“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.” — Oprah Winfrey.
Being Indian, I have a strong faith in guru shishya parampara. For ages, our country has a lot many tales around this guru shishya association and its importance. Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.
Let’s understand, the importance of a mentor or guru through one real life example. Who does not about legend Sachin Tendulkar? In one interview, Sachin revisited his young days, narrating an episode on how the ‘strict’ coach Achrekar helped him stay disciplined and sharpened his talent.
He mentioned a unique experience at school. He used to play for the junior team. The senior team was playing Harris Shield Finals at Wankhede Stadium. His coach Ramakanth Achrekar Sir had arranged for a practice match.
There, he spotted sir and went to greet him. His coach knew that he had missed the match, but still asked him how did he perform in it. Sachin told him that, I thought that I would skip the match in order to cheer for our team. Sachin got a late-cut (tight slap) on his face as well. The tiffin box in his hand flew and all its contents spread across, he said.
At that time, his coach told him You don’t have to be here to cheer for others. Play in such a way that others cheer for you. Since that day, he began practicing very hard and put in a lot of hours. If not for that day, he might have been cheering others from the stands.
And we would have missed a great legend like Sachin Tendulkar.
“A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you.” — Bob Proctor.
