5 Reasons Why Being A Mentor Is Important For Career & Personal Development

My dearest readers,

“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” ~ Steven Spielberg

This quote captures the role of a mentor as a catalyst for inspiring the development of a mentee into exactly who he or she is meant to be!!

We are often cognizant of the many reasons for which having a positive mentor and role model in our lives is a smart and worthwhile step to take in the areas of career and personal development. A less explored area of career development is, in turn, the positive aspects of being a mentor itself.

Being a role model and mentor for someone is not only a smart career development strategy, but is highly fulfilling as well! Here are five reasons why being a mentor is the right step to take when seeking success and meaning in one’s field of work.

1. Working with motivated mentees can be an unequivocal source of inspiration!

Mentees can be a great source of inspiration because they are motivated to learn and develop themselves, thirsting for new knowledge and excited about their growth on both a professional and personal basis. Picture someone who is seeking mentorship as they are embarking on a new career path, a time where one is not only extremely passionate about the profession one has chosen, but also inquisitive and ambitious. As a mentor, working with someone with such attributes can be extremely motivating in and of itself, and it can serve as a reminder for a mentor of why they originally chose their profession. The interaction between mentor and mentee can ultimately produce a dynamic and energizing synergy … explore the possibilities!!

2. Being a mentor often requires one to be on top of the latest in one’s field of work!

Acting as a mentor can be a great opportunity to ensure that one is on top of the latest in one’s field of work. Providing up-to-date guidance and advice to a mentee may require a mentor to keep up their own competencies and knowledge base. Thus mentoring can be a great incentive and motivation to stay current and at the forefront of one’s profession.

3. Being a sharer of advice and guidance, rather than a hoarder of information, is fulfilling from a humanistic point of view!

The opportunity to be able to share one’s life experiences, advice, and guidance with someone else can be highly fulfilling and rewarding from a personal point of view. Mentorship is a beautiful form of human connectivity, propagating a culture of giving and sharing, rather than one that encourages personal gains and selfish goals. Helping others is a great way of gaining meaning from one’s everyday doings and thus achieving emotional wellness.

4. Being able to mentor and teach others is a transferable and marketable skill!

To be a successful mentor, one must develop strong competencies in many areas, including communication, coaching, collaboration, and emotional intelligence. In light of this, the ability to teach and mentor others is one which requires constant personal growth and development on the part of the mentor, and thus results in the generation of many transferable and marketable skills. Having experience as a mentor also speaks to one’s ability to be a strong team player and reveals someone who is capable of fostering a positive work and learning environment, all of which are positive attributes on the job market.

5. Developing oneself as a mentor allows one to pass on advice and skills to a new generation of colleagues, allowing for a personal sense of legacy!

We all seek meaning and fulfillment from the work we do. Being able to pass on one’s skills and knowledge is a form of leaving a lasting and sustainable difference; a legacy of sorts. Once again, the ability to be a mentor not only allows you to grow your career, but allows you to grow personally as well, allowing a flavor of emotional wellness and a rewarding culture of community and collegiality to develop itself.

p.s. My dearest readers, see the original article which I wrote for Stilettos on the Glass Ceiling at http://stilettosontheglassceiling.com/2015/03/5-reasons-why-being-a-mentor-is-important-for-career-personal-development-by-maria-psihogios.html

Flamenco & Tapas…Why Mindfulness does not Always have to be Quiet!

My dearest readers,

Yesterday evening I found myself completely and utterly captivated by a Spanish Flamenco Performance that I was attending with my friends. The rhythmic clapping of hands and stomping of the dancers’ heels, the soulful voice of the lead singer, the flawless journey that the guitarist’s fingers took on his Spanish guitar, creating the most heart-warming rhythms….these sounds echoed in the venue, creating an atmosphere of contagious energy. An energy that left the audience swaying in their seats, red wine and tapas in hand, experiencing the art form before them with not only their senses, but their souls. To be so present in the moment, to be so aware of the sounds and sights in one’s environment, to be so receptive to the captivating nature of the experience in which one finds themselves, is to be very much mindful of an experience.

