Chapter 11: My Mentor Interview

My mentor was a family friend and former neighbor (before we moved). I figured my mentor should be someone with experience, someone who's got their act together. She's is 63 years old and I have known her since I was a little girl. She has been a great friend throughout my years.

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1. Can you describe your life to me in less than 50 words? I was very smart, capable, ambitious, and selfish, but I didn't know I was selfish, so I ruined other people to get what I wanted. Now, I get to live with the fruit of my selfishness, so I changed, hoping to 1) stop being destructive, and 2) start being constructive and helping to repair of my destruction.

2. What have you been successful at? Business, marriage, and my relationship with the Lord.

3. What did you consider successful when you were younger? Being important, doing something that stands out in the way that I'm recognized by people.

4. What's your current career, and how did you come to choose it? I am a minister, and I didn't choose it!

5. Have you had multiple careers? What are they? Motherhood, hairstyling, I owned multiple businesses all having to do with personal service, and I did sales and (now) ministry.

6. What career advice would you have for me? That depends on your career!

7. If you could do high school over again, what would you do differently? The same again? I never finished high school. I wouldn't change that.

8. What advice about life can you share with me? Never compromise your principles for any reason, because when you let go of that, you're left with nothing. There's no reason to do anything.

9. What's the best way to deal with disappointment? Let it go!

10.What can you tell me about dealing with low self-esteem? Don't worry about it and go do something to raise it up. Build up your principles.

11.What are some books I should be reading? The Bible, and Pollyanna. Those books did more to set me on a good path than anything else. And I would recommend the book of Proverbs in The Bible.

12.Who do you suggest as people to admire? Yeshua, your parents, your grandparents, people who will help you strengthen your principles and core values, people who truly love you, people who hold your best interests, and your brother (I'll give you a challenge).

13.What is the most important time in life? I don't believe there is one most important time -- every moment that we're given by God is extremely important.

14.What advice would you give a young adult who is unsure of a direction? Don't be in a hurry and don't use that to be lazy about finding a direction.

15.What key changes have you seen in America? I've seen America go from a nation of people that loved it and pursued personal excellence for the purpose of collective excellence, to a nation filled with people who no longer care about their country or their own personal responsibility to retain her honor.

16.Can you predict where America is going? Down the toilet (if we don't change that).

17.What do you see happening with the rise of technology? Social disconnect and an illusion of social connectedness.

18.Overall, what advice would you give me about the future? Life is often disappointing (see No. 9).

19.If you could go back in time and tell yourself something, what would it be? I'm not as important as I think I am. I would be more conscious of other people and less self-conscious.

20.What would you say is the most influential/important moment in your life? I've always believed in the God of the Bible, but it didn't change me until I met him personally face-to-face at age 40.