Looking back on my life I realize that I have had many great mentors and idols. They have all helped me to grow as a person and to become the woman that I am today. I wanted to share some of my experiences with mentors and to encourage you to make a similar list and look for the current day mentors that inspire you today. I am still finding new mentors every day and I look forward to each new encounter knowing that I might meet a mentor within them. I remember how much I looked up to the women in my life and how much I tried to be like them. I would preen like Marilyn Monroe, kick like my Tae Kwon Do instructor, program my computer like Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I looked up to my babysitters and would often ask them to tell me stories about their lives, how many friends they had or what having a boyfriend was like and what made them tick.

Today I realized that I am now in the mentoring role. I have been an inspiration to young girls who practiced Tae Kwon Do after me and saw that attaining a black belt at such a young age is possible. I have blazed a trail for other girls from my high school to attend University classes in an Engineering or Mathematics related field. Recently I also realized that I am a role model for one our family friends’ daughter who is growing up and going through high school. It feels strange to be the one to impart my knowledge and experience, but at the same time it feels rewarding knowing that I can help others just by being myself and aspiring to grow as an individual and set new standards of excellence for myself.

The reason I started Billionaire Woman was so that we could each have powerful and successful women to look up to. Although I am still working on the Billionaire Case studies, I have found that in order for us to learn from someone, the person does not need to have amassed a large fortune. In fact it is often by looking at those less fortunate than us that we can truly see what is worth living for and how to keep a positive outlook on life.

I hope this list will inspire you to look back on all of the great mentors you have had and see if you could spread your wisdom or experiences to others who might need it.

My Mother
I think every young girl looks up to her mother and learns from her in one way or another. It is probably because of my constant imitation of my mother that today many of my reactions in life are similar to those of my mother. She taught me to be responsible, to be caring of others and to follow my heart. She always wanted me to experience things that she was unable to experience when she was a young girl. Because of her upbringing, I am now a flourishing successful woman. I also hold very different viewpoints about life and sometimes this causes some friction between us. However we are still close and every day we share in our common goals and wishes for the earth.

My best friends
The first few friends you make tend to influence you a lot. I discovered that I was easily swayed by their opinions and ideas. I even plastered my walls with Jonathan Taylor Thomas pictures because my best friend introduced me to the teen boy thing. I also enjoyed similar music to my friends and I cared deeply about their opinions. Today some of these things have changed as I’ve matured and evolved, but some of the important factors remain: when the going gets tough, my friends and I are there for each other.

My Tae Kwon Do Instructor
My Tae Kwon Do instructor reminded me of myself so much that I emulated her every move and it showed. Some of our Tae Kwon Do friends watched a video tape of my performance during a Tae Kwon Do national competition and it took them half of the performance to realize that it was me and not my instructor. Today my instructor and I are still in contact and although the nature of our relationship has changed, we still exchange ideas and she still inspires me to be the best that I can be, no matter what.

Buffy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Who said I couldn’t have idols who were fictional? Buffy the Vampire Slayer along with the character Willow both really inspired me. I was doing Tae Kwon Do and I was pursuing computer programming and web site design in my spare time. These girls helped me to realize that it was normal for women to take on a male-dominated field and excel. I watched these shows over and over for many years. I still watch them from time to time, but now their memory is all that I need to remind myself that anything is possible.

Acid Burn from the movie Hackers
The movie Hackers was the first to romanticize the computer programming field for me. I had always had a passion for computers and writing, but before this movie I would never really have considered to pursue it with such fervor. The fact that the male character and the female character are in a constant battle of the minds and sexes also fueled my desire to find more women like me. I think that the stubbornness of the Acid Burn character taught me that sometimes it takes a bit of hard hardheadedness to get what you want. I am still interested in the gender issue to this day.
Angelina Jolie
As you can tell from my previous choice of idols, I always had a sweet spot for Angelina Jolie. When she came to film a movie in my home town in Quebec, Canada I was blessed to get a chance to meet her. I really admire her tenacity, her edge, her compassion and her devotion to other human beings. She has proven herself to be a great stewardess of the planet and I really think she cares for children everywhere and the people of this earth.

More recently…

Sarma MeIngailis
When living in New York City I visited Sarma’s Pure Food and Wine restaurant as often as I could. Although I never formally met Sarma I saw her every now and then at the cafe. I was awed by her beauty and inspired by the message she passed along in her book. I keep in touch with her happenings by reading her weblog and I am proud to have her as an role model.

Tina Su
Recently I discovered the weblog of Tina Su. After realizing that she graduated from the same University as I, I contacted her and found out we had a lot more in common than I first imaged. I really look up to Tina because she has taken charge of her life and she is a great example of being present. I enjoy learning from her experiences over at her site Think Simple Now, and I look forward to possibly meeting her one day.

One word of caution that I want to impart on you is to remember that our mentors, idols and guides are just as human as we are. As one wise master cautioned her disciples to impose their needs for perfection on her: “You harm yourself when giving me all your power.” [Paraphrased from One Minute Wisdom, Anthony deMello in The Mentor’s Spirit, Marsha Sinetar] I want to remind you that mentors, teachers and those who inspire us might be gurus in our eyes, but they are still human with warts and all. They have had their own trying experiences and they have come out the other end, one way or another. They make choices every day in their lives and there might be aspects of their personalities that we do not like or understand. But that does not mean they cannot teach us to grow and flourish. In fact it is often by seeing how people we admire act under tough conditions that we can see how we would ourselves solve problems in our lives.

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