Wednesday 23 October 2019

Speed Mentoring and Why?

Anna-Maria Amato
Check out this thought-provoking post by Anna-Maria Amato about empathy and speed-mentoring.  


A couple of times in my life, I have tried this very exciting pastime called speed-mentoring. Yes, I have tried speed dating too and many other speedy exercises, devouring a certain chocolate-very quickly. But believe me, speed mentoring is really great, here’s why:

I have so many aspirations, I get lost in my dreams. I visualise them in order to plan them out, I search for a way to organise myself and ideas to bring them into fruition. Then someone told me there is a theory, with its own Wikipedia page, revolving around a rubber duck. The theory goes, it is better to talk to a rubber duck than leave it mulling in your head. Get it out. Even if it is to a rubber duck. That’s the theory and it works wonders.

But what is even better, however, is playing a tennis rally. Have someone hit the ball back to you so you need to be in position to receive it and prepare to return it. And you do. And then it comes flying back for another go.

I got excited that these mentors all had very different, but very exciting careers and lives and they were open to sharing. Conversation, advice and humour were some of the talk which ensued. It wasn’t women against women with the taint of jealousy. It was supportive. I feel sometimes our nature can resist supporting the competition out of fear, not that they will out do us, or lessen our achievements, but lack of empathy.

Everyone is going through their own struggles and challenges. Some have a diagnosis, some don’t. Mental illnesses are on a spectrum along with emotional states and so many things which feed the perceptions and reactions in our world. We are all on all the spectrums and understanding this can help us relate to others.

One of the greatest lessons I have learnt as an adult is not to assume others are any more, or less, complex than ourselves. We all have a journey behind us and one ahead. We are not racing, but we are in it together.   

Go here for more from the Blogging Carnival for Nonviolence 2019.  

Please share this with your networks and please leave your comments below.  Thanks.  

Anna-Maria is a fine artist and curator, living and working in South London. Her interests are broad and range from fantasy and story telling to exploring our reality and the human condition. Her poetry book, Born of a Love, Life, Hope Line, is available to purchase here 
Follow her on instagram: anna_maria_amato26


 

No comments:

Post a Comment