Did you know that whatever you do in life you leave your influence on others?

What is an influencer?

We have eroded the meaning and impact of what an influencer is in society due to social media. An influencer is someone who builds positivity in people. He or she does not sell to enrich their life. An influencer guides people to success.

What is a Mentor?

The definition of a mentor is a person who “may share with a mentee (or protege) information about his or her own career path, as well as provide guidance, motivation, emotional support, and role modeling. A mentor may help with exploring careers, setting goals, developing contacts, and identifying resources.” Source: University of Washington

Give more and expect less is a culture you must adopt because sharing is good. The deliberate action of helping other people benefits your emotional well-being. When you share your wisdom you impact someone’s life in a positive way. And always remember that it’s important to share your knowledge with people who want to learn because sharing it where it’s not welcomed is a waste of time.

• What have you sacrificed to achieve your dream?

I remember as a teenager, I loved to gain knowledge and wisdom, but I did not like to share it. I thought to myself, after all the hard work of gaining this knowledge, why would I give it away to someone who did not work hard for it? Because at one point in my life I used to walk long distances to gain knowledge. I would walk for about 75 to 90 minutes to reach town from home.

I would save my bus fare and walk into town to buy books at a thrift shop, I would sacrifice taking the bus to save money to buy books so I could read and gain wisdom. And because of my adolescent drive it forced me to be very stingy with sharing my gained knowledge. I took it as a loss.

• This is my brief story about how I became a mentor

Why you must cultivate a mentoring mindset

My journey took off when I started to learn about successful living. My dream was to motivate people just like the mentors I watched and listened to. And this propelled my desire to gain wisdom.

If I walked 90 minutes to town I’d save the bus fare and have more money to buy better books with all the pages still intact.

• See below original books I purchased at the thrift shop.

My motivational journey began in my teenage years. And as a teenager, when you do the math, it means the money I received from my mother as spending money was all that I had. I had to budget all the events in my life with the money my mum could share with me. So I had to decide. Travel to town on a bus, and with the small change buy whatever I could get my hands on. Or walk into town, save the bus fare, and have more buying power at the thrift shop. 

• Why identifying as a mentee and mentor is important

Why it’s important to share and not hoard your wisdom

I would get to town tired but invigorated to find something which would change my life. My goal was to learn. I was a full-blooded mentee. Watching, reading, and listening to everything I could get my hands on. I once noted down the whole book by Robert T. Kiyosaki. Rich Dad Poor Dad. Because that’s how desperate I was to learn.

I got a chance to read his book after watching his interview on Oprah, but the person I had borrowed the book from wanted it back in 3 days. I took notes and in 3 days, without deliberate intentions, I had copied down the whole book.

• Why identifying as a mentee and mentor is important

In that season the growth spurt for knowledge was burning. And I am glad for those lonely days when I was absent physically as my friends would put it. But my goals and dreams had begun to evolve.

• So why am I telling you this story?

The hard work of walking 90 minutes into town to gain knowledge and wisdom was hard. So giving away my knowledge felt like I was defeating the purpose of achieving success. Sometimes you get lucky and you listen to, or read something other people take for granted. And you think that holding onto it and not sharing it is the answer.

Why identifying as a mentee and mentor is important

My advice is if it can help someone I encourage you to share it. You become a mentor and still be a lifelong mentee at the same time. I didn’t know back then that sharing has a direct connection with gaining more in life. When you share you don’t lose what you gain. In fact it sticks for life and you develop more.

You empower others and you become a better thinker and learner as you grow. As a teenager it took a long time for me to understand why sharing is so important. I would listen to the depth and wisdom of motivational people, I was amazed at how easy it was for them to share their experiences, I questioned why would someone just share valuable knowledge so easily? If I had this knowledge I’d be quiet like a church mouse.

But I know today that I am a mentee and a mentor in one. The more I share the more I gain. I get to help others succeed and I succeed in return. So I encourage you to adopt this lifestyle. You are a mentee and a mentor in one. Your role wherever you are can make a difference.

Conclusion

• Why identifying as a mentee and mentor is important

Knowledge has a funny way of growing in you when you share it. You don’t lose what you learn. You gain a lot more when you share while keeping your eyes and ears open. Remember this saying. You live and you learn. Meaning you live by learning, and you grow by teaching.

And that’s today’s message. I hope you learned something today. Please comment below. I’d like to hear how this message has helped you.