How To Be Like Your Mentor

\”I wish I were him\” Tony thought aloud, wearing a grin. \”Maybe someday you will.\” James said, trying to encourage his friend, patting him on his shoulder.

Tony had always admired and most obviously wished he was Kelvin. Kelvin was a 500level student of Architecture. He was intelligent, confident, a great singer, humble and a great visionary. Tony had always love those qualities and he would often wish he was Kelvin. For this reason, he has been anticipating opportunity and developing the courage to meet and talk to Kelvin because He is \”almost the direct opposite\” of Kelvin, as he would always tell James.

A month later,  Tony got the opportunity to meet Kelvin at the school\’s cafeteria. Tony sighted Kelvin  taking his launch. Fortunately for him,  the seat next to Kelvin was empty so he held on to the opportunity went to sit next to him at the table.

Their conversation went this way:
Tony: Hello.  How are you doing, sir?

Kelvin: I\’m doing great. Thank you.

Tony: Sorry for the sudden show up,  sir.  I\’m Tony, a 100 level student of Geophysics and one of your greatest fans. I\’ve found hope timelessly in the lyrics of your songs. Your lifestyle has really influenced me. I commend your personality, sir. I must confess, I really wish I were you.

Kelvin: Wow! Thanks Tony! I really appreciate your acknowledgement. I\’m glad you could find hope in the lyrics of my songs.

Tony: (smiling uncontrollably) You are most welcome, sir.

Kelvin: But Tony,  why do you wish you were me?

Tony: Because you are an epitome of greatness! You are intelligent, confident, a great singer and visionary, plus, humble. I envy your personality sir and I\’m sure I\’m not the only one.

Kelvin: (Smiling)  You see Tony,  I understand what you are trying to say and I appreciate the fact that you envy my personality. That only means you are not complacent with just living, but living for a cause that is beyond just adding to the population of the world. You see, I used to be like you; wishing I was someone else not until I came across a book by Rick Warren titled, \”Purpose Driven Life,\” which shaped my idealogy of \”wishing to be someone else\” rather than developing my potentials to be who God saw fit before my conception. I\’m not against you \”wishing to be LIKE me\” but I\’m against you \”wishing TO BE ME\” because they are two different things. When you wish to be me,  unconsciously you are making your potentials look inferior and because of that, your thoughts and actions will back it up by making you sort for ways to begin trying to learn how to sing,  which is not bad but you will feel the purpose of your life is meant to be fulfilled through singing which might not be the original purpose of God for your life. Even if it is, you will try to be me (sing like me, dressing like me and doing most things like me rather than being your unique self)

Tony: Wow!  Never realized this.

Kelvin: Yeah. Because that wish of wanting to be me wouldn\’t make you see it that way Bro. But you see, when you wish to be LIKE me,  you will seek to discover yourself and in what field  unleashing your potentials lies. It could be in music or something entirely different. You won\’t have to study every of my blueprint to create yours because you are a unique individual entirely, plus, you won\’t complain about your journey because you know even if our destination is similar, we are entirely two different individual with different necessities. Somethings you might drop to purchase might not be what I will need. Some landmarks God might want you to step on,  he might not want me to step on them. And most importantly some characters God might want me to develop so I can be effective at my destination might be entirely different from yours. So you see,  you don\’t NEED TO WISH TO BE ME to be great or have an envious personality and status quo. Just be yourself but aspire TO BE LIKE ME so you might have a standard for what you aim at.

Tony: I have never thought this way!  I was even planning to sign up for an online music summer classes because I thought that will be my first step to being you even though I\’m very good at painting and sculpture. Maybe it\’s time I retreat and have sometime to myself and be naked to myself because it just seem I have been trying to become someone\’s fake version  instead of the best version of myself.

Kelvin: Yes,  Bro. You need sometime to yourself (nodding his head in affirmation) I want you to know in as much as I might appear perfect to you,  I have weaknesses which might even be your strength. You might not get to know them if I don\’t tell you. So that only means I\’m a blend of imperfections and perfections just as you are. All that matters in this case is discovering yourself, appreciating yourself and developing your potentials because if I never developed my potential, I would have never have a personality or status quo that you are admiring.

Tony: Hmm. That\’s true, sir. Thank you, sir. I\’m grateful. You unfolded the clothing covering my eyes from seeing  something I would never have seen if I had continued walking blinded-folded by my desire. I\’m grateful, sir.

Kelvin: Oh! Bro! (patting him on the shoulder) It\’s no big thing. I\’m glad you came up to me and we talked. I just want you to know you are a bundle of great and amazing potentials that is super unique and only you, with the aid of your manufacturer (God) can discover, appreciate and unleash that potential.

Tony: Yeah (nodding his head in affirmation)

Kelvin: (handling his complementary card to him) Just feel free to reach out to me at any time. I will be very glad to help you with some books that have been of great help to me and anytime you want us talk,  feel free to reach out to me.

Tony: (wearing a grin and reaching for the complimentary card) Wow!  This is massive for me. Thanks so much. I count this a privilege. I will never let you down.

Kelvin: You are most welcome. I also count this a great privilege because it has always been my prayer to meet someone who I could help change his views about \”wishing to be someone else\” because I was once there. So you are the answer to my prayer. (at this time,  Kelvin was already done with his launch) Well, I have a meeting to attend in the next 30 minutes, I will love to take your leave. But don\’t forget to reach me via my details on the complimentary card.

Tony: I definitely won\’t forget to do that. It\’s really great meeting you today. (Shaking hands,  Kelvin left, walking towards the cafeteria\’s exit.)

The story of Tony is one that could leave you thinking of a great number of individuals who are living with the wish of being someone else rather than discovering their unique selves, unleashing their potentials with the desire of \”being LIKE who ever they are looking up to. \” One can conclude that a lot of potentials of young adults today are wasting because they have ignorantly blindfolded themselves by their desire to be someone else instead of being themselves.

Kelvin has opened not just Tony\’s eyes but ours,  as well to realize that we are all unique individuals with unique potentials, personalities, strengths and weaknesses. Hence trying to be someone else is a way of destroying or diminishing those unique potentials in us.

So the question to everyone of us today is,  are you wishing to be someone else or to be like someone else? You can say yes to the later but are your actions backing it up? Because action speaks much more than words.

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