Takeaways from my mentor 

I meet with my mentor as and when he’s available. He manages my family’s money and he’s very good at what he does - his firm manages about $5 billion, and I have great conversations with him. 

I don’t want to talk too much about him, but he came from a lower middle class background and today is wealthy beyond comprehension. He could buy a plane or two in the middle of the night if he wanted. 

Today we focused a lot of personal growth in my career. 

He gave me two books - The Inheritors by Sonu Bhasin and Fortune’s Children by Arthur Vanderbilt.

 

Here are some brief takeaways: 

Work backwards from the outcome you want. 

Define the outcome of where you want to be and plan it backwards to your current position. 

2. Eliminate, eliminate, eliminate. 

Life is all about elimination. Don’t focus  on your weaknesses, focus on your strengths. Eliminate all the things you know you’re not good at, you have no interest in and that make you depressed. 

3. Intellectual honesty. 

Be honest with yourself about things you are good at and are not.  The easiest person to fool is yourself. 

4. Read one business biography a week. 

Everything you’re going in life, there’s a 99% chance someone else has gone through it and come out of it victorious. He also mentioned this article.

5. Outline 3 strengths and 3 weaknesses.

 

6. (In business/ corporate careers) You’re either primarily an investor (you’d rather fund companies and start ups than start them), an operator (you’d rather build something hands on), or a manager (you’d rather periodically manage something hands off. Like for instance you could have your own franchise bakery chain where you don’t need to exercise minute control over every franchise but you still ensure that there’s some managing done from your part). 

7. Do not have extreme ideologies at this age. 

Not when it comes to religion, politics, etc. 

8. Emotions, money and your time are something you need to be ruthless about. Absolutely ruthless. 

Be careful about the friends you have and the influence they have on you. 

Someone has probably already pointed this out but mentoring is hell. When Snow and all the other kids get assigned to being a mentor for the games they all end up falling for their tribute in a way. Or at least most of them do. They develop soft spots for them. Snow falls for Lucy Gray. Lysistrata fell for Jessup. Even Juno shows remorse over Bobbins death. Nearly all these capitol born children find out when mentoring that the kids they watch die are actually people.

At nearly every turn in the ballad of songbirds and snakes you see all capitol born citizens get personally involved with them. And when they inevitably lose them they all become different. It changes who they were. Each of them gets a little more convinced that their kid isn't district. Snow even pushes the idea that Lucy Gray is practically capitol. Within the mentoring they all view their tribute as the exception. The one that doesn't belong to a district. Their tribute is always better or smarter or kinder than the rest. A few of them even get saved by their tribute. The tribute didn't have to do it but they did. So to them they can't possibly be from a district.

Making the victors mentor the children from their own district is fucked in a lot of ways. Every year they are forced to get close to another kid, knowing their families back home are depending on them to do their best to bring them back. They try their damnedest to save them but the odds aren't always in their favor. It takes away the opportunity for their capitol citizens to humanize them while making them isolated on all sides. They don't want the capitol citizens getting too close because if they do then they'll realize these are people. They allow the winners to go home while being the richest in the district. In twelve, we see that everyone is starving while Haymitch is fine. This helps isolate the victors even more.

Who would want to look at their winner when people are dying and they are doing perfectly fine? Who would want to look at the person that didn't bring your child home? They may know the capitol is to blame but the mentor always shares that responsibility in their mind.

It's part of the punishment for the victors too. It's not enough to force them into prostitution and sex slavery. You need more than bodily control over them to keep them broken and beaten down.

The capitol does such a good job at isolating and punishing victors. You're forced to mentor a child every year that you may or may not know. Half of them are already dying or too weak to fight back and yet you are their only chance of survival. You have to be willing to forgive your fellow mentors for the actions of their tributes because they are the only ones who will ever truly know the hell of losing everything. They are the ones that understand the hate from all sides. The victors are hated by the president, their own districts (outside of the career districts but they have their own fucked problems) and by the kids they have to shepard to death.

