Sam Chan is my friend. We first met when I was teaching his son, Anthony. A few years later, I had the pleasure of teaching his daughter, Christina, as well. In addition to being excellent students, both were actively involved in the school’s international exchange program. The Chan family hosted several visiting students from our sister school in Nagasaki, Japan.
On several occasions, Sam has reached out to me. His timing was impeccable. He seems to have a higher level of intuition than most people I know. Though we don’t see each other often, I consider him to be more than just a friend and former parent. Sam is a mentor.
The dictionary definition of the word mentor can be a bit misleading. I have no problem accepting the first part of the definition: “n. - a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.” The second part of the definition, however, is not always accurate: “n. - an influential senior sponsor or supporter.”
I was the teacher in this relationship, right? Sam is the parent of two of my former students. I am also a few years older than Sam, so how is it that I could consider Sam to be my mentor? It’s really quite simple. Sam is smarter, more perceptive, and more empathetic than I am. I have been fortunate enough to be the recipient of his kindness, his knowledge, his wisdom, and his uncanny perceptiveness.
Several years ago, prior to my retirement, when I was struggling with my future in teaching, Sam sent me a message suggesting that we get together. We did. I didn’t know what was on his mind, but I trusted him enough to know that it would be in my best interest to accept his invitation. It was time well-spent. It was during that meeting that Sam recommended that I read The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. To be honest, the name of the book didn’t interest me at all. In fact, if anything, it intimidated me. I didn’t know the meaning of the word alchemist.
Thanks to Sam’s recommendation, I did read the book. It wasn’t what I expected, which isn’t saying much because I didn’t know what to expect. It was, however, insightful and motivating. Eight lines in particular from The Alchemist caused me to think.
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.”
“…we are each responsible for our own feelings and cannot blame someone else for what we feel.”
“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
“It’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary.”
“He had to choose between something he had become accustomed to or something he wanted to have.”
“There’s no such thing as coincidence.”
One more Paulo Coelho quote for which I am grateful came to my attention while researching the author’s life. This quote was instrumental in my decision to retire from teaching at age 61 and focus on writing. It comes from his book The Zahir, a novel I have not yet read. This quote caused me to take action.
“One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. Do it now.”
Done. Thank you, Sam.
