CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Who was your mentor in middle school? How about high school or college? Who is it now?
We often think of mentors as teachers or individuals we have met who truly motivate us. So what happens to people who don't meet someone who motivates them? What kind of mentor do they follow?
Webster defines a mentor as anyone who is "a trusted counselor or guide." School teachers, parents and other family members are a large part of this formation during the early years of life. However, many people become lost in the busy world of today and need help to get back on track.
In the Air Force, and society in general today, many people are hungry for someone to show them the way. We look for someone to explain how to get ahead in life, or simply appreciate it more; we look to those who we want to become, and we look for answers and motivation. We look for people we respect, trust and someone who will listen. However, we should also look at ourselves.
We find it easy to evaluate others, but difficult to look inwards. More and more, we criticize others' actions, but rarely do we look at ourselves. By evaluating our own actions, we can begin to see a path to our future and hopefully make this a better world in the end. I have learned that education, both receiving and giving, is the path to success. So what can you do?
You can start with being a good role model, which everyone in the Air Force is graded on in their performance reports. Once you have learned a skill or have certain experiences, we owe it to those around us to share that knowledge. Simply training your replacement is a great start, but once you take on the role of trying to improve the lives of others, you have started down the path to becoming a mentor.
The Air Force is full of opportunities to put us on the track to becoming mentors. Within our own work spaces, we can teach others the skills and experiences we have already acquired. Volunteering for almost any community service puts us in a position to help others in need and portrays a positive role model.
Even something as simple as working with the Charleston Air Force Base Honor Guard can earn the statement, "Wow! That's sharp. I want to do that someday."
Your actions can speak volumes to those around you. As a mentor, you can not only change another life, you really can change the world.
So think back through your life and see who motivated you to become the person you are today. Are you a good role model? Who is your mentor?
Now look around you. Do the people you interact with have a mentor? If they don't, are you willing to help them get farther in life by becoming a mentor?