The hero’s story often begins in obscurity. For Luke Skywalker, it begins on the desert planet of Tatooine. For Frodo Baggins, it begins in the all-but-forgotten realm of the Shire, and for Diana Prince (Wonder Woman), it is the remote island of Themyscira.

And these heroes stay shrouded in obscurity if not for a Bold Mentor who possessed the two things that heroes need, experience and perspective. These mentors saw that there was evil in the world that could not be defeated without the hero, draws them out, trains them, and commissions them

According to the mythologist Joseph Campbel, the Hero’s Journey includes wide variety of components, but I wanted to focus on the relationship between the Hero and the Mentor, from the perspective of the Mentor. I wanted to see what kind of a relationship produces heroes.

Because it’s not just a story… It’s rooted into our being somehow. These legends resonate with us because, deep down, we hope they are true.

Influencers VS. Mentors

When you decide to be a mentor, you probably wont have to look very long or hard to find potential candidates. Heroes, like we said before can be found in obscurity, but in all honesty, obscurity often looks like the street you live on, or a friend of a friend, or maybe just where you work.

It’s not about being significantly older than the hero, it’s about having experiences which form perspectives that could encourage them.

But if you look around, and you simply cannot find anyone to mentor, then consider joining forces with an organization that has already made inroads into populations rich with heroes. Organizations like:

• Boys and Girls Clubs of America
• After-School programs
• Local Schools
• Area Foster Care Networks

Many of these organizations already have a program designed to train you, and pair you with a person who could use your experience and perspective to achieve new heights.

Be Honest and Authentic

When you are Honest about your faults and limitations you open the door for your hero to be just as honest and open about theirs.

• Paint an Honest Self-Portrait
• The real you they get to know over time should look strikingly similar to the first image you paint for them.
• Share past success and failures in context because it displays your progress

Trust your hero with the truth!

Regardless of how bleak and distasteful it is, be the person who refuses to sugarcoat the conversation.

• Young people have been fed a distorted Image of Reality through Social Media. their world has been Filtered, Cropped, and PhotoShopped to the point that it hardly resembles reality.
• Some may even ask questions they already have the answer to, just to see if you can be trusted

When a subject comes up that you know nothing about, admit it.

• It’s okay that you don’t know about the latest artist, song, game, app, or selfie filter.
• It’s good for your Hero to be the expert at something.

Use Shared Experience to Inspire Them.

Your vulnerability here opens the door for them to get excited

• Is it something they love or is it an injustice in the world?

Teach them invest in whatever inspires them.

• Empower your hero to take bold risks.
• Be there to help them process, and plan for another attempt.

Be ready to let go!

• Either help them launch, or;
• Connect them with a new mentor – one who can take them even further!

So why is it that we don’t see this happening more?

• We’re so busy that we don’t have time for anyone else.
• Socioeconomic, Racial, Ethnic, or Age Biases

I have seen far too many potential heroes dismissed because of a label. Because people have already determined that ‘this kid’ is a Self-Centered, Helpless, Takers who will never amount to anything.

And if left in isolation, regardless of the demographic, this could be true of anyone.

But its just like Alan Turing says in the movie The Imitation Game,

Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine. – Alan Turing