Mentoring Means Not Doing it Alone

Norm Westmore and his wife live a life of fulfillment in a sleepy little town tucked in the Sierra Nevada mountains. You would never know that Norm’s successes as a mechanical engineer and family man were born from a  difficult upbringing on a farm with no father to guide his development.

Something or someone was looking over Norm’s shoulders because he experienced, around every milestone of his life, mentors that not only believed in him but contributed to motivating Norm to be the best he could and act on his interests in life.

It was the influence of uncles, neighbors around his family’s farm, college professors and bosses that oversaw his working activities that contributed to Norm’s life successes.

Norm has taken these experiences full circle. He and his wife volunteer their time with efforts to provide positive influence to youth and adults that need the wisdom of someone who has already found their way through the trials and tribulations of life’s many choices.

Taking Responsibility and Asking for Help

Marcella is really appreciative, especially right now. Her appreciation is in the opportunity to learn the lessons that she received in her life.

Her code of conduct was in taking self responsibility while recognizing that she was not alone.   In her eyes, this includes acceptance of the consequences of our actions by looking at the big picture.

Marcella gave us an example of a time in her life when she realized that making money, a lot of it, would present a challenge in what she would do with it. She came from the Grapes of Wrath days and knew what money can generate, the good and not good. Having wealth meant making a lot more choices in life. It was those types of decisions that challenged her humility and self responsibility.

In Marcella’s eyes, humility is a big deal. Our self responsibility includes caring for each other and asking for guidance in our decisions.  She has found that it’s vital to ask what there is to learn from experiences that challenge us.

Exercising humility, self responsibility and recognizing that we are all in it together will also serve each of us whenever unexpected and uncontrollable circumstances occur in our futures.

Wisdom Generates Right Actions

Parvati remembers one of the largest fires that swept through her small community in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. IT was a year when mother nature delivered very little precipitation to the foothill areas and this set the stage for forest fires that year.

According to Parvati, it was a County vehicle that started the fire. Once started, winds accelerated the spreading of the fire and made the situation even worse.

The experience of this fire was a reminder that people are more important than things and right actions bring victory.

Parvati found out first hand that patience and wisdom with an attitude of never giving up was the set of  ingredients that helped her small community in the Sierras recovery from such a devastating fire.

Meaningful Conversation

Anita Wald-Tuttle, her husband and four children diligently worked towards the family’s ambitions, the American dream that each of us most certainly relate.

 Exhausted from home duties and moving her home to an area that asthmatic patients place at the bottom of the list of desirable neighborhoods, Anita found her life in physical turmoil. Her childhood allergies had developed into serious episodes of asthmatic attacks. One evening her husband came home to a find Anita the color of blue. She was rushed to the emergency room.

 For a day and a half doctors and nurses tried to help Anita, but at one point her heart stopped and she died.

 The good side of this story is Anita came back to life and is with us to this day. The greatest part of this story is her realization that relationship; with each of her family members and society, at large, is  the most important part of life.