8 Things I’ve Learned From My Mentors

I have been very blessed to have some amazing women in my life. Throughout the various stages in my life, I’ve been able to build lasting relationships with women who I consider mentors. Each of the women that I consider a mentor has helped me grow and develop into the woman that I am today. I am so grateful for the seeds of wisdom, encouragement and prayers they planted into my life. I hope that as my life’s garden grows and blossoms, that I can do for others what they have done for me. I am truly blessed. My mentors have impacted me spiritually, emotionally, professionally and personally. I wanted to share some tidbits that I have learned from these amazing women over the years.

1. Stay prayerful and keep the Lord first in everything you do. It is so important to stay prayerful. In order to know the Lord’s plan for my life, I have to maintain an attitude of prayerfulness so that I can be sensitive to the Lord’s voice and leading. Being prayerful doesn’t mean you have to be loud and forceful, but it means that you are seeking the Lord in all things. Many times I’ll say a prayer before going into a meeting to ask the Lord for guidance and wisdom in what I say and do. And He provides it to me every time I ask. Prayer is such a powerful tool that I am so grateful to have and use. Staying prayerful is maintaining a still and quiet mind so that you can hear the Lord’s voice.

2. Be truthful at all times and stand up for what’s right. This one is VERY important. It’s important to stand up for what’s right even when others are not. This can be very challenging especially when others around you are not doing the right thing and are pressuring you to do otherwise.  Standing up for what’s right is not always easy or popular… you might lose friends and support, but at the end of the day, the truth always comes out. When this happens.. Vindication is so sweet!!

3. While pursuing your goals, make time for life. This one hits close to home for me during this time/phase that I am walking in right now. Now that I’ve started a family of my own, I see the importance of making sure I make time for “life”. At the end of the day, I could have the ultimate job with the ultimate salary, but if I haven’t allowed myself to slow down and enjoy life, I’m really missing out. Making time for life could mean a variety of things… starting a family, writing a book, pursuing your hobbies and passions, traveling, etc. The following quote by Dolly Parton sums it up just right.

   “Don’t get so busy making a living, that you forget to make a life”.

   Don’t get so busy making a living, that you forget to make a life.—Dolly Parton

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   Sometimes we can get so caught up in building a life that we don’t have time to enjoy the journey and process. It’s okay to slow down and enjoy our lives. Be in the moment and enjoy where you are now on the journey to where you are going.  Life is not a race! If you run too quickly through it, you won’t have any energy left to enjoy it.

4. Go with the flow. Many times unexpected things can happen. It’s important not to let those things discourage you or cause you to get frustrated. I’m a “planner” and am always asking Henry “So what is the plan for….?” It’s funny because he actually teases me about that. He always says I need to relax and go with the flow. This is a simple but very important principle to follow. Plans can change, but sometimes it’s for our own good. The Lord has a way of protecting us from things we don’t even know are coming our way. When we try to plan our lives too much, we can become extremely disappointed when things don’t go the way we wanted them to. So sit back, take a deep breath and enjoy this life…. You only have one… so enjoy it as much as possible!

5. Take care of yourself. It’s important to make time for yourself to regroup and refresh. I find myself needing and wanting a lot more time for myself these days especially now that I have a little person depending on and always needing me. It’s hard to pour and give to others when you yourself are empty. Make time for yourself and don’t feel guilty doing it either!! That reminds me… I need to make an appointment to get a mani/pedi and my eyebrows done!! 🙂

6. Be kind and approachable. I shared a picture on facebook today that I loved! The saying goes like this:

   “Be a pineapple: Stand tall, wear a crown and be sweet on the inside”.

   I LOVE that saying!! That is exactly what I strive to do. I want to be confident, secure in who God has created me to be all while being kind and “sweet” at the same time.  One of my BIGGEST pet peeves is rude and condescending people. I want to be a confident woman who knows who she is in Christ and knows where she is going, but want to maintain a kind and approachable attitude. I’ve met women who appear to be confident and like they have it all together, but when they opened their mouths, their words and attitudes said otherwise. I’ve also met women who are stuck up, pretentious and look down their noses at others. When I come across women like that, I smile and say a quick prayer for them.

   I’ll admit… it took some time for me to get to the point where their rudeness didn’t bother me. But now I’m at the place where I actually feel sorry for them. I pray that the Lord help them find their value in Him and not in making others feel bad or looking down their noses at others.  At the end of the day, if we are to be true Christians, then we need to treat everyone we come in contact with in kindness. I’m VERY big on this concept. I truly believe that kindness is key. There’s another saying that resonates with me regarding this…. It goes like this: Be careful how you treat people. You never know where they came from or where they are going”. This is so true! Being kind is ALWAYS classy! Be kind and wise at the same time.

   “Be a pineapple: Stand tall, wear a crown and be sweet on the inside”.

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7. Make time for others. This is really important advice to follow. As a new mommy with a little family of my own now, it’s very important that I make time for them. Families are the foundation of our future and if we don’t build strong ones, we will continue to see some of the problems we are seeing now and they will become worse. It’s important for families to spend time together. It’s also important to make time for positive relationships in our lives. It’s great to have friends who support you and who encourage you as you pursue your dreams and goals. It’s great to spend time with people who uplift you, but it’s also important to spend time with people who challenge you as well. Sometimes my friends will tell me something that I might not like to hear, but I need to hear. Those are the things that can help you grow. And lastly, make sure you make time for your spouse. It’s important that you maintain a strong relationship with them. When the children grow up and leave… it will be just you and your spouse. So make sure you keep the spark alive!!  It’s also important to make time for fun! Be silly, laugh and act like big kids.

8. Do your best. It is so important to do your best in everything you do. You never know who is watching you and where your work will take you. Don’t do it because you want to “get something”, do it because you want to. And never stop doing your best even when you are discouraged and frustrated. Just when you think things won’t change, someone, somewhere is always watching and you never know what they can do with the observations they make.

   never stop doing your best, even when you are discouraged and frustrated.
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So dear friends… What are some things that you’ve learned from your mentors/role models? Have any other ideas that I missed?? Please share!! I would love to hear your thoughts…

Gr8fully Yours,