How are you going to change the world this year? It's not the gargantuan task you might think. Why not expand the horizons of just one other person by becoming their mentor? The following piece from Barcy Fisher encourages us all to take the leap.

Dear readers,

Several years ago, I set off across the country in search of a new home. Technically, I was on my way from Chicago to Seattle, where I was moving to start graduate school. Not so technically, I was on a journey of self-discovery. And as is the case with these kinds of journeys, a swarm of ideas and possibilities flew into my mind as I headed west. One particular thought took the form of a loose metaphor and stuck with me as I drifted under the influence of the Dakota plains. 

Imagine an old-fashioned, large keyhole on a closed door. Imagine that you can see through this keyhole into the space on the other side. You squint, but your field of vision is very small. It's hard to see anything on the other side. Now, imagine getting a key to open that very same door. The world beyond, that just moments before was constrained, would become an amazing opportunity.

When, in our lives, do we need that door opened most? My guess is when we're young and inexperienced. Tragically, though, too often young people or people just starting out in their careers never get access to the key. This is especially unfortunate for kids who are born into poverty, neglect, and resignation and never come to understand that the key can open doors to a world full of gifts.

That is, unless someone is willing to share that key. 

A music teacher can spark a passion for Mahler. A science teacher can take the class to the city hospital ER.  A tutor can light a fire for reading. A neighbor can take the time to hit tennis balls on Saturdays.  A boss can understand that managing people is not innate.  A parent can believe.  These people don't necessarily possess some mythic, elusive key that simply needs to be passed along. It's their mere presence in other people's lives that's the key. Their willingness to mentor illuminates the lives they touch in ways that are often difficult to measure.

The great thing is that we can find mentors and be mentors throughout our lives and careers. The mentors I regularly lean on today have been essential parts of my quest to build my life into something meaningful. These are people who have taken an interest in me and my dreams and who have unselfishly given of their time, experience, energy, and ideas.

Now, as we embark upon yet another year, let's all try to imagine the kinds of experiences we can share with a young person this year.  Imagine being able to help open some young person's mind to the world of possibilities that might exist for them in this lifetime.  Or simply imagine giving someone, anyone, the attention they deserve -- allowing them to feel special in your presence, because they are.  It might take a little effort and even a bit of time out of our hectic daily lives, but the payback for all involved is immense.

I became a "Big Sister" almost 17 years ago.  My "Little Sister," Linh, was 11 when we first met.  We both lived in Boston at the time, although on very different sides of the track.  She lived in public housing in Somerville, while I was working at Harvard Business School and living in Cambridge.  Every week for the three years I lived in Boston, Linh and I would spend a few hours together hanging out, talking, exploring, learning about each other and our lives. 

One summer day Linh and I went to the local public pool near her house.  It was mobbed -- hundreds of kids splashing and playing and enjoying the chance to cool off from the heat.  After playing with Linh for a while, I sat down on the side of the pool in the shallow end just to rest and watch.  I will never forget what happened next.  I was swarmed by little kids wanting my attention.  "Hey Lady, look at me, look at what I can do!" These kids were hungry for attention.  They longed for someone to watch them perform and clap and praise and beam at their accomplishments.  So, I did just that -- I clapped and praised and beamed at their underwater cartwheels, handstands and backflips.  We all smiled.

I have never forgotten that day at the pool because it so vividly illustrated to me the powerful and important role that one person can have by simply paying attention - a few focused moments offered so that a child can feel special.  Now, many years later, I return to Boston every year to visit Linh and her two sons and husband.  She's busy now with raising her own family, but I can still be there for her as a friend, a guide, and most importantly, as someone who believes in her. 

In the end, we all hold the key.  It's as simple as becoming a mentor to someone, young or not so young.  It will change everyone involved for the better.

Contact your local Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization for more information on how you can become a mentor today.

Now, go open that door!

Barcy Fisher 

Seattle, WA

"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. Though I may not be a sun, I at least can be a candle." -- J. M. Barrie

The above piece was originally published in a GoodLetter from GoodThings, Inc., which published weekly stories of people's constructive actions on the web from 2000 - 2003.  It has been refreshed and updated for your current viewing pleasure.  Enjoy.