If you are familiar with the DISC profile or other similar assessments, my nature is a “D” or one that tends to be independent.  If you met me today this is not as obvious to others as in my earlier years. God has a way of breaking and molding us to better fit his image, but I am still in process.  There are several personality types that lean toward an independence that can be hazardous to your health. Are you one of them? Regardless of your personality, I do believe it is human nature for us to look to ourselves for personal growth instead of another.  We can even take pride in this claiming “I never had a mentor.”  There are many ways that mentoring can be provided in our lives but that is for another post. Today I want to warn you that too much independence can be hazardous to your health.  God made us for each other.  None of us are fully equipped to become all that we can on our own.  Even a Sr. pastor of a mega church or president of an organization needs accountability. Our weaknesses and blind spots all point to our need to be interdependent.  This is why connecting with others in this way plays such an indispensable role in healthy personal growth and leadership development. 

Mentoring from others will put you years ahead of where you will be on your own.  I see it all the time.  A woman in her 50’s that will seem younger in areas and a woman in her 20’s will seem so much older.  In mentoring I look at all of life’s growth areas (spiritual, emotional, relational, professional, etc.) In addition to enhancing your own potential, what you discover in a mentoring relationship will help equip you to help others as well.  So why don’t we place a higher priority on developing these empowering relationships?  Are we uneasy with the vulnerability, assuming it will be perceived as weakness? Do we hesitate to ask, not wanting to impose on anyone else’s busy schedule?  Are we reluctant to provide mentoring for others, not wanting to come across as proud or someone who has arrived? Each of these factors play a part, but the main reason we miss out is that we simply don’t understand the true nature of mentoring, a problem that is easily overcome. 

Let’s continue this tomorrow.  Comments?