Do You Need Mentors?

I realize every day how much I don't know and still have to learn.  Does that make me a life-long-learner of life?  Yes. There are those that learn by attending colleges and acquire degrees.  I prefer to learn lessons from life.

Life teaches us how to incorporate what we've learned.  What better way to acquire these learning's, than from other people's stories and experiences.  That is what a mentor can be and do.

There are skeptics out there who are probably thinking, "Why would someone want to share what they've learned?".  One answer is that people are nice and want to help.  We only get to go through life once.  If we go through it alone, trying to hoard what we've learned and accumulate great wealth, will that be the one life we find most rewarding?

Back to mentors.  If you are sincere in your request to learn, proactive in seeking information and take ownership to nurture the mentor/protege relationship, it is there for the taking. 

Promise Phelon writes for UpMo.  Her recent blog post makes reference to an article from the WSJ on 8 Tips for Setting up a network of mentors.

This isn't just a practice for young, up and coming professionals.  This is advice for everyone.  You don't know all the answers, none of us do.  The wonderful thing about building a network of mentors is that you learn something from each of them.