The James Dicks Blog

Helping others is what it’s all about and in today’s tough world; giving someone an advantage is extremely important. That advantage can come in many forms – things like verbal support, information that can be used in their personal or professional lives, or maybe an introduction.  It’s called many things but the meaning of mentorship has always been a word that brings up all kinds of positive impressions in my life. There have been so many people over the years that have offered their knowledge and support as I trudged through some very difficult periods in my life.  I’ve had many people that I would classify as my mentors but my uncle is the central person in helping to shape my personal and professional life. 

Now, mentorship does not mean doing it for someone but rather offering the support so that someone can do it for themselves. You’ve heard the old saying “give them a fish and they live for a day – teach them to fish and they live for a lifetime.”  That’s what mentoring someone is all about; giving them direction and practical knowledge so they can use your experience to expand on their own skills to discover personal solutions that work for them.  What you found to be a solution might not work exactly the same way for the next person.  We’re all different and our needs are very specific.  But the need to develop a positive attitude and the importance of showing respect and dignity to the next guy is pretty much the same for everyone. 

I’ve searched for mentors from all walks of life to ensure that I developed a well-rounded method of conducting all aspects of my life.  My time in the U.S. Marines was full of mentors, even though at the time I didn’t see them that way.  I learned so much in the Marines and these are lessons that I use every day of my life. 

If you are developing a small business, there are organizations like SCORE Association (Service Corps of Retired Executives).  This group offers businesses a free counselor/mentor from a group of retired business executives who are just itching to get back into the business world.  Even the Department of Defense has a mentor program.  Since 1991, the Department of Defense Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) has offered extensive assistance to small disadvantaged businesses. Helping these businesses to expand the overall base of their specific marketplace has produced more jobs and increased national income.

If you are looking for a mentor, be certain that you choose the right individual or organization before moving forward. Ask questions and tell them what you want to achieve.  And if you are searching for that one special individual in your area to set you on the right path, same thing holds true. If you feel that a specific person can help you, just walk right up to them and ask them if they’d be interested in being your mentor.  Once you find the right group or individual you’ll know.  Never forget, mentorship is a team effort.

The attributes that make a great team in a mentoring environment include things like mutual respect, trust and a clear vision. A useful mentor holds the vision of what is possible, and leads the way to the vision. A mentor must believe in the vision as much as the learner does.  A mentor will offer wise advice, will show those he or she is guiding “the ropes” and will invest the time and energy necessary to successfully develop that individual. The more open the learner is to accessing this knowledge and insight, the more insightful these discoveries will be.  The mentor is an extraordinary person; a person we all aspire to be. A mentor is someone just like you. 

It’s true…we really do.  We all need a mentor to help us succeed.  There are plenty of them out there and they come in lots of shapes and sizes.  Some you have heard about and some you haven’t.  Some are people whom you never realized.  It’s these people you can learn from that will change your life forever.  When you are lucky enough to realize that you have found a mentor make sure you are ready to learn everything you possibly can.

I was on the plane the other day sitting next to a rather smart and well-educated gentleman; I think he was a PhD or something.  But we started taking about mentors and a comment came up about Anthony Robins, a well known motivational speaker.  He is also a seminar guy; meaning he does or at least used to hold seminars all over the country and around the world for that matter.  I have personally heard Mr. Robins speak and WOW — he was great!  The point is we all have to have a mentor.  For instance Mr. Robins is great; you don’t have to listen to him everyday but only when you need to hear him.  I have heard Zig Ziglar speak more times than I can count, and he has been giving the same basic speech for about 50 years.  I actually was lucky enough at one of the events I was speaking at to follow him on stage. I ended up seeing Mr. Ziglar at lunch and if you don’t know me I seize every opportunity I can to learn more. I walked up to Mr. Ziglar asked him if he wanted to join me for lunch, you know what he said – yes.  I was amazed, but it was also one of the best lunches I ever had and he is truly an amazing man.

So, you never know when and where or who your next mentor is but you need to be on the look out to learn as much as you can from as many people as you can.  When I was young I used to work for a few seminar companies.  Yes, they have stigmas but there is no better place to learn.  I was one of the people that helped you register when you attended a seminar.  The luxury was that I got to travel with the person giving the seminar.  These seminars were on a variety of topics, and at that time my favorite was real estate.  I can remember being on planes with the speaker and driving them crazy with questions so I could learn everything I could on the topic.  Some would be thrilled to share their information with me and some would be annoyed.  Oh well, that was their loss.  You can be sure that you would feel sorry for the speakers who got stuck in a car with me for a two hour drive between cities; I would ask them questions until they couldn’t take it anymore.  But I sure learned a lot during those summers.

Now to my good fortune. I would clearly say hands down that my best mentor would be my Uncle Jack, WOW! This guy is a wealth of knowledge and experience, both personally and professionally.  You see, you want to find someone who is one willing to share with you and who really cares in your growth and development.  Someone that takes ownership in what you accomplish.  My uncle has been there every step of the way.  Yes, I have made many mistakes and as my mentor he has even let me make some mistakes.  Some of these mistakes were small some were big, but all of them I learned from immensely.

I guess one reason I take the time to share all of these stories I write and strategies is because I care. I spend a great deal of time trying to give back and help all those who wish to learn.  Sure, I get some people that are skeptics, those who don’t want to learn, that develop all sorts of wild ideas, but I don’t do what I do for them. I do what I do for people like you; someone who may be reading what I write so that they have the “tools” and the information to help themselves.  I don’t think I am writing anything top secret, in fact all I am doing is passing on the same information I learned from someone else at some point in my life – paying it forward. You should do the same thing.  If you learn something that really helps, and you find someone else facing the same situation, then you should do everything you can to help them.  If we all do that we will all be better people.

So, at the end of the day if you want to take that next step in your personal development or your financial life you need to find a mentor that you are open to learning from and one that has and will continue to make a difference in your life.  Open your heart for change and you will receive it.