WHY YOU NEED A MENTOR

In many awesome ways at this year Kenya got the privilege to host the global entrepreneurship summit. Through which has brought out many youths sharing their creative business ideas taking the Country to another level of development. This generation is one of the most entrepreneurial in a long time.

As great as it is to strike out your own, we skip the crucial step of learning from someone who has been there before. In every step of my life I got a mentor who guided me in every step, and I have carefully sought excellence.

Millions of young youths are confident, smart and talented, trying to “make it” alone. Spending many years of trying to figure out a craft and then start excelling much later in their years, what if one attaches them-self with a mentor. There will be acceleration in the process to success.

In choosing a mentor is critical, Masaaki Hatsumi, the famous martial arts grand-master, once said, “students deserve their teachers.” So do not choose poorly. Look for mentors who have interest in your given field, visionary leaders, writers and communicators.

The mentor you choose to speak into your life is a sacred choice. Many young leaders damaged by submitting themselves to the next strong personality, the strong personality maybe impressive and self confident but with no personal concern for you. Worse they simply flatter and use you to build their own platform.

The same way a good mentor imparts wisdom, character and craft, a bad mentor will impart their habits, reactions and particular worldviews as well. A bad mentor can be like visiting a bad chiropractor, leaving worse than you start.

Once a mentor believes in you, it does not feel like a possessive thing. He / She do not insist you do this or that, feeling like a patient, listening friend. Mentors often become great guides and friends’ not just advice dispensing machines, they are people who are genuinely interested in you.

Young voices are echoes, striving to sound like others but echoes have diminishing returns, they get weaker with each resounding. When one finds their own voice they create something original and this is where the power is, finding your divine fingerprint and walking in it no matter what others think.

A mentor who helps you find your voice is a rare gift. Part of finding your voice is allowing others to say hard things and speak direction into your life. Find and emulate the rhythms of great mentors.

It turns out what is missing from most youths is the professional work of a mentor.

By Muthuita Lucy.