Thoughts on mentoring

If I feel like I've manage to establish some sort of direction for my life over the past few years, it's because of the people that I've been lucky enough to have in my life. I'm not trying to make this sound like a Hallmark card, but I'm genuinely grateful for having met the mentors who have helped me figure out who I want to be and how to get to that point.

And it's often felt like an accident. At times, I have felt very disoriented and directionless. I've been lucky that, at those exact moments, that's when I've found people who could guide me and who I could trust. I can think of two, maybe three, who have been indispensable to me, and I can't claim to have sought that out. Somehow it came to me. They have provided me with opportunities I wouldn't have had otherwise.

Now, it's important to me that I learn how to do the same. I work with people who are in the same position I was in a few years ago, and I want to know how to pass along some of the principles that I've learned. This is a new position for me to be in, and I don't know quite how to do it yet. So far, it can feel a little stilted, and I especially worry about giving criticism in a constructive way.

And now that I've been all sappy--but about something that I've been pretty preoccupied with lately--I will leave you with this inspirational video. Enjoy!