There is a misconception in the world today. If you’re like me then you may not even be aware or even thought about it. What misconception am I referring to? Mentors & Mentee relationships. We need to have both in our lives. There is so much information around us, on the internet, and in textbooks that there isn’t possibly a way for us to know or even be proficient in it all. In pursuing the dreams that we have, going after the callings or things that God has placed in our hearts, we have a need for mentors. People who have traveled the road before us.
The dictionary defines a mentor as an experienced and trusted advisor. A mentee is a person who is advised, trained, or counseled. I’ve found that there are times when I have been the mentor and times when I’m the mentee. As of recent this year I found myself in a mentee position. Every Sunday morning when I get to church there was another man who would come up to me and adjust my tie. Fix the knot or just straighten it up.
This may not seem like a big deal, but it meant a lot to me. I like to be at my best on Sundays and for someone to notice and then help me in just sharpening or tightening up my tie is awesome. This same man would later show me how to shine my shoes. Again, that might not seem like a big deal to everyone, but in that moment I needed someone to show me something that I didn’t know. That’s what a mentor does.
They don’t have to be at the final destination of where you want to go, they just have to be further along the journey than you are. We all can’t have Bill Gates be our financial advisor. What we can do is have a mentor that has; a successful marriage that’s been married longer than you, own their home, started a successful business, and so on and so on. We may not want to be a millionaire, but we desire to be successful in our relationships. Our mentors can be many people along the way from where we are to that final destination.
While we’re forging our path to new places and destinations, we also should have someone coming behind us who could use our advice and experience to help them. Someone who struggles with what we used to struggle with. Relationships are not about being selfish. It’s not always what we can get from them. They have to flow back and forth. There is a free flow of giving and receiving.
So we have to be open to developing relationships at every level. It may be someone who needs to be mentored. There are benefits to being a mentor. Being able to help someone fulfill their dreams is one of the best feelings in the world.
We don’t get to our destinations by ourselves. The journey is great when we can see someone further ahead than were we are and it’s a beautiful thing to help someone coming up behind us.