Years ago he asked elders, “So, what should I do?” and they answered the best they could. But was their best good enough? Of course not! Today he has the same question but doesn’t know whom to ask.

He felt like a rat trapped in a maze. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how fast he ran, he couldn’t find the right way. Again and again, he would run, run, run but end up at a dead end or at a place he did not want to be.

“Only if I could see beyond the wall”, he would often think, “life would be much easier and better”. Alas, he wasn’t tall enough to do so; but someone was! He was finally glad that he found a giant who could see further. “Newton was right!”, he exclaimed remembering the quote he had read so many times but was realizing its significance today - If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of GIANTS.

Where are your GIANTS?

If you find your life or career in a maze like above, find the giants who can help you. It would be even better if one could find them even before entering the maze. Finding right giants is crucial if you want to see further and avoid wrong paths. In fact, Giants or mentors can make huge difference by granting you an unfair advantage over others. How? By letting you benefit from their experience and knowledge, they help you avoid the mistakes they had made. They can guide you to choose the right path at an intersection. Most importantly, they can authoritatively and correctly answer your question “So, What should I do?”

Remember that the elders did also answer the best they could but their best was not good enough. Why? because a driver may not be the right person to ask about how to fly a plane.
So how would you find your giant(s)? You would want your mentor to be someone who has reached where you want to go, achieved what you want to do, and is what you want to be. Find the best of such people and get them to mentor you. In other words, if you want to learn to fly, find the best pilot who would mentor you.

Finally, remember that the best of the lot are the best because they accomplish much more than others and which is why their time is more valuable. Give them a reason to help you and fulfill what they ask for to let you stand on their shoulders.

There is at least one more thing that you must know and do. Check the next and final part of this mini series to find out.