Dear Readers-

Good Morning to All.  I am so sorry I didn't write a letter for you to wake to this morning and devour for breakfast.  Sincerely Yours got deeply involved in a creative project with Blackbird and his singing in the dead of night was so distracting, I forgot all about everything else.  That's bad as far as the interruption to last night's letter writing, but it's very good for me.  You see, ultimately, creativity is my path to Spirituality, and a search and rescue mission has been needed for many, many months.  The lawyer gig-yuck-has been sucking me dry and has left my Spirituality on life support.  Since a couple weeks ago, with the assistance of some of the most loved and important people in my life, when I built a force field between  myself and all things law related, I feel creative all the time.  I have to take every opportunity to let creativity flourish so I can get back to my soul. I know in my heart you understand.

men·tor

  /ˈmɛntɔr, -tər/ Show Sp[men-tawr, -ter] 

–noun

1. a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.

2.  an influential senior sponsor or supporter.

In any event, you'll see that we heard back from Mark, the insightful hero of Wednesday's letter.  He thinks "old guys like [him]" still need mentors...hmmm...Sincerely Yours IS NOT OLD, but I would go so far as to say I'm not a teenager.  That's all of my story I'm sharing and I'm sticking to it.  Still, many mentors inhabit my life and I have no idea what I'd do without their influence, inspiration and teachings in my life.  You know how much I love definitions-look at the one up there.  Is there one person anywhere who wouldn't love to have a "wise and trusted counselor?"  A person to run to when one finds oneself begging for someone for help making a decision or experiencing anxiety or just to have the security of knowing a wise and trusted counselor wants to be and is available to you...and does it matter to anyone how old they are?  Is there a cutoff for wanting wise advice and support that one can trust?  Not for me and, obviously, not for Mark, either.

On the other side of the coin, though still firmly in the same piggy back, I mentor many and always have.  In fact, one of my most sincerely held beliefs is that women have the DUTY, not the option, to teach younger women what they learn from their mistakes, triumphs and other experiences, so I always carry around a few younger women with me.  The thing is, though, that like Mark said, it's a circle.  I learn from them and turn around and pass those pearls of wisdom along.  The ripple effect at work. 

The ripple effect or paying it forward or whatever you want to call it is consistent, wouldn't you say?  Something that may seem small-giving someone the peace button they admired right off your shirt-can travel around the world.  Holy moly!  Did you have any idea you had that much power?  You do.  The Universe confirms it; that much power multiplied by a million, at least.  Is there any doubt, then, that we all need mentors?

If we create a circle, as Mark says he has in his life-and I believe that many of us have probably unwittingly done the same-then we're actively using some of that power.  It's like compost.  Compost happens even if you don't touch it.  Put a bunch of leaves and grass and veggie scraps in a pile and, without fail, you'll get compost.  If you turn the compost regularly and make sure it's the right temperature and add worms and generally care for it, you'll also get compost, but you'll get compost in about a quarter of the time.  If we have that circle going-purposefully mentoring and, as such, constantly being mentored, and sometimes crossing different people from each of those categories, turning the circle-we get that ripple effect, the one that moves the world, because we're putting an intention out there along with other people we care for, and that's a lot of power harnessed and used.  The Universe always listens and when we live within the infinitely positive force it is, we are allowed the privilege of becoming co-creators with out Creator.  Isn't that awesome?

I'm not too old for mentors in my life.  I actively seek them out and, happily, they often just cross my path.  I can honestly say I learn from someone every day and that I teach something every day.  I've participated in many formal mentoring programs and the vast majority have been positive experiences.  I'm sure I'll do that again.  Right now, though, I just have that kind of circle in my life that Mark was talking about.  I feel like I have bean shoots and I'm watering them and putting them in the son and I've got more than one I'm nurturing on my windowsill.  I know for a fact that I'm on many windowsills myself, being lovingly cared for and infused with energy.  If not, I'd have nothing to give.

So, Reader...what do you think?  Are you too old for mentors in your life?  If you're younger, would you appreciate a mentor or do you feel like you're kind of a lone wolf and that you've got it pretty well figured out?



Sincerely Yours