Snow's games is designed to make them view the other districts as the enemy and for the most part it works. They want the victors to hate each other but by having control over everything else all they are left with is each other. Even if they wanted to hate each other there would be no point. They have no one else. Their games change them. No one back home is able to pick up their pieces.

In bosbas he reflects that all the capitol mentors now are bonded. It's a club with an unbreakable connection. I think he saw how dangerous it was to let their citizens be too close and just how painful it was to do that job. Imagine being one of the few like Haymitch that had 20+ years of failure to haunt them with a district full of children blaming them for the losses.

Title: Mentor Tim

So we all know how similar Tim is to Bruce, I feel like as Tim gets older he promises himself not to become like him, in regards to his closed off-ness and anti-social behavior, gets therapy (boy was that something else), matures as a person and learns to take care of himself properly (not everyone has an Alfred lying around y’know).

So older Tim, who does not want to be Batman (who does at this point?), and considers Red Tornado (Aka; the only adult who really cared) his idol, makes an intellectual decision.

To mentor 10+ young vigilantes, that are basically neglected or ignored by their mentors, that he met once on a mission, apparently they’re the new Young Justice members (why do all the unwanted ones end up there, seriously, has everyone learned nothing??).

It’s not that he planned to mentor the young superheroes, but he couldn’t really ignore them when they took to him like little ducklings to water all because he was nice to them.

The were very undertrained and uncoordinated, and in desperate need of guidance, and Tim who has caused or been apart of some of the craziest shit known to man has a lot of knowledge to spare:

Tim: Leo, for the love of god. Put. That. Down. Number one rule of dealing with magical artifacts or magic in general is don’t touch it and run, don’t walk away if it starts to glow.

—————————

Tim: Keith, seriously dude, if you need any new equipment, swords, knives, anything at all, just tell me. Y’know what I can set it up with one phone call, hold on.

—————————

Tim: Peter, if that jerk at school talks to you like that again I give you my permission to beat his ass, I don’t care what your school or “mentor” have to say, they clearly know nothing about teenagers.

—————————

Tim: Of course you can skip training next week for your recital Sofia, and actually, I cancelled training for everyone when they told me they all wanted to go to support you, thanks for inviting me by the way, I can’t wait.

—————————

Tim: Oh, you’ve had an argument with your parent, Nick? Hold on just a sec.

Tim: Yeah, I just freed my schedule so we could have the whole day to ourselves, I remember those movies you told me you wanted to marathon, let’s go watch them in the big screen room, bundle ourselves in the softest blankets and eat a sh- heck ton of ice cream, while we talk about it, if you feel like it, of course.

—————————

Tim: I noticed how much extensive energy you have even after a full training session, Mateo, so I thought you and I could stay and spar, even after everyone’s done. I’ve brought new training equipment for you to try and researched a few new techniques that correlate with your abilities.

—————————

Tim: Don’t worry about not being able to speak, Amara, I know plenty of sign, in many languages, in fact.

—————————

Tim: *on a phone call*

Tim: What do you mean you’re in a burning building?

Tim: What do you mean you set it on fire?!

Tim: Send me your location, Amber, I’ll be there in ten, no- five.

—————————

And that’s how the hero community noticed how the newly proclaimed Young Justice mentor Red Robin nowadays often had one, if not all, of his ducklings kids students standing proudly next to him.

Bonus:

Tim: Red, I am so sorry for all the years you had to put up with my bullshit.

Tim: I’m basically the only adult- no, person, who cares about them!

Tim: I don’t know how they’ve been alive for so long!

Red Tornado: You are forgiven, Tim, although I must admit, it is quite satisfying that you know of my pain.

Tim, with haunted eyes: You have no idea.

Part 2??

