Age and Intellect Doesn’t Define A Mentor
Dedicated to my cousin Patrick Nagle- March 10, 1977, to March 13, 2022
Think of the mentors in your life. Perhaps your parents, a sports coach, a teacher or professor, or someone that you worked under or with previously. The typical relationship here is someone older than us, showing how they did it. It is a fantastic resource that is truly priceless. The best-case scenario is when then mentorship goes in both directions. The learning and sharing here build the bridges of true wisdom.
However, let’s ponder the dynamic where the mentor is considerably younger, perhaps multiple decades than the mentoree. You did read that correctly, multiple decades.
The value of seeing, hearing, and experiencing the world through someone eye’s that is considerably younger than you can have several benefits if approached with a learning mindset. Often it brings back optimism, a refreshed view of what is new and what is to come soon. There can be a more focused understanding of what is truly relevant to the world that isn’t burdened by the bias of experience that can produce a jaded view.
The power of youthful vision will change the world. There is no stagnation or ways to dwell in yesteryear. For those that want to ‘get back to how things were,’ you may need to ask yourself why? More than 99% of the time, it is an expression of wanting to get back to a comfort zone. The remaining 1% is to return to having a loved one that has passed. Unfortunately, returning to the past is not possible, and all that we have is now, and perhaps tomorrow.
The comfort zone that many want to cling to is precisely what will be changing and why you need a younger mentor. The change will occur regardless of your personal desire, so you need to decide if you want to embrace the future possibilities or be resentful that it is not the past.
If you feel you are struggling with this idea, a suggestion would be to look at what you can learn from someone who may have a diminished IQ. They have a magical gift in many circumstances where they live in the now. They aren’t encumbered by what has always been when interacting with people. They don’t judge their ability to learn from others based on age but on the expression of happiness, joy, optimism, and the amount of laughter they can have. They simplify what you should be getting out of life, and that lesson is powerful.
We can understand a skeptical look at this thought process. However, we would offer proof that it works. At The Ideation Emporium of Creativity™, we have multiple people of a wide variety of diversities, including age and mental capabilities, that we interact with. Some of our best partners that can be considered ultra-successful do too. If you can reflect and understand your bias and let go of the potential ego telling you that people not as smart as you or younger than you can’t teach you, you may find a whole new exciting world.
To put it succinctly, if you are frustrated with life and want change, find the right mentors to help you bring it to life.