I believe, my dearest readers, that we sometimes automatically and unconsciously equate mindfulness with quiet and reflective experience of a moment. However, there is something to be said for the experiences that lend themselves equally well to mindfulness, but that are not the least bit “quiet”. The moments where mindfulness ends up allowing our souls to be livened, rejuvenated and awakened; experiences like witnessing a flamenco dance performance full of unmatched energy and passion! The type of experiences that are so metaphorically “loud” that they leave you speechless and breathless, yet at the same time so full of life.

May we live for all types of mindfulness; for the quiet experience of a moment and for the moments that we experience in the loudest way possible.

Que disfrutan de la vida!!

p.s. follow positively profession-elle @mpsihogios on Twitter!

Greece…still a land of philosophers

My dearest readers,

Over a year and a half ago I had the privilege and luxury of spending 2 beautiful and awe-inspiring months in Greece; an experience that fed my soul in more ways than I can even begin to put into words. An experience that left me speechless multiple times per day…I was enveloped in an existence that allowed me to wander without ever feeling lost…where every landscape, sound, smell and taste left me feeling increasingly grateful for the beautiful world in which we live.

It is during my first few days in Greece that I found myself thinking,”no wonder this was once the land of philosophers.” The pure magic of the place and dynamic nature of the people and their interactions with one another created for the perfect catalyst of philosophical thought and innovation. Yet, it was over the course of my time in Greece, from that point forward, that I realized that Greece was still vibrantly a land of philosophers…that philosophy still emanated from this beautiful country I was whole-heartedly experiencing.

It all began one afternoon as I took a taxi from my accommodations to the regional hospital where I was doing an international medical elective. I exited the taxi having learned more about life, love, passion and existence that I could ever learn from reading a book. The taxi driver was a retired business owner who drove a taxi a couple of times a week to make some extra money in order to supplement his pension. He turned out to be one of the most inspirational and insightful people I have ever had the honour of meeting. During the 20 minute ride he spoke of finding happiness in the small delights of life, of the importance of falling in love with someone’s mind, of the peace that one can experience in truly embracing the beauty hidden within the chaos and messiness of life. I thought to myself…here I have experienced a discussion with a true philosopher in every sense of the word…at the most unexpected of times.

I learned, during my summer in Greece, that the Greek people had a thirst for exploring the truly abstract virtues of life. They were interested in discussing what was meant by love, passion, faith and hope. They enjoyed quoting authors, their songs spoke to the feelings of the human soul, they questioned the meaning of life concepts that we often take for granted in our hectic lives. These informal and natural discussions and expressions of philosophy were exchanged between friends. It was an inevitable occurrence in many ways…how could one gaze upon the Acropolis, sail on the Aegean, or explore an uncharted path in a village without having their inner philosopher come alive?

I had some of the most interesting conversations of my life while in Greece. During our hectic lives we sometimes don’t realize how superficial our conversations can be. What I learned in Greece was the importance of sometimes deepening our conversations to explore the thoughts, feelings and virtues of life and its meaning; the very things that we find hardest to put into words.

Inspirational Young Female Professionals Series #2: Introducing Nicole Gretes!

Good morning my dearest readers!

It is with great pleasure that today positively profession-elle continues its “Inspirational Young Female Professionals Series”!!! This is something I continue to be very excited about as it will allow us all to explore strategies for achieving balance in life and gain great insight into fostering meaningful educational and professional careers, through the eyes of some very special and inspirational young women!

Without further ado, please give a warm, positively profession-elle welcome to Nicole Gretes, the art aficionada and very talented and creative Director of Gallery Catalyst in Toronto.

Here is what she had to say about the things that bring her strength and the experiences that make her work meaningful…truly inspirational! Thank you so much Nicole!

www.GalleryCatalyst.com

How has your career path allowed you to find fulfillment and purpose in your life beyond simply ‘making a living’? How has your career allowed you to ‘make a life’?

I stumbled onto my career path by first volunteering in my workplace. It was a change from what I was originally studying and wanted to see if I could work in a different environment! After months of volunteering I started working for them and it all grew and developed from there. I followed what made me happy and that led me to finding my career.

What brings balance to your life?

