Mentoring and the BetterMen Process

March 11, 2014

In Greek mythology, Mentor was a faithful, wise and trusted advisor to Telemachus, son of Odysseus. Through the years, we have grown to think of mentors as many things, including teachers, guides, father figures, loyal friends, confidants, coaches, and role models. Mentoring is all of these, and it’s the focus of the BetterMen process and the work we do.
In many ways, we find that through the BetterMen process, we actually father each other to be better men. Let’s face it, when you hit a rough patch in your life, who better to help guide you through it than a caring, understanding and no-nonsense “dad,” a man who’s committed to your best interests and in seeing you develop into the best man you can be? Now, this may not have been the experience you had with your own father. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get that kind of support from other men. For many men, this is one of the most valuable lessons to learn.
Working with a mentor is an extremely effective way to discover the vision of the man you want to be, the obstacles in your way, and a plan to break through those barriers to become the best man you can be.
Men are reluctant to take advantage of this kind of support. But the truth is, most of us need help from time to time to figure out what we want from life, to understand what’s keeping us from getting it, and to get the support we need to get into action to make improvements at home, at work, and in our communities.
Being the best man you can be takes time. After all, it took you quite a few years to arrive in the place you’re in today. But through the support of initiated men, we grow up, we change, we improve, and we get closer and closer to being the man, father, husband, friend and mentor we’ve always wanted to be.
The BetterMen process isn’t therapy. What most men need is not a diagnosis. What we need is trusting relationships with other men, to make commitments to be BetterMen, and to be held accountable to our commitments. This is what changes men’s lives. This is what improves the lives of those we love.