Who we surround ourselves with, we become. No one becomes great alone. I learned that at a young age, I chose to surround myself with those who were older, to educate me with perspective and necessary criticism.
Sure, I had friends that were my age from high school onward, but the balance of having mentors was an ingredient that welcomed change and a constant state of learning. Having a mentor, a voice of reason, and someone older with more wisdom who could provide me with verbal advice was priceless.
Someone who doesn’t sugarcoat things and is honest and to the point; a person who allows one to see where their errors and faults reside. Once the rapport is there and the respect is reciprocated, the truth can be dished out and trust is formed. With that comes the opportunity to assist in goal setting, life direction, and general improvement. This helps to provide focus on long-term fulfillment instead of repulsive, momentary decision-making. You truly can not underestimate the power of that, it’s invaluable.
We want to be pushed, nudged, and challenged in as many ways as we can because it forces us to develop. We all want that for the upcoming generation. As our teenagers face new challenges, new genes turn on in their nervous system and code for new proteins. That’s why it’s so valuable to force them into the unknown. Spending time with someone who is older and outside of the bubble of the family is important.
It’s incredible how influential a mentor is for a developing teen. Someone to work out with and get into healthy habits with; ranging from diet and conditioning to journaling and gratitude practice. The sooner a teen has a mentor like this in their life, the more structure they will have, and the quicker they will mature and be less likely to inhibit their own growth. Teaching them the value of listening, learning to think, and learning to speak is a formula for molding our teens to be unstoppable as they approach adulthood and further their education.
Written by Nicholas Salvemini, Higher Grounds Mentor
