The Value of a Mentor
Let’s be real… life is hard. While most of us want to believe that we’ve got it all figured out, the undeniable truth is that we just can’t. The good news is there is a whole world full of people to walk with through life. It is impossible to get through life without people who support us and who speak truth and goodness to us. In short, we need mentors.
Mentors aren’t just people who are older, wiser, and have life figured out, because like we established earlier, no one does. A mentor can be anyone. One time I heard some advice regarding making connections in a career. They told me to find someone with the exact job I wanted and to ask them a million questions about how they got to this point. I think this can be applied in every aspect of life. If you want to become a better student, find a successful student who has good study habits. If you need help with a relationship, find someone who is in a good and healthy relationship. I can remember asking a friend who had been in several unhealthy relationships recently for advice of my own, and let’s just say it didn’t turn out too pretty. I guess the most important thing is while anyone can be a mentor, it is important to look for one who has the characteristics of the life you want. And though you can have many mentors across every aspect of life, it is beneficial to have one ‘ideal’ mentor that can help get you through any situation.
One specific person comes to mind when I think about the ‘ideal’ mentor. She is an authentic listener, trustworthy and approachable. I came to her almost every single week when I was going through the hardest period of my life, the beginning of freshman year. When I felt like an outsider and didn’t know if coming to KU was the right decision, she listened to every word I said and gave me advice that was perfectly geared towards me and my situation. She had no ulterior motives other than to help me. She was and still is selfless, and that is the most important quality when it comes to having a great mentor.
Good Company is a ministry at the University of Kansas. We seek to bring authentic connection in a world of AirPods.