Invaluable Mentorship, Friendship, and Life Coach

Mentorship used to be how many in society taught the next generation a trade or a skill – and mentors were respected and PAID for their assistance and advice. I have been very fortunate in my life to have a friend and mentor who I greatly respect, but who didn’t sign up to be a mentor and wasn’t paid for all his help.
In all areas and arenas of life I feel very lucky, blessed, and grateful to be where I am. As we all move forward in this journey of life, appreciation is not, and should not, be far behind. While I know that I worked very hard (and will continue to), I am also very aware that I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for the advice and help of many people along the way. For everyone, I’m sure this statement holds true. Included in that list of people are my family and friends and a few mentors. And it is one specific friend and mentor in the dental field that I want to post about today.
I met Dr. C – my friend and mentor over 12 years ago when I was just a fledgling college student looking for a job and more exposure to the world of dentistry. I applied for a job helping in the front office of Dr. C – an established periodontist in the community that worked very close to my college university. I helped out a few days a week in the office – with insurance and scheduling and office management – allowing me a taste of the front office world of dentistry. And I worked there for a year after college while I applied for dental school. Little did I know then that this job and the people that I met there, and relationships I made, would be some of the most influential in my life.
When I reflect back on the many years that have gone by and his involvement in my life development I can truly say that not only is Dr. C a friend and mentor, but has been a life-coach as well. Dr. C was my employer and knew that I wanted to go to dental school. He was one of the people to review and even edit in RED pen some of my personal statement for my dental application!!! He encouraged me to apply outside of California for dental school thus encouraging me to go to school on the east coast (something I wouldn’t really have considered if not for him). When I received an interview for entrance into dental school he coached me on interviewing skills and the interview process. When I went to the east coast for my studies and we still kept in touch – over holidays and emails. His previous office manager is like a second mom to me – and recently helped me with all my wedding flowers and arrangements. When I wanted to return to California for residency, he offered and applied to help teach the specialty of periodontics to me and my co-residents during our year of study! If that wasn’t enough he even helped me find one of my current jobs, in a time when the economy is so terrible.  I mentioned both him and his previous office manager in my June 2011 wedding speech- they have been THAT influential in my life. I’m exhausted just LOOKING at all he has been involved in. I have called him many times and we have spoken at length about jobs and work and I even called him TODAY to ask him about a possible job opportunity and situation. I realize that next to the opinions of my family and a few friends, his thoughts and opinions are ones that I highly value.
In turn, I have also been rewarded by not only his advice and friendship but also seen his life progress as well. During the course of knowing him, he met and married a beautiful and smart woman, bought a lovely home, has two wonderful boys who are amazing bright and growing SO fast, and seen him and his practice continue to be a success and leader in the community. As my own life becomes more and more complicated and the days become more and more busy, I reflect and realize that he didn’t have to help me or do all these things. He has a life and family of his own and a busy schedule and patients and bills and his OWN life to deal with and figure out, let alone mine. And it makes me all the more in awe and appreciative.
So this post is in honor of my mentor and friend and life-coach Dr. C. It is also in honor of mentorship – and appreciation – and how by having a mentor it makes me not only grateful but also happy and willing and hopeful that I can have even the smallest kind of influence on someone or others as he has for me.
Do you have a mentor or friend that has influenced your life? I would love to hear your story!
image courtesy of: primarygoals.org