Last week, the agency that I work for, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) lost over 27,000 years of experience when about 1,000 people voluntarily retired early. Among those were several of my mentors that helped me to get where I am today. Each one brought a different perspective and gave me new tools to put in my toolbox.
Over the course of my career, I have gone from being a mentee more often to gradually becoming a mentor myself and I now serve primarily in that role despite the fact that I consider myself and mentee as well as a mentor in all of my interactions.
The thing mentors need that push too and sometimes and its up to us to supply it. Giving someone just that little bit of dopamine at the right time can be the difference between someone quitting something they didn’t think was important to anyone else and putting something out into the world that is truly great.
I can’t tell you the number of times that I didn’t think anyone was reading what I was putting out on this website or cared about it and at that moment someone brings up something they read on my site or sends in a donation.
It’s incredibly rewarding but it’s also incredibly important to send positivity out into the world if we want it to prevail. Think about AI algorithms and what would happen if we rewarded the positives instead of dedicating so much time to the negatives. Imagine the difference in people’s lives if the algorithm fed you positive stories all day. Actually, you can influence the algorithms but thats a story for another day.
This week take some time to thank someone who has had a big impact on your life. Not only will they feel good getting the compliment, but you will as well.
Have a great week!
P.S. Since we are talking about mentors, take a look at Tim Ferris’ book “Tribe of Mentors” where he collates advice from over 500 top performers in their field.
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