There are many reasons to become a mentor. You just have to find the one that motivates you the most. Take a chance. Be an agent of change. Use this list of reasons to become a mentor to inspire your journey.
One of the most important reasons to become a mentor is to inspire others. At times, we all may find it hard to continue with life for many reasons. Just knowing that there are others out there that have made it through these situations makes it just a bit easier to continue on. Become a mentor and inspire a life.
Often times, we see children and young adults in our own communities that are tumbling down a dangerous pathway. We sometimes say, “It’s not my place,” or “They are a lost cause,” but we’re wrong. We all have a chance to be the instigator of change in our communities. You do not have to become the community leader or spokesperson. You can just be a mentor.
So what if you are not a millionaire? So what if you cannot make grand speeches like politicians? You have the power to make an impact in your community. Mentoring one student can spark a domino effect. Years down the line your neighborhood, city, or even country may be tremendously different because you chose to mentor.
When I became a mentor, I never thought that I would actually enjoy being a mentor. I thought that it would be like a job. Get to the school. Check in and check out. Needless to say, I was wrong. I built a caring relationship with the 10th grade girl that I mentored during my 2nd year of college. I began to look forward to going to mentor because just listening to my mentee’s concerns, hopes, and joys made the experience amazing.
When you look at life through the eyes of another, your focus begins to change. Before meeting my mentee, I thought I would not be able to relate to others with mental disabilities. I thought we lived in two different worlds. I was wrong. Her difficulties were like mine, just a bit different. Things I took for granted she greatly valued. Things she dismissed, like judgmental people, bothered me. In a sense, she helped my understanding of life burst through a wall of deception.
The school that I mentored at needed mentors who would be a social counterpart to their students. The students had been removed from public schools where they were not getting the attention they needed. They were in need of someone to talk to. After getting a mentor, the students’ behavioral issues would disappear altogether. This made me appreciate the friends and family that I have in my life.
Being a mentor, encouraged me to restructure my life. I have always wanted to be a better person, so I became one. I stopped giving in to excuses as to why I could not change right now. I just changed. I did not accomplish every goal that I set out for myself, but I did try. I wanted to be a great example for my mentee, so I changed my life.
Become a mentor. It does not matter if you change 50 lives or if you change just one. Are you ready for this challenge?