Many of us have become the person we are with the help and guidance from others. It is National Mentoring Month - a time for us to reflect on those special individuals who took an interest in us.
I've had great mentors in my life. Interestingly, most have all been teachers. I was so grateful for their interest, their wisdom and their generosity. Through them, I learned to believe in myself and found my own unique way in the world. Being a role model, big sister or mentor has been a very meaningful experience for me as well.
I'm gonna head over to Hallmark - where there are these free mentor ecards - and send a slew out!
Pass it on.
39 comments:
Can a person's therapist also be considered a mentor? I'm going to answer myself and say yes they can! Which means, I have two mentors...my therapist and a Sociology Professor at school.
I didn't even know there was a Mentoring Month. Recognizing it is a great idea -- mentors are invaluable!
I've had a few mentors in my life. I'm so grateful to be able to say that too.
Definately our Therapist we agree with fallen on that one and believe it or not many of our blogging friends, its because of all of them we have recently made a life changing choice and one we wouldnt have bene able to do without good mentors.
See blog for more information
I've had a couple of mentors, too... Very nice post! :)
Hi Dr. Deb,
Not all my mentors were teachers. There were some highly respectable souls who made indelible marks on my soul. Some I did not even meet personally in life because I just read the stories of their lives and I was so touched by their achievements. One of those souls was Helen Keller. I was so awestruck by her tenacity to live a normal life inspite of the fact that she was deaf mute. She scaled the heights of achievements and was highly honored by everybody. There are many more, so many that I cannot mention them here. Thanks for the post. God bless you and your family always.
If not for some very kind teachers when I was a child, I would probably be much worse off than I am now. I think therapists can be mentors. I love my therapist. I've never met anyone quite like him and he's very helpful (even though therapy has been hard).
Love the mentor cards!
Thanks for the Hallmark link! Looks like I've only got a day or two to pass it on, so I will! I don't blog much about my BossLady because I can't blog about work much (it's against company rules which I helped draw up!) However, she's a real mentor to me.
My mentor was my mom. She was the best cheerleader anyone could have but it was born out of unconditional love rather than actual encouragement. She guided me in the way that a woman who has been horribly abused would guide. She taught me to not lie down with dogs, thus avoiding fleas :)
I've never had a mentor...I wonder if at 48 years old its too late to get one.
Hi Deb, I am doing a post on this today and link here :)
For me, too, Deb, it's been teachers. Funny how that works! I especially remember a psych teacher I had at my junior college...she was the one who told me I would make a good teacher. I hope someday I can be that!
My entire outlook on life,survival skills and insight are all skill I learned from wonderful mentors:)
There will always be people that mark us and it doesn't stop when we're young. Sometimes my students teach me things, I've always said that teaching is a two way street and the teacher often learns as much as the student. ;o)
I had a mentor when I was young. I could use one now. I wonder if there is a cut off age.
I have had some pretty amazing mentors in my life. Four stand out dramatically.
The first two are sisters, they are quite a bit older then me but they genuinly care about me and have shown this to me over and over again. they are the ones who would pick me up and take me to therapy, wait in their car for an hour or so and then drive me somewhere to chill before taking me home.
The next two are my friends parents. they took me in when I got kicked out of home. They helped me get through a time where I thought suicide was the only thing I had left.
Even though all these four are busy these days we all still find time to catch up and I can never thank them enough
The concept of mentorism is not only valuable, I believe it's essential to keep us from avoiding the pitfalls of life. I actually wrote a long piece on mentorship for a newspaper article at one time. My only advice to the young would be, as in all other things, 'choose wisely.'
I never heard of this - but it sounds nice. Being grateful is always a wonderful quality!
:)
Fagin the Jew tried to teach me how to pick pockets, but I never got the hang of it.
Oh, never mind. That was a novel.
My mentor was a nurse/teacher in high school who sparked my interest in heath care. While she isn't teaching high school anymore, I know where she works so I can go visit her whenever.
I hope you receive a slew of these as well, because you are one to each of us as well as so many others!
alan
Thanks for the reminder Deb! In our hectic lives we often forget those who held our hand in times of need to showed us the path that lead to where we find ourselves today!
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Oh wow. Great idea! My mentor was also a teacher and my ex mother in law! We still talk all the time and i love her to pieces. Her son is not so thrilled we do so, but as my mother in law said, God wanted us to be close. It was a God thing! Thanks for sharing this, i am going to go and get a card for her and send it to her right away!
Aw, just this morning I was thinking what a great mentor my boss has been to me :)
Dear Deb,
My name is Isabelle and I'm a member of the WEGO Health Community [http://www.wegohealth.com]. I’ve been spending some time on your site and I got such a kick out of your post about psychoanalytic couches, some of those looked pretty uncomfortable! Because of your involvement in the Mental Health Community, I wanted to get in touch with you to let you know a little bit about what we're doing at WEGO Health.
Our website recently launched and our mission is to identify, rank, and organize the most helpful health and wellness content online and make it easy to access by everyone.
Our mission is articulated very nicely here:
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I sent a deserved award your way. Please check my blog.
