Mentoring and Inspiring Others in Life

Being a trusted counselor and tutor carries enormous responsibility and accountability. Inspiring and positively influencing others in life can leave an everlasting legacy of yours. Guiding and inspiring others can be your key to living a truly purposeful and exciting life. In this article we will review exactly what mentoring entails and how it is different from coaching. We will also review what inspiration is, how you can implement it starting today, and how it is different from motivation and manipulation.

Mentoring is based on the mentee’s own agenda and developmental needs. Your purpose should to provide guidance to aid the mentee to attain their life goals, based on your experience and expertise. You must adhere to the premise of helping individuals achieve their goals, and not yours. Your role in the relationship should be clearly defined, as well as the role of the mentee. Your role should one of a trusted advisor, listener, and that of providing suggestions. You should always maintain your focus on the overall progression of the mentee. Your relationship can be ongoing and even long lasting.

Coaching is focused on developing an individual’s skills and knowledge in a specific area where improvement is warranted. It is usually proactive and short term. In a coaching relationship the agenda is set by the coach. The coach is involved in directing the learner, and often this routine is hugely regimented. The relationship is very structured to achieve a desired result.

Here are ten ways to inspire others, according to nationally renowned writer, speaker and entrepreneur Michael Angier. Michael Angier is the author of the book "101 Best Ways to Be Your Best". I am paraphrasing Michael Angier’s top ten ways.

1) Sincerely Care. People don’t give a hoot about what you know, until they believe you sincerely care.

2) Be a great example. People observe what you do by your actions, more than your spoken words.

3) Be Encouraging. Support and advocate people through hard and challenging times.

4) Search and seek out people, things and information you find that have an exalting influence on your life.

5) Share and be generous with your experiences and your wisdom.

6) Be prepared to reveal your failures as well as your accomplishments.

7) Be a great and effective storyteller.

8) Fine tune and constantly develop your communication skills.

9) Consistently challenge people to do their best, and not to accept anything less.

10) Have a voracious appetite for reading and staying informed. Share what you know with people within and outside your sphere of influence.

Motivation is striving for and exerting effort to satisfy a desired goal or want. Manipulation is achieving desired results from people in a preconceived manner. Inspiration can mean many different things to many different people, but the literal meaning describes it as "the state or quality of being so stimulated or aroused", and "stimulation or arousal of the mind feelings, etc, to special or unusual activity or creativity".

In summary inciting and guiding people will cause you to live a life of more purpose, meaning and gratification. Inciting and counseling people within and outside your sphere of influence will create an everlasting legacy for you. Finally, incite a loved one, a friend, or whoever suggests to them to read this article today.