This is an ode to one of the greatest man there ever was, yes, you guessed it right!

None other than the great boxing champion, Mohammad Ali. We celebrate this day of January 17, as International Mentoring Day in tribute to the the greatest who not only inspired us by what he achieved albeit by also his great words of wisdom.

I remember reading in his biography, that he said he believed he was the greatest even when the world did not quite believe that. Isn’t this fundamental attribute and most defining quality of success, the most precious gift that we can give to ourselves and to those around us – the gift of belief. Not so long ago, when I was a young girl, all of 13 years of age, I remember I was the lankiest girl in the whole class. Participating in a high jump competition, I was not able to clear the jump rod. Every time I took a shot at it, every time I tripped. After about 5 such attempts, my teacher took me aside, and said, Rupinder, your problem is not the technique, ‘you don’t believe you can do it’. Try once again, with all your belief and you may just succeed. I did try again and I failed.

The reason was I really didn’t believe I could do it. That night I went back home and cried myself to sleep. There was a voice in my head which said repeatedly, you cannot do it, you are not good enough. That voice kept ringing in my ears for many many years, till one fine day, when I joined the Indian Army in 2002.

This time, after 10 long years, when I went to Army Medical Training Center and School, Lucknow, for my basic training, the little voice pooped in my head again…silently making its way through my heart. I was walking timidly to the grounds, on my first day, not sure, whether I, the first one from my family to join the Forces will be able to make it.

Voila, when suddenly our instructor shouted from behind, You can do it!

I hung on to those words like a breath of fresh air in a choking room full of carbon monoxide. During the next 3 months, what I experienced was a stretch beyond imagination, physical, mental, spiritual. The voice that gave me courage, made me believe in myself and supported me throughout the course not only to make it albeit also make it to top3 medalists in the course was none other than my instructor/ my mentor.

Mentors can come in all shapes and sizes- formal boss who turns a mentor, somebody inside the organization, or even outside – a family member, a friend and an erstwhile colleague. They not only believe in you but also give you sound advise, become your biggest support system as well as your biggest critic. Not only was my mentor my cheerleader, but also my counsellor and consultant.. that is also what I call the 3 Cs of mentoring.

That day, of June 7, 2012 and to this day, if I am able to make a difference in my life and the lives of others, it is that principle of holding on to mentors and giving back to mentees. informal or formal—- mentoring challenges us to do better and be better. So, if you haven’t found one, which in my opinion is a rare case, make an extra effort to do so, and if you are not mentoring someone, you are missing a golden opportunity to contribute meaningfully to someone’s life.