During this Thanksgiving holiday season many of us reflect on all that we have to be thankful for: Our Families, our health, our jobs, our homes. We take comfort and find peace in recognizing these blessings in which we have. However, during this special season I believe it’s also important to give thanks to our mentors who have given of themselves and their talents to help enhance our individual lives. For me personally I give thanks to the teachers who have believed in my talents, such as my choir teacher Mr. Hebel who played a great significance in my life and in helping to shape who I am today.
I’ve written about Mr. Hebel before and spoke about how he believed in my musical talents. Mr. Hebel’s belief in me led me to compete and win a national singing competition at age 17, but most importantly it led me into pursuing a career in entertainment which I love. He gave me such confidence as an adolescent that it transferred into my adult life leading me to believe that I could accomplish whatever it is I put my heart and hard work into. His mentorship had a huge impact on my life and this is why it’s not only important to be thankful to our mentors, but it’s also important to pay it forward by becoming a mentor as well.
I have had the good fortune of experiencing some wonderful moments in my career as a TV Host and as a Blogger, such as winning an Emmy and being a part of some wonderful blogging campaigns. When I launched Mommyhood to Hollywood one of the things that I wanted to accomplish was celebrating women and mompreneurs and all that they have accomplished or have the potential to accomplish as well. In having this platform, I have come across young aspiring journalists, TV hosts, bloggers, and mompreneurs who have contacted me to ask for guidance or advice, help or references, and etc. When this happens I always look at it as an opportunity to mentor, especially when it’s someone young like a teenager or a person in their early 20s who may be contacting me. I always try to share my time with them by talking to them about my experiences, by helping to point them in the right direction, or connect them with someone or something that can help them in reaching their goal. I have even used Mommyhood to Hollywood as a free platform for them to promote their positive business, charities, or etc.
There are so many ways that we can mentor people who come into our lives and have a positive influence on them. For me it’s the only right thing to do because since there have been so many gracious people in my life who have helped me to open doors and break down barriers, I feel that it is my responsibility to do the same for others.
I would love to hear from my readers on how you have helped mentor someone young and what it meant to you to have the opportunity to do so. Or if you are looking for an opportunity to mentor someone then I encourage you to reach out and visit www.latinobigs.org or www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org for more information about volunteering as a ‘Big’ to help a ‘Little’/young person in their life.
Check out some of these touching stories from Big Brothers Big Sisters and learn about the positive impact it has had on these participants’ lives!
Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Stories
This is part of a supported campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and Big Brothers Big Sisters. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
Leave a Reply