There comes a time in everyone's life, for most there will be many of these while on their journey, when you say, "Ah-ha" and you realize one of the many lessons you have been taught from life experience.
I was chatting on Facebook the other night with my niece who recently turned 15 years old. Today while I went out for my afternoon think and drive I had an "ah-ha" moment myself reflecting on our conversation.
Do you remember when you were 15 years old? Looking back on it now, can you see how the things you learned back then, knowing what you know now, might not have impacted your life at the time you learned them?
In other words, I believe one of the most valuable lessons we can teach our young people is for them to realize the advice they receive from an older mentor in their life may not sink in right away. To simply be open minded and listen carefully to the advice you are giving them. That it is ok for them not to quite get what you are teaching them right then, but there will come a time when they will have an "ah-ha" moment and the lesson will become real.
Of course there is an element of "Trust" that must be established with these young people you are mentoring. The fruit on your tree must be reputable in order for your advice to be worth taking. After all you wouldn't take advice about marriage from someone who has been divorced 8 times, would you?
There are lessons that we learn everyday, however, because we are human, most times those lessons do not become realized until we have an experience that makes them real in our own lives. What is fascinating however is that once you start having these "ah-ha" moments, you begin to listen more attentively to other people's stories/advice. There is a hunger inside of you to learn as much as you can. For each time you have an "ah-ha" moment your thinking expands and you become a new person.
"The human mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions." - Oliver Wendell Holmes
I realized that the advice I gave my niece was extremely solid, and I am certain she listened. However, she is still just 15 and what I shared with her might very well have been a bit over her head for the moment. That is OK though because I gave her indicators to look for which support my advice. I know that once she notices any one of those indicators, she will have an "ah-ha" moment, and then she will become aware of the real lesson which she was taught. That one lesson alone will save her years of hurt and regret as she continues to grow on her life experience!!
Once you understand how these "ah-ha" moments work in your own life, you can then become more effective when mentoring with people whom come to you for your guidance, wisdom, and advice. All of us influence others, lets choose to become the person responsible enough to take on such an incredible honor.
God bless you!
Ron
This post was originally published on Qondio.
