Mentors are a very important
component of our lives. During some point in our careers or other endeavors
there is someone that has trod the path for us. All we need to do is follow the
path they have made in order to achieve what we need to achieve.
Additionally, mentors provide us the
guidance necessary to analyze situations and pursue the right path forward that
suits our needs best. Mentors give us the encouragement we need in order to
tread our own paths as well; not just follow a path that has been trodden by
many others.
We all have a mission in life. It is
the pursuit of that mission that propels us forward to seek the answers we
need; to find the pieces of the puzzle that are missing in our quest for
personal greatness. Mentors play an important role in that quest. We cannot
achieve personal greatness in a vacuum of self.
In relation to queer persons, mentors
are all the more important, since we are inherently consumed within self until
we make that choice to come out and be who we are meant to be. Most times,
queer persons come to the realization that they are who they are and then seek
advice and counsel from others, from books or other publications to find out
more about what it means to be queer. Unfortunately, many of the sources to
which queer persons seek, are not the best ones to base their life decisions
on.
Mentors are available if you seek
them out. They are ready, willing and able to help you sift through your anxieties
and fears. However, they cannot help you if you do not want to help yourselves.
I know from personal experience that
a mentor would have been an asset to me. However, I was still fearful and not
sure about the new path on which I was embarking and purposely sequestered
myself and tried to figure things out on my own. This only created more anxiety, frustration
and fear.
I would encourage you to seek out the
confidence of someone to mentor you. It is so reassuring to know that there is
someone else like you out there that has been where you are and has tread a
path out of their closets. They have liberated themselves from their fake
selves and are living their true essence. Find that person as soon as you can!
"Agenda" is right... not to be negative, but most of the guys I met on my journey; the ones with the plethora of anecdotes, free advice and criticism were invariably way more fked up than I could ever be. More often than not, their life stories taught me what NOT to do.
ReplyDeleteWe all come equipped with our own personal mentor. He is the still, small voice within each of us that is always right and knows esactly what's best for us; that is if we would only listen to him
I try to listen to my voice daily
DeleteExcellent advice, my naked brother, we don't always have to make this journey alone. In my own case, for Twin and I, our mentor is our oldest brother. I have likewise made myself available to many others. None of us are perfect, and none of our journeys are identical. But it is important that we share with others. Great post.
ReplyDeleteIt is very important to share with others.
Delete