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.

Tenacity and Self-Reliance

Growing up in a family of six, Jerry Lawrence remembers the tension in his home as a young elementary age boy.

Although his father tried to support his family, and he was an honest person, personal wounds of his father’s upbringing created a tapestry of emotional and dysfunctional behavior. Jerry’s morning preparations for school were so chaotic that his walk to school usually made him sick to his stomach.

Jerry’s response to dealing with this situation translated  into the development of a highly motivated youth who found employment that helped  him and his siblings afford the most basic needs of life; needs that would not have been available, otherwise.

Jerry was able to cultivate a high level of tenacity that developed a self-reliance in him that achieved a wonderful life of family, community and professional successes.

Money Isn't Everything

We have all heard that Money doesn’t buy happiness. Savitri knows. She experienced life in college with many who were in the super wealthy class but not happy.

 Savitri always offered a hand of genuine friendship. It was so sad to see such sadness.

 In her words, money is a lot like electricity. It can light up a room or cause a fire. It depends how it is used.

 She also feels that life is about balance. It’s most important to observe and think about what really brings happiness into our lives.