a lot of folks and many of those are folks I have written about so let me expound on those influencers or mentors.  Mom and Dad of course were extremely influential but the small things of other folks added a lot to my development and life.  Here I want to suggest you might mentor others by trying some of these small comments given to me while growing up.

• Gladys Snyder - "you are really good at puzzles"
• Helen Head - "you look very sharp"
• Coach Gilbreth -  "you need to move to Shidler and play football for me"
• Mr. Fulsom -  "if I ever need some work done, I want Gary Olson to do it for me"
• Miss Shumate - "thank you for working so hard on fixing my sewer"
• Mrs. Dozer - "thank you for being respectful in my class"

I suggest to you that small doses of simple comments make a BIG difference to people of all ages.  Say good things to others and avoid the negative as much as possible but it can be a good thing to be honest and constructive but overall it is better to put a positive spin on things.

Well, thanks for listening and now, "what do you learn in the Osage?"

• a little compliment can go a long way in someone's life
• heartfelt and caring remarks lift the spirit and the life
• mentoring is an everyday act of kindness

forever yours,
thepoineerman.com