Mentors can be life changing.

Have you been fortunate enough to ever have a mentor who changed the course of your life in some way? You might at first be inclined to say no, but I encourage you to think back to your teachers, counselors, bosses; anyone you look up to. Mentors come in so many forms. When I look back on my own life, I realize just how many different mentors I’ve had over the years. The good news is there’s no cap on the number of mentors you can have—I love knowing that I’ll be attracting many more as I keep growing, learning, and moving forward.

One of my dear mentors, Louise Hay, passed away last month. The very first time our paths crossed was in the self-help section of a bookstore, when I pulled out her book You Can Heal Your Life. It was just what I needed at the time. My life felt completely overwhelming due to my brother’s drug addiction. Being a truth-seeker at heart, I have always looked for answers when I’m in need of help. Experiencing the world of addiction with my brother led me on many different paths: Al-anon meetings, drug addiction counselors, and of course, the self-help section of the bookstore.

As I sat down in the bookstore and started to read, Louise’s words carried me away. It was like she was talking just to me. I believe when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Louise was one of my favorite teachers. I ended up purchasing her book and followed her instructions, doing affirmations and transforming my life by putting myself first. That book has played an important part in my healing process and I still reference it today to keep my health in balance.  Dealing with addiction has shown me that support can show up in many different forms. Be open to all the wonderful mentors that can help you through challenging times.

Though the wisdom in Louise’s book was invaluable, I was fortunate to be able to interact with her in person, too. I enjoyed many of her wonderful “I can do it” conferences, where she shared other amazing authors and mentors, like Cheryl Richardson, Wayne Dyer, and Robert Holden. Louise had a true gift for sharing, whether it was her knowledge, wisdom or other amazing authors through her conferences and Hay House. The last time our path crossed was last year, at her 90th-birthday celebration. The tribute was beautiful and all the speakers shared their personal stories of how Louise touched their lives. It was a magical day and I feel blessed to have been a part of it. Thank you, Louise, for touching my heart, sharing your story, and blessing my life–I’m forever grateful.