NOTHING BOOSTS your self-confidence or
nurtures your positive attitude more than a mentor.
And remember this ... you're never too old or
too young to have one.
The ability to find and benefit from a mentor is
one of the key lessons to be drawn from the
extraordinary life of Eleanor Roosevelt. As Robin
Gerber, author of Leadership the Eleanor
Roosevelt Way, explains: Great mentors "will not
only lead you on your future professional path but
also help you to realize your full potential — spiritually,
mentally, emotionally."
Eleanor did not have a happy childhood. After
losing her parents at a young age, she had no one
to show her any respect or affection. And because
she was unattractive and lacked certain social
graces, her own family members — not to mention
other children — insulted and ridiculed her.
Ordinarily such a childhood would lead to
lack of self-esteem and confidence. Nothing,
as we all know, was further from the truth.
She was not afraid to fly in the face of convention,
to do exactly as she pleased with the
whole world watching. How did the shy,
unattractive girl become the smiling, confident
Eleanor Roosevelt?
Much of the success of this great woman has
to do with another woman — a mentor she
met in boarding school. Marie Souvestre was
the French headmistress of the English boarding
school to which Roosevelt was sent when
she was 15 years old. Instead of laughing at
Roosevelt, Souvestre encouraged and complimented
Eleanor on her intellect, her proficiency
in the French language, and her attitude
toward the other girls. Slowly, Souvestre
built up Eleanor's confidence, in essence creating
the young woman who later would take
on the world.
Ask yourself who could make a positive difference
in your life. When faced with difficult
choices or challenges, to whom could you turn
for guidance? The answer might not come to
you immediately, and that's probably for the
best. What I would suggest is that you go
through your address books and make a list of
candidates. List the strengths and weaknesses
of each person, and rank potential mentors in
the order of preference. At that point, I'd
arrange a lunch with your top choice (or send
a letter) to gauge that person's interest. You
might be surprised at how flattered some people
are that you asked; however, if a mentoring
relationship doesn't work out, move to your
second choice. I've always lived by the "nothing
ventured, nothing gained" theory, and selecting
a mentor is one place to put it to the test.
I also suggest you read books specifically
about mentoring relationship, but for now I
hope I've helped you take that first step. The
right mentor can change your life in many
positive ways.
Learn more about Mac Anderson, founder of
Successories and author of the Simple Truths book
series.