A Gap to Bridge

As a young lad, I was raised not to take handouts from anyone.  It was understood that I was supposed to be able to do anything and everything for myself when the right times came.  I am grateful for the way my parents raised me because I know I will be able to take care of myself in most situations.  I am even more grateful for the realization I had years ago that I will never be the "best me" if I am only learning from myself.  By this I mean we ALL need influences on ourselves that extend far beyond our own thinking, young men especially.  It is important for young men to surround themselves in good company and it is equally important for young men to be impacted by men who have already been where they are now in life.  Mentorship is essential to personal and career development, yet I don’t think nearly enough mentoring relationships exist for young men.  There two are factors that men and young men alike must overcome in order for mentoring to better benefit the male population.

We live in a world today that is full of pride.  Young men are taught from a very young age that asking for help is for the weak.  With that mentality, boys grow up believing that they must do everything on their own in order to be successful and confident.  On the other hand, older men have society in their ears telling them that advancing personally is more rewarding than helping others.  This world tells us that success is found within ourselves and provides more happiness than giving back to others.  As a collective society, we have lost the understanding that helping others helps us just as much, if not more, than helping ourselves.  

Secondly, there is simply a lapse in communication between boys and men of different generations.  I firmly believe there are boys wanting to be mentored and there are older men wanting to mentor younger men.  These older men know they have great advice that can benefit younger generations and they see the potential of them.  This communication may be linked back to the pride issues in that young men don’t want to seemingly “ask for help” and older men don’t want to reach out and somehow look “weak.”  

Here’s the bottom line: mentoring doesn’t just benefit one party.  There is growth on both sides of the equation.  I am extremely grateful for all of the influential men in my life who have in some sort of way been a mentor to me and I know that God placed them in my life for great reasons.  My mentors have provided me with the means to grow in all facets of my life.  

To the younger men: Just when you think you know it all, that’s when you know the least.  There are men around you that have advice, tips, tricks, goals, and attitudes that can help you grow into the man that you want to be and exceed the goals you have for yourself.

To the older men:  There are younger men hungry for help in life; there are young men near you that can greatly benefit from what you already know.  Don’t get so caught up in your own life that you forget about from where you came.  Think back in your own life and recall that man that you always looked up to—think about the man who helped you out at some point.  Don’t you want to be that guy for someone else?  And if you didn’t have that man who helped you in life, you know how hard it is without help.  So why not change that reality for a young man in need?