Skip to content

    2 Reasons Why Mentoring is Great for You

    March 24, 2017

    “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I will learn.” — Ben Franklin

    Of all the topics I’ve written about over the years, this may be the most important.

    That’s because the subject matter has the awesome power to help you make a difference in the lives of others, while simultaneously helping you become both healthier and happier.

    According to Patricia A. Boyle, a neuropsychologist and researcher for the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a study of 1,500 men and women conducted over 25 years showed that having a “purpose” not only helps stave off Alzheimer’s and dementia, but leads to a longer life.

    Said Boyle: “Those who reported having purpose in life showed a 30 percent slower rate of cognitive decline than those who did not. Having purpose reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s and its precursor, mild cognitive impairment. Even those whose brains had the plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer’s had better cognitive brain function. It’s a remarkable finding.”

    What is Purpose?

    The definition of “purpose” is anything that serves as one’s intention or objective in life.

    Said Boyle: “It’s the sense that your life has meaning. You’re engaged in things that energize and motivate you, and that you think are important on a broader level, beyond just yourself.”

    But let’s face it, even with a textbook definition, the word “purpose” is akin to looking out over the ocean and trying to predict what’s beneath the surface.

    Simply, what’s good for you may not be desirable for me.

    But the one thing that Boyle’s research showed was common to everyone in the study, was that the happiest of all the purposeful people were those who decided to become mentors.

    The Social Benefits of Mentoring

    “I am not a teacher, but an awakener.” — Poet Robert Frost

    Mature people understand what it takes to survive and thrive. And it’s perfectly natural to want to pass that wisdom and experience on to others. Let’s face it, we’ve been there. We’ve dealt with bullies, ill fortune and disappointments, and we’ve overcome them and thrived.

    So, socially speaking, what does mentoring provide to either you or the mentee?

    • Social connections
    • A form of continuing education
    • A way to give to others
    • A way to give back to the community
    • A great use of your time
    • A way to change the direction of someone’s life

    Just about everyone I know who has a positive outlook on life, can search their memory to come up with a period when a coach, a spiritual advisor, a teacher, someone, reached out to them and acted as their mentor.

    Imagine the strength of a community where every mature person acted as a mentor to a younger person?

    The Health Benefits of Mentoring

    Having touched upon the social benefits of mentoring, what about the health benefits?

    Studies such as Boyle’s have shown that mentors:

    • Have higher cognitive abilities than people who choose not to mentor
    • Have lower blood pressure
    • Have a 30% slower decline in mental faculties
    • Have 40% less incidence of depression
    • Are less prone to alcohol and drug addiction
    • Tend to have a lighter body mass index
    • Have a more positive outlook about life (than non-mentors)
    • May actually live an average of 4 years longer (than non-mentors)

    The results are in: The next time you are looking for a way to have a positive impact on the world, become a mentor. It will not only improve your health and outlook, it may very likely change the direction of a young person’s life.

    “Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Are you interested in topics like this related to quality of life in retirement? We’ve recently had several guests on our Money Matters radio program who are experts in the study of what it means to retire well.
    © 1993-2024, Allworth Financial. All rights reserved.

      Privacy Policy   |    Disclosures   |    Cookie Preferences   |    Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

       

      Advisory services offered through Allworth Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor | Disclosures | Privacy Policy

      Securities offered through AW Securities, a Registered Broker/Dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Check the background of this firm on FINRA's BrokerCheck.

      HMRN Insurance Agency, LLC license #0D34087

      1Barron’s 2024 Top 100 RIA Firms. Barron's© magazine is a trademark of Dow Jones L.P. The ranking of independent advisory companies is based on assets managed by the firms, growth, technology spending, succession planning, and other metrics.

       2 Retention Rate Source: Allworth Internal Data, FY 2022

      3 The NBRI Circle of Excellence Award is bestowed upon NBRI clients meeting one or both of the following criteria: Total Company score at or above the 75th percentile of the NBRI ClearPath Benchmarking Database and/or improvement of five (5) or more benchmarking percentiles in Total Company score over the previous survey. 

      4 As of 7/1/2024, Allworth Financial, an SEC registered investment adviser and AW Securities, a registered broker/dealer have approximately $22.5 billion in total assets under management and administration. 

      5 InvestmentNews 2020 and 2021 Best Places to Work for Financial Advisers. The ranking reflects survey responses and scores completed by both employers and employees. Employers report their organization’s workplace policies, practices, and demographics. Employees complete a survey designed to measure the employee experience. 

      6  2021 Value of an Advisor Study / Russel Investments

      7 Ranked 9th Top Wealth Managers By Growth in Assets in the U.S. from RIA Channel, 2022. RIA Database and RIA Channel are registered trademarks owned by Labworks, LLC.

      8 USA Today Best Financial Advisory Firms 2024. The ranking is based on the growth of the companies’ assets under management (AUM) over the short and long term and the number of recommendations they received from clients and peers.

      9 NBRI Best in Class Ethics 2023. The Best in Class level is bestowed upon clients performing at or above 90 percentile of the NBRI ClearPath Benchmarking Database.

      ✢ Scott Hanson, Investment Advisor 2005, 25 most influential people in the financial services industry. The ranking reflects 25 people who Investment Advisor magazine believes have had or will have the greatest influence on the financial services industry.

      ✼Pat McClain, InvestmentNews 2014, Invest in Others Community Service Award, presented to an advisor who has made an outstanding impact on a community through managerial contributions to a non-profit organization.

      †Financial Times, FT 300 Top Registered Investment Advisers, June 2019. The ranking reflects six areas of consideration including the company's years in existence, industry certifications of key employees, AUM, asset growth, SEC compliance record and online accessibility and calculates a numeric score for each company. 

      Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.