It's been a long year and it's only February…

Well, it's time to put this out there: I've had a fairly shitty few years (like, haven't we all, obviously), but it's included a long, expensive legal battle against unscrupulous cysts, which is finally concluded satisfactorily save being left somewhat skint on the other side of it. Doesn’t help that said battle meant that I had to move house - not exactly a low activity on the expense and stress scales…

So I'm looking for extra work, to help while we wait for the Luxury Space Communism to kick in (I'd settle for Universal Basic Income or an end to the Housing and Cost of Living Crisis, tbh).

Things I do to a professional standard include:

Creative Mentoring and Tutoring (writing and performance techniques, especially for poetry - bespoke or standard workshops available for groups as well as one-to-one).

Project Management (feeling overwhelmed by a project you want to get off the ground and/ or run within budget and timescale? I can help with that).

Business Change Management (you need to expand or shift your business focus? I can help that happen in a well-managed fashion).

Performance Poetry (got a bunch of poems, 18 years' experience delivering them live, and a nice voice).

Writing to Commission (especially poetry, but I write both fictive prose and essays too).

Voice Acting and Narration (I've acted in audio dramas and narrated short stories, training videos, and so far one documentary).

Book and Pamphlet Production (I operate a small press).

Basic website setup and maintenance.

Training on any of the above.

I have a sliding scale of rates depending on customer circumstances, and you can book me for a free initial consultation via my website: https://www.fayroberts.co.uk/crass-commercialism/services/

And if you fancy just sending me money because you're generous, I have a ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/fayroberts

Day in the Life of a Software Engineer (who is also a Psychology Student)

Guys!! I had the intern I've been mentoring demo our new feature to the whole company on behalf of the team and he killed it! 🔥 Having done many of these demos myself, it can be daunting and take time to grow that public speaking muscle 💪 but he rose to challenge and I'm just so proud 🥲

Morning 🌄

Company-wide update meeting

Fixed an easy bug

Did my physio exercises

Did my future-self journaling*

Afternoon ⛅

Coffee with a work friend

Department-wide planning meeting

Completed Japanese lesson

Read for Cognitive Psych

Evening 🌌

Physiotherapy appointment

Read Portrait of an Unnamed Woman

Finished chores while listening to music

*- abbreviated to just my affirmation and intention for the day, which is the most useful part for me

💌: Say it with me people: This week will be a good one because I will see the good in it🕯️🙏🕯️I will be healthy and I will be happy. 🥰

Roy & Keeley as mentors

Keeley is mentoring Shandy, similar to her but not exactly.

Roy is now mentoring Jamie, similar to him but not exactly.

When Roy & Keeley teamed up to help Phoebe on Christmas, they balanced each other out. Keeley's sensitiveness got Phoebe to open up, Roy went straight into action to fix the problem.

Keeley convinced Roy that it was better not to beat up a kid, Roy convinced Keeley that maybe a bully should know it's not acceptable even if Phoebe's problem was solved.

Wouldn't it be fun if they both had challenges mentoring and ended up getting advice from each other to help make Jamie & Shandy better? Because Shandy may need more tough love than Keeley is used to giving and Jamie may need a gentler touch than Roy's ready to offer.

Just a thought...

After Class Studies

At 55 years old I’ve been a mentor to young people for at least 30 years.

At first it was by chance then by choice.

Young people of all ages would like my company and sass ! These two young men I’ve known for over 10 years. My children are of all hues and sexual orientations.

It’s important that gay youth feel safe and comfortable when seeking affirmation, wisdom and love.

When i was initiated my Iya told me that I have a gift and calling to help young people. To this day Yemaya and my “mother” Oshun continue to bring me young people . Some see me as dad, others call me mom, and i even get the distinction of abuela/ abuelo 😆. They know when I hug them it is spiritual and not sexual.

Is Their Universe Expanding?

