MY SISTER MIRIAM is the pickle lady of New Annan, Nova Scotia. On a Friday afternoon last fall, the smell of bubbling brine filled her kitchen, and clean, empty mason jars lined her counter. She was ready to host a picklemaking session for two neighbours who had always wanted to preserve vegetables but didn’t know how.
For those few hours, Miriam was a mentor to her friends, a skilled guide sharing her own knowledge to empower others a little further along on a particular journey. The trio made salsa, pickles, relish and a batch of very good memories. “The minute we stop sharing and learning from others,” says Miriam, “we stop growing.”
While mentoring is typically associated with office settings and career advancement, anyone could be a mentor. We can share our skills in our kitchens and backyards, over the phone or online, and within our already-established friend groups.
A mentoring relationship can last a lifetime or it can be clearly defined in time, scope and definition, such as a few hours of intense pickling. Whatever the case may be, it’s likely we all have beneficial skills, advice and hardearned lessons to pass on to someone else—just as we all, in turn, have a list of things we’d like to learn or areas in which we would love to grow.
If you’re ready to start mentoring (or to be mentored), here are some insights from mentors and mentees alike to help it go well right from the start.
Establish Ground Rules
Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av Reader's Digest India.
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Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av Reader's Digest India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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READER'S DIGEST-BOOKS
These book summaries highlight Siddharthya Roy's exploration of conflict and violence, Michael Castleman's deep dive into the history of publishing, and Swadesh Deepak's examination of social issues and masculinity through Hindi literature.
Man with printed sarong
A lawyer, pianist, critic, and mentor to artists, Lionel Wendt is best known for his photographs of Sri Lanka, especially those of people indigenous to the island, captured amidst the lush landscape or posing in his studio.
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New studies show that even moderate drinking is a health hazard. Here’s a frank look at the toll alcohol takes on the body
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Coimbatore-born Prashanth Srivatsa is a science fiction/fantasy writer whose stories have appeared in magazines such as Asimov’s, Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and Three-Lobed Burning Eye, among others. Prashanth’s debut fantasy novel, The Spice Gate chronicles the journey of Amir, a young man born with special abilities who unravels the power that keeps the world in balance. magazines such as Asimov's, Magazine of Fantasy Science Fiction and Three-Lobed Burning Eye, among others. Prashanth’s debut fantasy novel, The Spice Gate chronicles the journey of Amir, a young man born with special abilities who unravels the power that keeps the world in balance.
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