Did you know that we are always being mentored?

It’s true, whatever we put our trust in, whatever we continually give our attention to will MENTOR us!

I’ve learned this the hard way over the years, as I’ve had both terrible and wonderful mentors.

For a long time, I chose to follow those who only cared about money. They taught me that I was supposed to hustle and give everything to being successful until SOMEDAY I would be able to rest and enjoy it.

Well, that advice got me a heart attack at age 24, a nervous breakdown at age 25, suicidal tendencies, and a nearly broken marriage!

Then a wonderful mentor entered my life. He did it without any compensation and did it without me asking. He just heard about me, pitied me, and committed to giving me time every month to help me TRULY succeed in my life.

Needless to say, I’m very blessed!

My mentor taught me the value of time, and of prioritizing family. In many ways he literally saved my life.

I believe in the power of mentorship, and I believe it’s important to recognize what we are allowing to mentor us!

So I’ve come up with some hard and fast rules to follow when assessing our mentors. And by “mentors” I mean, what are we reading, watching, listening to? What are we giving our attention to?

Here are my personal rules, which I believe can work for anyone!

1. Is this someone or something I want to actually be like?

   This is so important because I’ve learned not to trust the advice of those who haven’t actually done it themselves.
   How can a poor person teach another person to be wealthy?
   How can a person who’s always been employed teach another person to run their own business? It’s not that they won’t have correct principles, but they won’t have the deeper understanding needed to really help you overcome the obstacles that WILL come. 

   You will always learn more from those who have done it themselves. 

2. Do they have my best interests at heart?

   Is this “mentor” just looking to get rich by exploiting you? Or are they legitimately wanting to provide a service? 

   This principle can even apply to our entertainment, which, you better believe, is mentoring you! Most entertainment has an agenda behind it, so be careful what you are feeding on. 

3. Are they growing themselves?

   This is hugely important, because humility is wisdom. Nobody is perfect, so we can’t learn as much from someone who thinks they are. 

   I’ve always learned the most from those who are continually learning themselves. Often their ability to admit mistakes and take risks teaches me more than their words. Character matters. 

At this point you’re probably thinking, “Wow, what IS such-and-such teaching me?” And that’s good!

It’s always important to continually assess our mentorship.

So find the right mentors, and be amazed at how your life changes. Trust me, I’ve done it!

If you’re looking for more insight into how to be a mentor yourself, especially for your family, you can check out Grooming the Next Generation for Success, right HERE.