Being involved in many things is how I bring balance to my life; I like to keep busy! Staying closely connected with my family grounds me and making time for myself is also really important.

Was there a special person, mentor, moment or experience in your past that you drew inspiration from in order to persevere and achieve success in your professional life?

I’ve always drawn inspiration from my parents; my mother’s drive and self-motivation and my father’s adaptability and charisma. I’ve always strived to have these qualities.

What advice would you give Positively Profession-elle readers?

I would say that if you do what you love you’ll find what you were meant to do. Let passion lead you, always.

There you go my dearest readers! Find something that makes you happy and that you are passionate about and run with it! Here’s to making dreams come true! Thank you once again to Nicole for her inspiring thoughts!

Have a great day!

Inspirational Young Female Professionals Series #1: Introducing Elaine Clark!

Good morning my dearest readers!

It is with great pleasure that today positively profession-elle launches its “Inspirational Young Female Professionals Series”!!! This is something I am very excited about as it will allow us all to explore strategies for achieving balance in life and gain great insight into fostering meaningful educational and professional careers, through the eyes of some very special and inspirational young women!

Without further ado, please give a warm, positively profession-elle welcome to Elaine Clark, from the non-profit organization Soul Shakti!

Here is what she had to say about the things that bring her strength and the experiences that make her work meaningful…truly inspirational! Thank you so much Elaine!

www.elaine-clark.com
www.soulshakti.org

Maya Angelou once said; “I’ve learned that making a living is not the same as making a life.” How has your career path allowed you to find fulfillment and purpose in your life beyond simply ‘making a living’? 

My career path so far has really pushed me to grow beyond what I thought I was capable of. I often realize that my fulfillment comes from the continuous growth I seek in my teachings, speaking, and writing.

I remember teaching my first yoga class and soon after presenting my first workshop. I could have not felt more natural and simultaneously afraid. Before standing up to speak in front of an audience, I would literally want to run away, my hands would turn cold and clammy, and I would doubt myself. But when I walked into the room and I began speaking, it was as if something else seemed to take over me. To this day, I still get nervous, but I have a sense that whatever I share is aligned with something greater than me and so much more meaningful that simply “making a living”.

I also feel a great sense of purpose when I have the opportunity to empower others, especially the disadvantaged women I work with in India, and in return I feel empowered much the same. I just love that quote, “We learn and work to serve others but we serve others to learn about ourselves.”

What brings balance to your life?

With such a busy travel schedule between Ottawa and Toronto, India and other international countries throughout the year, I need a lot of “me time”. There is nothing more inspiring and balancing for me than sitting by a waterfront- and that can be the modest, partially frozen Ottawa River or the mystical Ganga.I also really enjoy listening to or reading something inspirational. My curiosity always has a way of getting me out of a critical state about my life or myself. I really trust that my curiosity to learn will keep the flavour of balance and inspiration alive in me.

Was there a special person, mentor, moment or experience in your past that you drew inspiration from in order to persevere and achieve success in your professional life?

It is truly amazing how beautifully and effortlessly life can blossom when you are tapped into your passions. I remember my first trip to Rajasthan, India as a pivotal time in my life. This trip was not only my initial exposure into the Eastern self-healing practices, which I now incorporate into my teachings, but it was the birth of a dormant force that came alive inside of me. It was as though I intuitively knew I would be back to enhance my study and work on initiatives to empower women.

I also feel so blessed and thankful to have had so many incredible teachers in my life, and not just in the traditional sense, but through people who have really challenged me and forced me to question my beliefs, my passions, and ultimately the direction of my life. More than anything, I believe it is those people who have caused me much emotional discomfort that have been my greatest teachers.

What advice would you give Positively Profession-elle readers?

Find out what makes you burn brighter and let that be your guidance. Just as the saying goes, I truly believe that what we need in this world more than anything is for people to come alive- for people to express their true self and live a meaningful existence. I also encourage readers to stop comparing themselves to others, which can be a very daunting and discouraging experience. I believe each of us is here on a personal journey to learn about ourselves and our environment, to share life with those around us, and to achieve the full potential of our unique talents.