Why You Should Be a Mentor - Part 1

Editor’s note: This post was written 10 years ago, but its message is just as relevant today as when it was first published.

When I was asked to be a Volunteer Youth Mentor for the Catholic Children's Aid Society of Toronto I admit I wasn't sure if I had time for it. At the time I was out of a consistent job, trying to build a professional coaching practice, my speaking gigs were far and few between (and still are! :p ) my start up projects weren't going as planned...needless to say, I really had NO time to dedicate to mentoring another person FOR FREE. Why would I volunteer my time to mentor when I wanted to get paid to do it?

But of course, i'm glad I agreed to commit, and it's made me a better mentor for it. Something about not worrying about money at all helped me give my 100% attention and focus to put into practice everything i've learned.

In some sense mentoring youth gives you a "second chance" at life. Thinking of all the things I wish I knew when I was younger and sharing that knowledge with the next generation, feels like all the mistakes I made were really worth it. Of course learning from your mistakes should be good enough, but now imagine sharing those learning experiences. Not only are you benefitting from the mistakes you've made, but you can potentially change the life of another person, just by sharing your story.

This is one reason why I believe it's so important to mentor. It gives somebody else another unique perspective that they would never have had. Sharing your ideas and experiences can really open someones eyes to new ways of thinking.

In some ways I feel that this is the best education someone can ever have. Sharing your thoughts with others can either prevent someone from making the same mistakes or give them other options that will lead to more unique mistakes that they can learn from and ultimately grow. As a mentor, it's not your job to "tell them what to do" rather guide them to make a decision, whether it's right or wrong and hope they learn from it.

When people are allowed to make mistakes and know that they have the support to get through them, they can take more risks and chances, which will definitely give them more opportunities. How many "new" opportunities can you really have doing the same thing over and over?

So share your thoughts, feelings, experiences and ideas with others when you can. You never know what can come out of it.