In my younger days, I had a funny little habit – I stopped speaking in complete sentences. Looking back, it’s both amusing and a tad exasperating! I wasn’t much of a talker to begin with. I’d start with a full sentence, but if someone asked me to repeat, I’d just blurt out the key words and skip the rest. My mom, who I talked to the most, wasn’t too thrilled about it.
She was super patient, always asking follow-up questions to get me to make sense. She’d kindly explain that parroting the last word wasn’t the way to go. Now, you might wonder, how does this connect to being a mentor? Well, here’s the scoop. I thought people could read my mind. Why say, “Pass me the bread,” when I could just say “bread” and reach out😂? Seemed like a time-saver to me. But let’s face it, as a grown-up, no one’s got time for mind-reading.
I wasn’t trying to be a puzzle, honestly. I was aiming for efficiency. Less talk, more action, right? I believed I could get my point across without all the extra words. Trouble was, I didn’t see things from the other side. Fast forward a bit, and I grew out of that phase. But guess what? Even now, I tend to assume folks know what I’m talking about. You’d think years of teaching would’ve knocked that out of me, but nope. I still catch myself thinking everyone’s on the same page.
Yet, life has a funny way of humbling us. I regularly run into situations that prove me wrong. Now, I find people asking me for help with things I’ve already tackled. As someone who loves to share knowledge and is diving into making positive changes, I can’t dodge it any longer. It was time to give back, to guide others like I’ve been guided. And let me tell you, being a mentor is a whole new ball game 😏.
Once I realized I had it in me, I couldn’t ignore the call. The gap was crystal clear, and it got bigger every day. So, I started this new chapter, and let me tell you, it’s been a blast. I’m tremendously grateful for this journey, and it’s shaping up to be quite the adventure.
So, if you’re on a quest like mine, keep going! Who knows, your perfect brew might be just around the corner 😊.
Happy exploring!
Written By: Ojonugwa Abubakar