Never meet your heroes — unless...

You know these four things.

The Initial Attraction

I’ve always been drawn to certain people’s ideologies and thoughts when I first come across them. Their ideas seem profound, their success inspiring, and I can’t help but admire them from afar. I am going to refer to them as mentors.

But after years of meeting them, following their work and hearing their thoughts over and over, I began to realize that they’re not so different or even special.

They’re human, and just like me and you, they have faults. I know that isn't brand new information but meeting them made me realize that even those we admire are simply human, with their own imperfections.

The Reality of Human Flaws

Let me give you an example.

One of my mentors opened up about her insecurities—how she always felt intimidated by the wealthy people in her line of work or her husband’s colleagues. Despite all her success, she never felt like she was enough.

Hearing this from someone I had once placed on a pedestal made me question: If even our heroes feel this way, should we actually look up to them?

What is Mentorship, Really?

This experience made me rethink what mentorship really is and why we seek it.

I often looked to my mentors for guidance, believing they had the answers I didn’t. I hoped their experience and wisdom would light the way for me.

But when they revealed their vulnerabilities, I couldn’t help but wonder: Does this make them less capable of guiding me?

The Importance of Selective Inspiration

Maybe you’re thinking, ''Of course not!'' or "Well, maybe you are looking at it the wrong way." And you might have a point. After going through this with 4 to 5 different mentors, I’ve come to understand that,

Instead of expecting one person to be a flawless guide in all areas, I’ve learned to seek out selective leaders whose ideas resonate with me in specific areas.

For example, I once admired a leader for their strategic thinking, but when it came to emotional intelligence, they didn’t quite measure up. So, I decided to take what I could from their strategic insights and look elsewhere for guidance on emotional intelligence.

It’s about picking and choosing what works for me and letting go of the rest.

The Takeaway

Mentorship doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I take what serves me, and I’ve learned not to be afraid to leave the rest behind. Our heroes are human, and that’s okay. The key is to learn from their strengths while accepting that they, too, are imperfect.

What are your thoughts?

If your experiences with long-time mentors have been different, I’d love to hear about them. Share your thoughts, and let’s collectively improve our mindset.

That's it for today. See you on another blog!