Success Stories
Thanks for logging onto my new mentoring site! This is something really close to my heart and the only thing that would make my experience better is sharing them with you and inspiring others to be mentors….so get ready for a series of article and blogs over the next few months that are sure to inspire and encourage you to be a role model, a mentor and lead by setting an example.
People often ask me what I think it means to be a mentor. It’s something that I’ve given a lot of thought to, and it’s really pretty simple. It doesn’t require anything formal or even a ton of time. Sometimes people think that being a mentor means setting aside a huge of money or hours and hours of time, and that’s just not true. The fact of the matter is, we ALL have the ability to mentor youth, in the middle of our busy schedules, EVERY SINGLE DAY.
People often ask me what I think it means to be a mentor. It’s something that I’ve given a lot of thought to, and it’s really pretty simple. It doesn’t require anything formal or even a ton of time. Sometimes people think that being a mentor means setting aside a huge of money or hours and hours of time, and that’s just not true. The fact of the matter is, we ALL have the ability to mentor youth, in the middle of our busy schedules, EVERY SINGLE DAY.
It’s true that there are many formal mentoring programs out there. I participate in some of those, and they do amazing work. But you can also be a mentor just by setting a good example, and “paying it forward” as they say. A few years ago, I was in line behind a young boy at a store. He was buying a card for his mom for Mother’s Day. He seemed really excited to do this “on his own” but had trouble counting out the correct amount of change to pay the cashier. She became frustrated with the boy which made him nervous. I bent down to him and asked him if I could help. Together we counted out the correct amount. He handed it to the cashier, and I could tell that he felt really good about being able to complete the purchase “on his own” for his mom. He had a sense of empowerment and accomplishment. This is something I've learned is called "short-term" or "situational mentoring."
There is also what I call "relationship mentoring": mentoring that is done for the same child or same group of kids over a period of time. This produces a relationship that is fostered through the sharing of advice, ideas and successes. Through the many food and toy drives that I have hosted, I’ve come to know some of the recipients by name. I’ve come to know their circumstances and their families. These are truly amazing relationships that I treasure, and ones that I hope are making a lasting impact on the children.
Mentoring is sometimes found in the very small everyday things in life, the things that you and I might think are insignificant. Did I make any kind of positive, lasting impact on that boy in the store? Honestly, I don’t know. I choose to believe that I did. What I do know is that if we all continue to do little things like that, the chances that we WILL make an impact are huge.
Many people give of their time, talents or financial resources. But the “small” things add up and count just as much. My mom taught me by example that EVERYONE has something to give. Even if it’s just something as simple as a smile. Every morning when you wake up, you have another chance to make a positive impact, to make a difference, to become a part of CHANGING THE WORLD!
When I began mentoring youth, I set out with a goal to inspire and empower these kids to be something great. To let them know that they could be anything they want to be. Little did I know that as I set out on this journey, THEY would be the ones who would inspire and empower ME.
Remember, don’t be a part of the problem….be a part of the SOLUTION! Become a mentor! If you change the outcome for just ONE kid, it’s so incredibly worth it….if you change the outcome for many, it’s just going to inspire you to keep doing this that much more.
The whole point of this site is for us to inspire each other to become and continue to be mentors. That being said, I’d like to share YOUR story! Please email me your story at willis@willismcgahee.com