An excerpt from my book "Teaching in the Spirit"

If you cling to something as an absolute truth and are caught in it, when truth comes and knocks on the door, you will refuse to let him in. —Buddha

When we’re very small, life is uncomplicated and predictable. It’s an intimate world which tends to revolve around parents, significant others and the rituals of sleeping and eating. For the most part, the bigger picture isn’t of much concern. Living is pretty egocentric, focused on getting needs met, and there is usually hell to pay if they are not. Naturally, if children are around a large circle of family and friends, their world will start to expand somewhat and they might become socially savvy at an earlier age. As children reach school age, we’re careful to instill and reinforce the virtues of sharing and caring for others. Their universe is growing a few steps at a time. Yet we have to ask a very profound question about our education system, and answer it honestly. Are we continuing to aid in this process of enlarging young people’s outlooks? Or are we merely filling their minds without dated ideas, narrow minded opinions and the latest technology, which will become just another part of the mind-numbing background noise which plagues them throughout their lives? With this constant input of information and stimuli, there is almost no space to take refuge and when the mind is in turmoil, there isn’t much room for spacious, imaginative living. As young people are taken into our trust, we often sell them what is safe and familiar. Is this truly what you would want for yourself if you were starting out in life? Think about yourself and those around you. Are their minds liberated, or are they mostly caught up in the drama of their personal narrow existences? How much of what we do is joyous and spontaneous, and what is merely automatic response based on past actions? If the human race is going to start waking up and experiencing all that life has to offer, we need to begin with our children. It’s time to take stock of what we are giving our kids and acknowledge much of it is an old tired paradigm, one which doesn’t foster openness and creativity. We’re all so much more than our thinking and senses perceive. Every awakened being throughout history has urged us to come to this realization. But the sad fact is, we have little chance of even scratching the surface of our unlimited possibilities when we’re caught up in a jumble of fears, illusions and behavioral loops.,

Support and mentoring is my passion!

Right now flying to Prague to attend the PhD defense of my mentee. I decided to make the effort and support her personally on the spot.

Seeing that I help someone to overcome their struggles, achieve some of their dreams, and be more content with themselves is the most beautiful feeling.

December 30, 2023 - Exhortation

If we don't give up, eventually we walk into the Promised Land (Our Destiny in Christ). The last command of Jesus while on earth says, "Go!" That's why we often see the anointing increase as we go, moving with the cloud.

Dive deep into discernment. Do not take everything at face value. Draw close to Him and let Him show you what is truly taking place.

There is much taking place in the spirit around you, where the enemy is trying to load you up with much that is NOT yours. There is also His hand bringing alignment, and you will find the answers you need -- the clarity to be received regarding your Christ calling -- as you commune with Him. Cast off distraction. You will be surprised how much 'smoke and mirrors' has been surrounding you.

COME UP HIGHER! COME UP HIGHER! And as His voice thunders over you, deliverance is happening, clarity is being concreted, and the greatest alignment of your life regarding ministering and discipling others is happening RIGHT NOW in the release of a new Kingdom-advancing assignment. COME UP! COME UP! COME UP! It is time to ASCEND!"

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

DDigitalTree is a consulting service that specializes in helping business owners and professionals with their digital marketing needs. Their team of experts is dedicated to helping clients develop effective strategies to increase their online presence and drive traffic to their websites. They offer a variety of services including website design and development, search engine optimization (SEO), social media management, email marketing, and more. With their personalized approach and commitment to excellence, DDigitalTree is the perfect partner for any business looking to grow and succeed in the digital age.

hi i love your blog! do you any mentoring 1:1 sessions or take clients ?

Hi! I’m not qualified to do that. I’m happy to give relatively “simple” advice if you drop a message in my DMs/ shoot me a message and I’ll answer it “publicly” like I do in my q/a.

SMALL BUSINESS MENTORING AND SOCIAL NETWORKING - A Mentor’s 17 -Year Comparative Review of The SCORE And MicroMentor Web Sites

https://rosecoveredglasses.wordpress.com/2023/12/04/small-business-mentoring-and-social-networking/