“Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens
another”.
Teenage years are the
period for the preparation for adulthood. I get very amused sometimes when I
find some teens who can’t wait to become adults and when adulthood hits them in
the face (it’s usually a matter of time), they begin to ‘form’ the “I’m too
young” song. Well, goes to show that being an adult isn’t a piece of cake so it
calls for preparation and emotional, intellectual and spiritual development. I
have found and actually benefitted from the attention of three different people
as a teenager. They are mentors, coaches and champions.
1.
Mentor
“Give instruction to a wise man and he will
be still wiser, Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning”.
Mentoring is a
relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps to
guide someone with less. Mentoring seems to infer that the mentor should be
older than the mentee (Titus 2:3) but
that isn’t always the case. This is because age does not determine knowledge
and experience. Take for instance, two teenagers who finished together from the
same High School. While one went on to College, the other went to work in the
family business. Years later, the college graduate needs some development in
marketing and sales which his buddy has more knowledge and experience. Would a
mentoring relationship between them be such a bizarre phenomenon?
A
mentoring relationship provides immense benefits to both the mentee and the
mentor. As a teenager, mentoring can help you in many ways such as;
·
Providing impartial advice and encouragement
·
Providing a supportive relationship
·
Assisting with problem solving
·
Improving your self-confidence
·
Offering professional development
John
C. Crosby puts it this way, “Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to
listen and a push in the right direction”.
2.
Coach
Hebrews 12:11-13, “For the
moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it
yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained
by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak
knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame
may not be put out of joint but rather be healed”.
Coaching is a form of development in which a person
called a coach supports the trainee in achieving a specific personal or
professional goal by providing training and guidance (Wikipedia). Coaching is mostly, known in sports circles but we
are beginning to have coaches in nearly every activity – business coach,
marriage coach, academic coach, career coach, relationship coach, life coach,
etc. A life coach for instance, is someone that looks to empower others by
helping them make, meet and exceed goals/changes in both their personal and
professional lives.
A Coach helps you to;
·
Conquer your fears
·
Get an objective opinion
·
Connect with someone in your forte
·
Focus on your goals
“Who exactly, seeks out a coach?... Winners who want even more out of
life” – The Chicago Tribune
3.
Champion
Hebrews 41:9-10, “You
whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying
to you, "You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you
off"; Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your
God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my
righteous right hand”.
A champion is like a
cheer leader - an enthusiastic and vocal supporter of someone or something.
You will need someone who believes in you and is always rooting for you,
motivating you to the successful achievement of your targets. Sometimes, things
may seem unattainable and as if you are engaging in an endless pursuit. Well,
then comes your champion to let you know that ‘it is not over until it is
over’; to give you that further push to get to your destination.
A champion helps to
boost your confidence in yourself and in your abilities. At some point, you may
even begin to doubt your ability or resources to meet your goals. Then your
champion shows up with your testimonial of your enviable accomplishments in
past exploits and a reel of several sources of much needed resources and before
you know it, you are rising to the occasion.
A champion also helps
to boost your energy with support and encouragement. Champions don’t want you
to be tired, bored or confused. At such a time, they can infuse you with
enormous energy that you feel like taking on the world. That works wonders for
creativity and perseverance.
Conclusion
At some point in your
life, you will need the companionship of these three characters – mentor, coach
and champion; maybe not at the same time but at certain stages of your life.
Therefore, it is important for you to begin to seriously cultivate
relationships that will bring you close to people you can connect with at these
three different levels. Such relationships require respect, productivity, and
responsiveness and love to grow. And growing up is just a stare away!!!
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