Why you need mentorship

The journey of life is never complete without a guide from someone who had seen and can see more than we ever can. Just like an adage in Yoruba that says: “what an elder can see while sitting, a youth cannot see while standing on the mountain top”.

This adage is not literary talking about an elder and a youth. Of course, we know that some elders might have eye defects and may not see clearly, however, the adage is not also referring to ‘seeing’ literary. The adage portrays the context of this article. Herein, the elder is a potential mentor while the youth is a potential mentee.

Introduction to mentorship

Who is a mentor? A mentor is simply a wise and trusted counselor or teacher. A mentor is someone whose life and result you are trying to achieve.

What this implies is that, perhaps your goal in life is to become an international football, and you have your eyes on Ballon D’or. Then, it is wise enough to have Lionel Messi or Christiano Ronaldo as a mentor.

Having either of those two players as a mentor will make your journey fast in life. What I am saying is that, a mentor is someone who already achieve your desired result. Someone whose life is your goal and who is doing well in that aspect of life.

Take a brief look at life in general, and carefully examine your personal goal. Do you think what you intend on achieving had not been achieved by someone before? Do you think someone had not become what you are aspiring to become? Or do you think that you have a calling so unique that no one had ever received?

If you think, ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then you are wrong and need to set your mind right.

The fact is that, there is no calling in your life that someone had not received before. There is no career you are pursing that someone had not fulfilled before.

Therefore, you need the wisdom, understanding, guidance of those ahead of you to have a smooth ride in life.

In Africa today, we do not see a need for a mentor or mentorship. We believe we know what we are doing and can achieve anything on our own.

Of course, we can achieve anything we want on our own, however, we would have wasted more time, used more energy and squandered more resources in the quest. But with a mentor, we are guaranteed of safe ride, and preservation.

This article gives three(3) reasons why you need mentorship, however, the reason are not limited in this piece.

1. Mentors give Hands-on experience.

The difference between someone who learned how to drive a car on YouTube and someone who attends a driving class is experience.

On YouTube, the tutor will actually pass the head knowledge to successfully drive the car to you via explanation and demonstration, but, will not be there to give hands-on experience to you.

Hands-on experience simply means that the mentor be there with you while you demonstrate what he taught you.

Meanwhile, when you learn how to drive in a driving school, you will be given the head knowledge as well and will be taken on several rides of which the mentor will show how the ‘how’

Later on, you will demonstrate what you have been taught with the mentor there with you to provide guidance.

It would be so foolish to have someone who cannot drive as a driving instructor.

Only a mentor, that someone who had achieved the result you are trying to achieve can give you a better understanding and explanation of achieving fast practically.

2. Mentors are full of wisdom, experience, and understanding.

Refer to my previous description of whom a mentor is, it is clear that they(mentors) are full of wisdom, experience, and understanding of achieving whatever you intend on achieving.

Lionel Messi, for example will have more and better understanding on how to win Ballon D’or compare with myself, therefore if Messi is your mentor, winning the trophy will be so easy and fast.

3. Mentors are there when you fucked up.

If you have ever been an apprentice, you will appreciate mentorship more.

By nature, mentors are usually the one to run to when the situation seemed to have changed or when the situation is above your control.

You become anxious when situations got over your control, but when a mentor stepped in, he/she will calmly with years of experience and wisdom make the impossible possible. This is because mentors have had several experience before they attain their present status.

HOW TO CHOOSE A MENTOR

Yes, you need a mentor. But not just anybody. Don’t choose anyone as a mentor only on the ground that you are related to that person, or for any other reason other than the fact that the person’s life is your goal.

Furthermore, you need several mentors on all aspects of your life. What this means is that, one person cannot mentor you in all aspects of life. Have a spiritual mentor, someone who can guide you through life spiritually.

Have a financial mentor, someone who can teach you the secret of wealth.

Have mentors on all areas of life.

Conclusion

Conclusively, be submissive to your mentor to gain much more than you can imagine.

Observe your mentor and learn from him/her, then you are going to the place of fulfillment.

Writer: IVRC Online