Imagine yourself to be at an unknown place, a dark deserted place about which you have never heard of. How are you going to feel? What would be your immediate response? You’d most likely feel blank, clueless and directionless. A student or any person in a similar scenario, after entering the ‘real’ world shall feel just the same, or perhaps worse.
An extremely successful and a well cherished personality, famous for his achievements throughout the world once quoted, “A small amount of time invested on your part to share your expertise can open up a new world for someone else.” He was none other than Mark Zuckerberg, Co- Founder and CEO, Facebook; who credits much of his success to his mentor, Steve Jobs. Not many of us know that most of the world’s famous people have mentors. They understand that success is not a one-person show and that mentors can help them realize their potential and help them channelize their energies in the right direction. People with mentors also show that they are willing to learn, open to different perspectives and adaptable to change. The Mentor and a Mentee relationship is not a new concept, it has existed since the dawn of time. Who hasn’t heard of Krishna & Arjun’s relationship? Had Krishna not guided Arjun, the Indian epic Mahabharata might not have seen the same closedown. The very renowned Bill Gates credited part of his success to his mentor, Warren Buffet during an interview. He expressed how Buffett taught him how to deal with tough situations and how to think long-term. Mother Teresa, who committed her life to helping others and led a remarkable and revered life, may not have achieved all that she did if it weren’t for her mentor, Father Michael van der Peet. The examples are many but the lesson is just the same; every mentor strives to extract the best out of his student.
At the heart of an inspiring mentor, one can find innate generosity and self-sacrifice for the betterment of others and society as a whole. True mentors leave their own egos behind, and believe in building meaningful relationships based on mutual benefit and not personal gain. The ideal mentor will help you take what you’ve learned in the books and apply them to the real world.
Everyone has something to offer; sometimes all that is needed is an inspiring mentor who can guide you through your journey and explain to you how important it is to make mistakes as those mistakes are the lessons for a better tomorrow.
-By Pooja Ahuja