~Sunday, January 12, 2014
The New Year is upon us!—let’s
roll up our sleeves and start accomplishing!!!
My personal mission for 2014 is
to motivate others to not only value education in their lives, but to take it
one step further: realize the precious gift of being a mentor, and to pass that
knowledge on to someone else. Successful
people surround themselves with a never-ending cycle of knowledge. They are innovators; they search out others
who believe in the same vision; they share their attributes; they move forward
together—and voilá—success! You hear the
words, “Live and learn,” constantly; however, it takes a few years of living to learn what those words really mean.
My life has been surrounded by mentors, but I didn’t realize it until I lived
long enough to have many ‘hmmm’ and ‘ahh’ moments of enlightenment. That’s the beauty of mentoring—not only sharing
what you know, but then reliving those ‘moments’ with others.
A mentor displays confidence
and leadership without uttering a word. You
know one when you see one. Most importantly,
you don’t have to hold a high position to be a mentor. Simply giving your time, and sharing
something you’re good at can have a huge impact in someone’s life. Mentors are usually great storytellers. My father’s childhood stories about World War
II both haunt me, and nourish me: His strength and endurance instill me with
unwavering perseverance to live life without fear, or ‘what-if’ excuses. (Both my sister and I acquired my father’s relentless
determination, which has served us well in our lives to follow through with
clear visions of what we stand for, and what we want in this world.)
My career in the beauty and
salon industry had mentorship qualities from day one. It was a world of innovators, artists,
teachers, team members, communicators—each one of us sharing an unquenchable
thirst for knowledge. There was no ego
involved, only passion, which naturally led to great chemistry in both staff
members, and stylists. Best of all…did
the customers like this atmosphere?—absolutely!—who wouldn’t want to be part of this dynamic high? Later in my career, when I challenged
myself as a business owner, I realized I had grown as a stylist, salon owner,
and educator through being mentored. Then,
I found myself with the humble honor of sharing something I was good at with
others; I set an example of how hard work, and refinement of your skills, can
result in lifting your career to a higher level. Not only did I provide education, I left a
part of who I am with a younger generation of stylists to realize their own
potential. Even though I am no longer a
salon owner, the heartfelt letters of gratitude from my mentees at my departure
made me feel we were members of a winning team for life.
When your stars are lined up
just right, you may be fortunate enough to have a great mentor in your life who
is also a great friend. Someone who
shares the excitement of your achievements, yet still motivates you to reach a
higher plain; and always asks that difficult question: “What’s next?”—that
makes you push yourself and take inventory if there’s still room for
improvement. This friend will take you under
their wing; nevertheless, is honest and true in their convictions—even if it stings a little! The bottom line is a friend cares about
you, and wholeheartedly wants you to reap the benefits of their knowledge. This is the difference between simply
teaching lessons out of a book, or lessons learned by living. (My great friend, and great mentor of many
years, knows who she is as she reads these words she inspirited within me today.
Life
has taken you, my friend, to a further distance from each other in miles, but
your wise teachings, and absolute friendship will be with me in every step,
around every corner, and with each new goal I set out to accomplish. The distance has only served to magnify our
closeness.)
Coach, counselor, leader, guide—be
that person in someone’s life who goes above and beyond the motions of a job;
in return, you will realize your greatness—and more importantly, they will
realize theirs.