I suspect that you have done your share of being a mentor, as well You seem to be that sort of generous spirit...
mentors for me?
My grandmother taught me how to love unconditionally.
I miss her.
Dr. Deb an award is waiting for you... well deserved I might add.
Hmmmm. Not sure if the ones I mentored turned out better as a result of my efforts.
Great... the spammers will force Deb to filter the posting on her website.
Darnit! I loathe spammers.
What is wrong with me I cannot think of anything to write.
Hi Deb, I know this is off subject, but I was just remembering when I had to read a paper by Jung on his theory of the so-called "collective unconscious." Actually, I had to read that in freshman composition way back in 1999. I don't know why an English teacher had me read some Psychology. But since you are the only psychologist I "know," I was wondering what you think about Jung and the collective unconscious. I don't know too much about it, but it seemed weird and "fu-fuey" to me.
We have program at my school through Big Brothers and Big Sisters in the Minneapolis area. We, the teachers, recommend children we feel would really benefit from a mentor. They are then matched up with a person and their mentors come in once a week and spend an hour at school with them. The children love it.
My best mentors were my Grandmas and my mother. They made me the strong woman I am today.
Mary
I've had great mentors in my life and and even as an adult I still do. Mentors to me are essential, people need each other plus too any kids and teens lack strong family structures, thus they are in need of outside support.
Dear FAllen,
Yes, I would say my therapists were mentors as well.
Dear Psychgrad,
It's a nice awareness day, I think. I didn't know about it either till someone told me!
Dear Traci,
I think it is so special to have had mentors. Some people may not have had any, but they can be a mentor in return and feel the joy of it as well.
Dear JIP,
I will visit shortly.
Dear Lone,
So important to share and teach and guide and all that jazz
Dear Mel,
So wonderful that you have had wonderful mentors. And I agree, there are people who we never meet who touch our lives in astounding ways.
Dear Lynn,
So important to have those experiences, right?
Dear Casdok,
Me too.
Dear Cracker,
I think it is especially great when a boss is a mentor. You are so lucky.
Dear OHN,
What a tribute to your mother. Wow.
Dear Barbara,
NEver to old to find a mentor, never too old to be one as well. Will come and visit soon.
Dear Donna,
I have no doubt that you will be a wonderful mentor and teacher throughout all you do.
Dear Ms. L.
Yup, me as well.
Dear BB,
I feel that way to when I teach.
Dear Away,
NEver too old to find or be a mentor. Go for it.
Dear S'Onnie,
I love when I read how family members are mentors. So special.
Dear Ian,
Oh yes, that's a good point. If you ever find yourself feeling icky or uncomfortable with a mentor, jump ship. Choosing wisely is important in life for so many things.
Dear Deb,
Like an apprentice and a master, mentoring is a wonderful nurturing experience.
Dear GOM,
THank goodness you and Fagin didn't keep the mentor thing going. Consider yourself at home.
Dear Scott,
Isn't it amazing how a person can help us find our own self!
Dear Alan,
:::Blushes:::
I think the blogging commumnity is filled with great mentoring!
Dear Id,
I think this is a great public campaign. It needs to be advertised more. Years ago, I'd see a lot of Public Service Annoncements with celebs and high profile people reminding us of the month. Not so much though now.
Dear XNhealth,
Should anyone be interested, I'm sure they'll visit you. Thanks for stopping by.
Dear Mysti,
I think it is fate that you and your ex MIL are so close. It is important to keep mentors and loving people in our lives.
Dear Guilty,
I've said before, that one is very lucky when a boss is like a mentor. Congrats for having such a person in your work life!
Dear Isabelle,
Please resend your email. It wasn't listed in the post.
Dear Ian,
I will come by soon.
Dear Kath,
Oh, that is so touching. I miss my grandma too. She was so many things to me.
Dear BB,
Will swing by in a bit.
Dear Stag,
All we can do is be there to mentor, teach and guide. It is up to the other to take what we give and fly with it. I know what you mean though.
Dear Intelligent,
Spammers be gone!
Dear Scott,
As with many of the great thinkers, there are theories and concpets that will speak to you, while others won't. The idea of a collective unconscious is something I have seen and experienced. Read more and see what sticks to your ribs, so to speak.
Dear MAry,
I am a big fan of BB BS organizations. Sounds like your grandmas and your MOM were/are awesome.
Dear ROse,
I think being a mentor is a really important thing to do. I feel grateful for the ones I've had and hope that I can offer some wisdom to others as a result. This generous connection seems to not only touch each person, but also helps our communities.
~Deb
I have a wonderfully beautiful list of mentors that have helped me become the person I am, and still help me to this day, reach to be the person I want to be in the future.
Like you Deb a vast majority of my mentors have been educators, but I also have a few that have just been wonderful drifters in life with wise info to share.
Great Post!
Dear Jade,
Sounds like have had similar experiences. I also think the blogosphere is filled with mentors as well. "Blentors", I'll call them!
~Deb
Here, particularly in the field of psychology, there just doesn't seem to be that mentoring mentality - which is a real shame - and when you approach people for this role, they just aren't keen to take it on.
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