The start of the New Year is the best time to begin a new life, a new approach, a new direction, and a new goal. And the best way to achieve that is to get a mentor.

Now it can be anyone or anybody. That person can be a Yoga instructor, or somebody who is good in playing the Saxophone. Maybe take time to learn a new exiting recipe from a Executive Chef who is a classmate of yours in high school, or take some Surfing lessons from a hunky guy down in Siargao.
No matter what it is, find someone who is an expert and has experience and learn from that mentor.

Okay, what if you find that mentor but you hardly know that person. How will you approach that person? What is the best way to introduce yourself? My suggestion is this…
Take that person out for lunch. Dinner would be nice too but a cup of coffee will also suffice. The important thing is you treat them out with consistency like every Wednesday until that person gets comfortable with you.
It is like courting a girl. You need to put your best foot forward and give “The Moon and The Stars” before getting anything. If that what is takes… then do it! Take action!

I’m just lucky when I met mine. I never expected a mentor coming from a 78 year old guy. My mentor’s name is “Andy”, a retired Filipino-Chinese who used to be a entrepreneur from the automobile industry. He is now living with his children and rotating his stay/visit from one house to the other.

It was not love at first sight in the beginning. In fact, I find him quite annoying from the onset. Andy asked too many questions and gave so many advice (like I needed that). In short, he was like a Pest!
But overtime, I realized that his pesky questions are more of “Probing Questions”. He did that because he wants to know me more. He meticulously inspected my flaws, imperfections and bad habits.
In other words, Andy wants to change me… for the better!

I met Andy last 2014 and since then I can say to myself that I’m a better, calmer and wiser person than before. There is a lot of positive things that I received from him but I will only name a few or else this article will turn into a novel.

Here are some of those…

1.) DEVELOP YOUR INNER CHI = Ch’i or Qi is a Chinese word of Life Energy. Each one of us has it but sadly, most of us doesn’t know or not interested in utilizing it. Developing your Chi can be a way to heal your body – both physically and mentally – as well as a path to reaching your full potential.
Do you know “The Force” in Star Wars?
Believe me, that is true… from a certain point of view.

2.) BLOCK OUT ALL THE NEGATIVE = Although there is no escape from it, my mentor taught me how to minimize the negative and not get bothered by it. Andy taught me to read people’s minds and why they act incorrectly. There is so much greed (material things), envy (being selfish or SELFIE SELFIE), and hatred (road rage) in this world that most people get infected by it.
I sometimes wonder if the Yin and Yang (陰陽 yīnyáng, “positive-negative”) is still balanced.
But I have to believe that nature will allow the Yang (Positive) rise again into this world.

3.) USE YOUR GIFTS = Let’s face it, the majority of our populace won’t be popular and famous singers and celebrities. But all of us has talents. Each one of us has a gift.
Andy saw my gifts and talents and encouraged me and still continuing to convince me to use that gift to it’s full potential.
I think we should all use it… otherwise, what the hell are we living here for??

There are more things that Andy taught me but I have to stop it from there. If you want to know more or get to meet Andy, you can send me a private message through my social media.
But sincerely, there are a lot of Andy’s out there and it’s entirely up to you to find that person. Some will fall into your lap and some you have to really dig down to get it. But the desire (to get a mentor) should always be there.
You can have multiple mentors, teachers, coaches, counselors, guides or whatever you want to call them. As long as it helps you improve yourself and your life.

And when you do meet that mentor of yours, don’t forget to send me a message and share me your inspiring story about you and your mentor.

Being mentored is not only what we yearn for but what we need to learn and be inform that we are not perfect and we still need to do a lot of things to improve in our lifetime.