“Always pass on what you have learned.” Yoda spoke these words to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
Yoda, as Star Wars fans know, had an important role in Luke Skywalker’s life. As a wise and trusted counselor, he helped Luke grow as a person and guided him on his Jedi journey. Yoda gave Luke support, offered challenges that definitely allowed him to learn and grow, guided him to gain confidence, and, in the end, taught him how to be independent. These are all characteristics of what a great mentor does. Yoda is definitely an ideal mentor for anyone.
Mentorship is the relationship between a mentor and a mentee where the mentor helps the mentee grow and accomplish their goals. This is the guidance provided by an experienced person in a specific area. The mentors usually have more knowledge and connections than the mentees, and they pass along what they have learned to a junior individual within a certain field.
What Could Be Your Benefits If You Have A Mentor?
Less Error, Greater Success:
Having a mentor allows you to have fewer trials and errors. Mentors, most of the time, already know which step is definitely worth taking on. They can already tell you step-by-step what you need to take on with your journey, avoiding you failing drastically.
Of course, there will also be times when they’ll let you fall back just to learn a lesson, but in the end, they will be there to look for you on which step is worth falling for.
Your Own Physical Guardian Angel:
Having a mentor is like having a guardian angel or whatever spirit or guardian you believe in. You have someone looking out for you with every step you take. It definitely feels good if you know that you have someone who will look out for you in case you are heading down the wrong path and also someone who is still by your side despite accidentally doing the wrong thing.
Mentors are your teachers in the real world. Just like teachers, they’ll always look out for you.
Not Only Mentorship But Also Companionship:
The right mentorship makes you feel like you have a teacher as well as a companion in the career or field you chose to have a mentor in. Aside from guiding you, they also alleviate your feelings of being alone. There are actually studies that have already proven that having fewer of these feelings results in better well-being.
With companionship, you’ll have someone who can listen to your ideas and talk about anything under the sun. Mentorship has both communication and companionship.
It Builds Confidence:
Mentors push you to achieve your dreams, which helps you become motivated to pursue them. Did you know that there are already studies that show that even simple peer mentoring already results in the restoration of self-confidence? Mentorship enhances your self-esteem and confidence.
This confidence comes from reaching your potential with the help of your mentor. They not only believe in you but also teach you to believe in yourself.
Gives You Hope:
Hope is another thing that mentors give you. For some of us, the future is scary. We tend to become lost when thinking about what’s ahead of us, but your mentor will help you to work towards your goal and continue your progress, which will fill you with hope for the future.
And knowing that someone is going to support you, teach you, and believe in you is all it takes to have hope for yourself, and mentors offer this. They are not just all about giving the knowledge they have, but they are there to give you hope by accompanying you on every step you’ll take and reminding you that there is so much more in life to learn.
So how about you? Have you found Yoda in your life? If not yet, that’s okay. It is not easy to find a mentor that you’ll click with. It takes time to discover and find the right one. Just remember you don’t have to force one to be their mentee (or mentor). You have to let it flow alone. Do not force. What is important is to find the right mentor (or mentee) to really benefit from the relationship to be made.
In mentorship, you can both be a leader for each other. Especially with the mentors, they are seen as leaders by their mentees. And to be an effective leader and mentor, one should be able to handle their own anxiety, struggles, and hardships. To be better in your role with your mentorship, it is important that your mental health wellness is in good shape. So, if you’re a struggling leader, get your free eBook here to help you learn how to become an anxiety-reducing leader.
Shirley Therapeutic and Consulting Services, LLC is a diverse therapy clinic that can meet the needs of anyone. If you’d like to talk about your mental health, feel free to message us here.
References:
Definition of mentorship: What is a mentor and do you need one? World Education Services. (2020, January 10). Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://www.wes.org/advisor-blog/definition-of-mentorship/
Kershner, I. (1980). Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Again [Film]. Lucasfilm Ltd.
Marquand, R. (1983). Star Wars: Return of the Jedi [Film]. Lucasfilm Ltd.
Natale, M. (2019, May 10). Star wars: 5 of Yoda’s most inspiring quotes. Dork Side of the Force. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://dorksideoftheforce.com/2019/05/10/star-wars-5-yoda-quotes/
The powerful benefits of mentoring. Guider. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://www.guider-ai.com/blog/mentoring-benefits
Rhodes, J. (2021, June 29). Jean Rhodes. The Chronicle of Evidence-Based Mentoring. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://www.evidencebasedmentoring.org/top-25-mentoring-relationships-represented-in-film/
Sciences, N. A. of, Engineering, & and Medicine; Policy and Global Affairs; Board on Higher Education and Workforce; Committee on Effective Mentoring in STEMM. (2019, October 30). The Science of Mentoring Relationships: What is mentorship? The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK552775/
