"Wake up with a smile and go after life...Live it, enjoy it, taste it, smell it, feel it."
- Joe Knapp
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"Wake up with a smile and go after life...Live it, enjoy it, taste it, smell it, feel it." - Joe Knapp
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Get Involved
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March 12, 2010 | |||||||
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 You Hold The Key Barcy Fisher, Seattle, WA January 4, 2001 How are you going to change the world this year? It's not the gargantuan task you might think. Why not expand the horizons of just one other person by becoming their mentor? This goodletter from Barcy "Not only am I a goodthings founder, I'm also a subscriber" Fisher says that for her, the idea was an epiphany that could've only come on an introspective road trip. Dear readers, Three years ago, I set off across the country in search of a new home. Technically, I was on my way from Chicago to Seattle, where I was moving to start graduate school. Not so technically, I was on a journey of self-discovery. And as is the case with these kinds of journeys, a swarm of ideas and possibilities flew into my mind as I headed west. One particular thought took the form of a loose metaphor and stuck with me as I drifted under the influence of the Dakota plains. Imagine an old-fashioned, large keyhole on a closed door. Imagine that you can see through this keyhole into the space on the other side. You squint, but your field of vision is very small. It's hard to see anything on the other side. Now, imagine getting a key to open that very same door. The world beyond that just moments before was constrained would become an amazing opportunity. When, in our lives, do we need that door opened most? My guess is when we're young and inexperienced. Tragically, though, too often young people or people just starting out in their careers never get access to the key. This is especially unfortunate for kids who are born into poverty, neglect, and resignation and never come to understand that the key can open doors to a world full of gifts. That is, unless someone is willing to share that key. A music teacher can spark a passion for Mahler. A science teacher can take the class to the city hospital ER. A tutor can light a fire for reading. A neighbor can take the time to hit tennis balls on Saturdays. A boss can understand that managing people is not innate. A parent can believe. These people don't necessarily possess some mythic, elusive key that simply needs to be passed along. It's their mere presence in other people's lives that's the key. Their willingness to mentor illuminates the lives they touch in ways that are often difficult to measure. The great thing is that we can find mentors and be mentors throughout our lives and careers. The mentors I regularly lean on today have been essential parts of my quest to build goodthings into something meaningful. These are people who have taken an interest in me and my dream and who unselfishly give of their time, experience, energy, and ideas. They've been so invaluable to me that I've encouraged my staff to seek out their own personal mentors. A lunch meeting here, a phone call there, an e-mail after hours -- every little thing opens a door. It's nice to know, too, that these ideas are in sync with our goodletter readers' ideas about how to make their lives more extraordinary. Like this New Year's resolution we received from Cheryl Lau of Nevada: "My only resolution this year is to become the person I truly am in my spirit, and give more and take less -- so that I might lead a joyous life. I reflect on the words of J. M. Barrie -- 'Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.' Though I may not be a sun, I at least can be a candle." Could there be a better, simpler way to be candle in 2001 than by becoming a mentor? I'd love it if you'd share your ideas with me. Hope your year is full of goodthings, Barcy Fisher Seattle, WA A few of Barcy's favorite goodthings: Running through the Arizona desert, happy hour with my family, the movie Chocolat, laughing with colleagues at work, docking without a scratch at slip E72, my mom's amazing chocolate cake, driving to Emmylou Harris' Red Dirt Girl with the windows down, singing in the shower. . . Readers Respond Want to share your thoughts or ideas with other people who care about good things? Send 'em our way. Dear goodthings, Great note on mentoring. Sitting in the Beijing office today. One minute I am downloading the corporate mentoring guide learning that the concept of mentoring has a long history, dating back to Homer's "Odyssey." Mentor was the friend of Odysseus and tutor of his son Telemachus. 3500 years later, it indicates an experienced and trusted advisor. The next minute the goodletter arrives and all is connected. Great job. Best regards, Mark Beijing, China TALK ABOUT IT How are you planning to shine on someone else's life this year? Tell us about it. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT Take a quick test and find out what kind of mentor you'd make. Wanna be a mentor? It's simple -- punch in your zip code, become a mentor for a kid who needs you. LEARN ABOUT IT Adults need mentors, too! Learn more about career mentoring. Skeptical about old-school workplace mentoring? One approach suggests that it's no longer about "who you know" and that it's now based on learning, not power. The best workplace mentor may not be in the next office but across town or even the country. See how the employees of one company are looking outside for guidance. |
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