Do all the good you can
by all the means you can
in all the ways you can
in all the places you can
to all the people you can
as long as ever you can
~ John Wesley

When you hear the term “mentorship,” what comes to mind? Can you think of someone specifically who has been a mentor, role model or real life hero to you? If asked, most people could think of at least one person who helped mold them into the awesome creature they are today. For me personally, there are a few that fall into that category. Being involved in sports at an early age, there were several coaches who made a strong impact on my life, especially with the countless hours spent under their direction. When you are on a team, you are mentored on good character and how to handle adversity. You look up to that person, and trust they have your best interests in mind. You also learn how to put on your “game face” when things around you seem to be crashing in. This skill has served me well throughout my life.

Outside of coaches and a few teachers in my junior high years who were instrumental in keeping me on track, my parents were also great role models, working hard to teach me right from wrong. Although we don’t always recognize that parents have our best interest in mind at the time, I can look back now and clearly recognize the motives to their actions. They set up boundaries in the lives of my siblings and me to teach us right from wrong and enable us to handle a real world. Now that I am older and a parent of three children myself, I look at the foundations that were laid for me and try to incorporate that same mentorship I received from parents, teachers and coaches into the lives of my children. As an example, I strive to improve my parenting skills by attending parenting classes – sort of a continuing education for parents! Young people are truly like sponges and if we are not careful, we’ll see our children mirroring the wrong things. I don’t know too much about country music, but I recently heard this song by Rodney Atkins, and even though my children are older, it was a good reminder that our children are constantly watching us to see how we handle situations. It’s a touching reminder for parents. Take a listen:

In the health club industry, often young people who are just entering the work force come to me for jobs. This gives me the perfect opportunity to mentor them with good training as well as guide their work ethic so that whatever career path they choose, they are equipped to be an asset rather than a liability. I don’t take this role lightly as I value the professional mentorship that was given to me when I was early on in this career. Now it’s my turn to ‘pay forward’ the skills I’ve learned, especially when it comes to mental toughness, positive attitude, tenacity, honesty and kindness towards others.

Whatever your reason for being a mentor, you’ll find that nothing else can quite match the self-satisfaction you get from sharing your experience to help others. But this isn’t a one-way street. Often you’ll learn something from your mentees (or even your children) that will help you learn something about yourself you might not have known. Whether you know it or not, your actions are influencing others, so maybe it’s time to step outside of your bubble and check out who’s watching you… You may be surprised.

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