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The Importance of Mentors

Written by: Jim Bouchard

Article Overview: "Foreknowledge cannot be elicited from ghosts and spirits; it cannot be inferred from comparison of previous events, or from the calculations of the heavens, but must be obtained from people who have knowledge of the enemy's situation." Sun Tzu.

The Importance of Mentors

"Foreknowledge cannot be elicited from ghosts and spirits; it cannot be inferred from comparison of previous events, or from the calculations of the heavens, but must be obtained from people who have knowledge of the enemy's situation." Sun Tzu.


Knowledge is the most important resource in developing personal and professional power. Knowledge isn’t in itself power, but it is the resource most necessary to developing and applying power for success.

The first chapter of Dynamic Components of Personal Power is called “Top 5 Lies About Power.” Lie number three is “Money is Power.”

“In this statement, you can substitute KNOWLEDGE or fame.
“Money, knowledge and fame are resources you can access to develop and express power. They are not power in and of themselves. It they were, all rich and smart people would be powerful; no desperate or stupid people would be!”

Knowledge can only be used to develop and apply power through action. The good thing is that the process of attaining knowledge is, in itself, an extremely powerful action! When you’re lacking in material, emotional and even spiritual power you can still take action to develop knowledge. This action may be as simple as picking up a book or even watching an inspirational movie.

I just did an interview with a remarkable person named Reese Leyva for my PowerPOD program. Reese is the author of The Beginner’s Guide to Abundance. Reese transformed herself from a tough street fighter and drag racer to a successful writer, performer and entrepreneur. During that interview we shared our experiences as people who lived on the edge. I’m sure that many people who knew either of us in our younger, more adventurous days would have been willing to bet good money against our survival, never mind our eventual successes.

So what’s the trick? Reese and I talked about the importance of “mentors.” Even in the most dangerous times, we each found guides from time to time to share a little wisdom and experience and offer a little advice and encouragement. She found that these mentors might come from a book, a movie or an inspirational speaker. You might not meet your mentor personally; I’ll add that many of mine have been dead for a hundred years or longer!

What is very important is to pick your mentors carefully. Choose those with genuine knowledge. As Sun Tzu says in the quotation above, the knowledge you need to conduct a successful campaign doesn’t come from ghosts & spirits and anyone who trades stocks can tell you that “past performance is not a guarantee of future returns on your investment.”

Too many people seek knowledge from people vested only in their own interests. Others are easily swayed by “get rich quick” gurus, or self-help gurus who tell you that you that success and happiness can only be obtained through them. Many others disregard knowledge from genuinely knowledgeable sources and fall prey to slick advertising campaigns based on innuendo and open-ended questions rather than trusting those who are really “in the know.” This happens because sometimes knowledge of the truth is not always comfortable.

Mentors and advisors are a critical part of personal and professional success. These people can help you cultivate your knowledge resource. However, knowledge is only as good as its source. Knowledge is the most important resource because knowledge is the base element you need to develop any other resources.

Be sure you’re seeking the advice of people who “have knowledge of the enemy’s situation.” When working on your vision of personal and profession success, keep this old martial arts adage in mind: “Your enemy may be within!”

Sun Tzu’s Art of War has become a classic for business strategy and personal development. You can access a complete course in Sun Tzu at www.SonShi.com.

You can learn more about Reese Leyva and download her book, The Beginner’s Guide to Abundance at http://www.reeseleyva.com/about.html

Related Articles
  Characteristics of a Mentor
  Tips for Being Mentored For Success
  How do I find a passionate and purposeful mentor?
  Why You Need a Mentor
  We All Need Mentors

Article Tags: abundance, adventurous days, dangerous times, dynamic components, entrepreneur, foreknowledge, ghosts and spirits, leyva, lie number, mentors, money knowledge, personal power, power knowledge, professional power, reese, remarkable person, spiritual power, street fighter, stupid people, sun tzu



Related Forum Posts
Re: For all Women Entrepreneurs - Hi Cyn, its great to see you in here, I know you will be a great asset to these forums. For those of you that don't know Cyn she is one of my Mentors in the Pips Power Group and has been a enormous help to me ( and a lot of others) since I started working online. I too will soon be working full time at my business and am looking forward to the same freedom that you have in not having to work for another boss. Take care, Carol
Re: Business Coaching Resources - You're fortunate when you can find a Business Coach who has experience beyond where you've been and even where you are going. When your budget is slim and even after, it's good to have a mentor. Several of various backgrounds are very useful. They can be teachers, professors, pastors, business people, family members, bosses and former bosses. You have to be clear on what you want and what you desire to achieve, be able to convey it as simply as possible. Stop and listen and don't over tax their time. You should always expect results whether from a Business Coach or Mentors. If you're not gtting results, you're either not focused or you need to upgrade the quality of your mentors/coaches. Always surround yourself by people smarter than you.
Re: For all Women Entrepreneurs - Hi Carol Thanks for the welcome and I am sure with your dedication and perseverence that it wont be long before you can kiss your boss goodbye. Cheers for now Cyn [quote="Carol Aston":3bzehwm6]Hi Cyn, its great to see you in here, I know you will be a great asset to these forums. For those of you that don't know Cyn she is one of my Mentors in the Pips Power Group and has been a enormous help to me ( and a lot of others) since I started working online. I too will soon be working full time at my business and am looking forward to the same freedom that you have in not having to work for another boss. Take care, Carol[/quote:3bzehwm6]


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