(Below from the book, The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson)

Learning pure information is not enough, and while adding the street smarts you gain from applying that information through personal experience can take you far, even that is not enough to go all the way toward the successful achievement of your goals.

You need some way to process all that information and experience and integrate it. And there is only one reliable, solid way to do that: find someone else who has already achieved mastery in the area you’re looking at, and model your behavior based on their experience.

Personal development is not something you can pursue as an armchair expert, not something you can master from the sidelines.
It has to be a contact sport – one where you are in contact with others who can help you on your journey.

What we’re talking about here is the power of a mentor.

It’s amazing the impact one person can have on your life, just from the influence of how they see you, and what they see in you that you may not even see in yourself.

Whatever goals you aspire to, seek out people who have achieved the same or very similar goals or who are well along that path, and go camp on their doorsteps or do whatever you can to associate with them, emulate them, and let their grasp, understanding, and mastery of the subject rub off on you.

~Evolution of Self
#mentor #model #guide #path #journey #theslightedge #wisdom