Online Mentoring (coaching) .... does it work? My main passion for life is personal growth. Both for myself and for others. Here is a true story of a relationship I developed online that brought me to a new-found understanding that mentoring online, on a deep personal level, works.
I wont share the real name of the person I have grown to love and appreciate beyond words, but I will tell you that she has become like baby sister to me. So I will call her Sis in this story.
I met Sis one day when I was chatting to a friend overseas using Yahoo Chat. A knock came to my online door and "Sis" introduced herself to me. She had done a random search and found my name because I had something common to her in my Yahoo Profile.
We chatted often and shared many deep and "touchy" parts of ourselves. There were fears Sis revealed that she hungered to overcome. Also, I quickly found many talents in her character that were unused and unexplored.
When we first met, she was unemployed and scared to reach for her dreams. One of which was to see some of United States, as her mother was born and raised in the Eastern side of the US.
Sis was obviously highly intelligent and well educated.
Over time, I encouraged her to step more out of her comfort zone. First I knew she must find employment and due to some of her fears, it would be best if she had a job dealing face to face with public. Even though her education could have landed her a high paying executive assistant job, she needed more contact face to face and less with files, typing and administrative work.
She landed a job serving people in a very low paying job that, in a way, compares to a waitress in a greasy spoon diner. "Perfect I thought to myself."
Next I encouraged her to start researching what she would need to make a trip to the US possible. Maybe a work Visa, as she wanted to stay longer than she could afford. A 2 week vacation would never come close to fulfilling her dream.
She amazed me with her "growing enthusiasm" and it was evident quickly that she was becoming self confident. About this time we spoke on the phone a couple times.... me in Canada Sis in Europe.
She came across a wonderful opportunity as her hunger to explore grew and her fears of stepping out of her comfort zone diminished. She found (online) an advertisement for a live in counselor in a group home. The pay was next to Nil, but living expenses were included along with specialized training in a unique holistic method of working with the handicapped. This fit one of her passions of the heart. Although educated for executive assistant type positions, she had a passion to help others.
Not long after, she got the position, then borrowed the money from her parents for flights and BANG, she found herself in a California. A scared stranger in a strange land, but she was there!
We continued many chats and emails as she settled into her new home. Slowly she become less fearful and our chats decreased, but when we did chat - I was no longer "just her mentor." Now she was sharing great stories of exploring and meeting new people and doing new things. She even took drivers training and received her license.
Her year ended all too soon, but there was an extra treat in it for me.... my Sis made a stop to see me in Canada before she went back to Europe.
She has grown from a scared little girl to a beautiful young lady. Recently she found a man and they married. I now have a Brother In-law...LOL
All this happened in just over three to four years.
Personal Growth and mentoring is a very rewarding and deeply personal thing. I am blessed to have many in my life who have come to me offline and my mentoring has made a difference.
Young men I have mentored, coached and "partied with as one of the boys," (even though I am the age of their parents) have got married and found great careers. Their girlfriends/wives have shared with me how much I have meant to them. It is a great feeling.
Offline this type of experience is common, yet my experience with Sis proves to me that online can bring the same rewards.
Online mentoring works.
Neil Spe
This intel first appeared on: http://hubpages.com/hub/Online-Mentoring-Works
