The Productive Effects Mentors Have Had on You

When people talk about the mentors they’ve had, they almost always describe people who have impacted their lives in important, long-lasting and especially productive ways. These mentors often helped their mentee turn an important corner, opened new vistas for them, or helped them see themselves in a new and improved fashion. The experience or relationship may have been brief or extended, yet it was long enough to help the benefiting individual change and improve from that day forward. Your mentor might have been a parent, a teacher, a neighbor, a friend, or anyone else who helped you make a powerful, lasting beneficial change in your life.

EXAMPLE: ALL IN THE FAMILY

Diana was the youngest of six children. Upon graduation from high school, she expected to follow the family tradition where the girls married and raised children. All but one of Diana’s siblings, Bill, considered high school to be terminal education. Bill had joined the Army out of high school, achieved a Bachelor’s degree while in the service and developed a professional specialty that was transferable to civilian life.