Who can better teach us the principles of mentoring than a mother?
Every year in the month of May when we recognize and celebrate motherhood, I start thinking of all the impact many mothers have made throughout humanity. Many of us can attest to deep connections we have with our mothers and the unconditional love our mothers have given us. It is hard to not be sentimental when I think about my mother, the endless sacrifices she makes and how she is always the voice of courage. My sentiments about my mother are probably your sentiments about your mother. While all mothers are individuals they all do their best to have us be the best we can be. I believe to mentor effectively some of the characteristics of a mother must come to play. The question I asked myself this recent mother’s day was what qualities do I see in mothers that mentors should have?
Mentors must have the ability to recognize the indicator lines of greatness
“Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
I think today the world needs mentors who like mothers can recognize the two lines that another soul is pregnant with possibilities. You know that moment when a mother notices the two lines on the pregnancy test kit and they know something deep within them is alive, I believe mentors should be just like that. They should have a good eye for the little signs that indicate that something worth drawing out is inside another’s heart and soul. They should have eyes that recognize even seeds of greatness the size of a mustard. They should have the ability to see the possibility of others’ dreams.
Steven Spielberg academy award winning filmmaker, director and one of the most successful movie directors is known to have started out as a 20 year old amateur filmmaker, dreaming about a career in Hollywood. It was his mentor Sydney Sheinberg a Universal executive, who spotted the indicator lines of greatness. After seeing Spielberg’s short film Amblin, Sheinberg offered him a job. Sheinberg took the young man under his wings and supported him in his career. Sheinberg is quoted to have said to Spielberg “hopefully you are going to have a lot of success in your career. And a lot people will stick with you in success; I will stick with you in failure”. That is how Spielberg was plucked out, and given a chance to direct TV by a mentor who was willing to stick with him in failure and willing to be dependable. His mentor was prepared to demonstrate grace in the face of failure. Mentors must be willing to stick with the mentee through success and failure because they have spotted something they cannot walk away from; greatness.
Mentors must position themselves as the first point of connection
When we are conceived we begin our lives from a single cell to a bunch of cells that are rapidly multiplying, and at this stage, we cannot even be seen by a naked eye. The first connection we form is with our mothers. We are so tiny, with very little we can do for ourselves, we only survive on the connectedness we have with our mothers. In those moments of obscurity when no one knows our name, when no one knows that we are hidden in there becoming something beautiful, our growth process heavily relies on mothers. They are the only supply of nutrients.
I suggest the life of beginners on any journey goes through the same process, their dreams and hopes are merely a ball of cells in obscurity. They need a mentor they can connect to even when they are unnoticeable and with no resources to sustain their dreams. The connections with mentors is the one thing they can survive on. The journey of motherhood reminds mentors to be selfless and to be willing to make sacrifices without expecting anything in return.
Mentors must reach out to those behind the line
Mentors must change the lives of those behind them. They should be willing to equip other with skills, and to inspire greatness in others. Thousands of people out there need resources to follow their dreams, they are struggling with issues that are so real, with no hope and thinking that their dream will never see the light of the day. Their dream may remain impossible until a mentor like a mother, reaches out and that may be all it takes.
Once mentors reach out they are never satisfied until their mentee’s dreams take off. They will pour their heart and soul into their life and walk the distance with them.
Conclusion
What if you become a mentor who can connect like a mother? What if when the dreamer is barely noticeable you could recognize that something they are carrying counts to something. What if you start appreciating that the missing connection for that beginner could be you?
The dreamer is waiting for you
Many dreams die before they see the light of the day, many people loose greatness within them because of absence of mentors who can connect like mothers.
Are you the missing mentor in the life of a dreamer?
You are an instrument and the dreamer navigating a new path, is waiting for you to reach out. That dreamer is waiting to learn from the mistakes you made when you maneuvered a path of your own dreams. Your experience could be invaluable to someone out there. You could be the shield to protect then when they are still growing. There is beginner out there grappling for a path in darkness, they don’t have the audience to perform to or to recite poetry to, they don’t have places where they can exhibit their art, they don’t have a platform to flex their abilities, they don’t have anything. Would you be willing to reach out, connect and nourish that dreamer like a mother?
Resource
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steven-spielberg-sidney-sheinberg-59773