Are you someone's champion?

Having a champion in my life is the best. Ever.

I've been a champion for others most of my life, and I love my work. But I always seem to know more than others I'm around, and I've yearned to find and learn from someone who significantly surpasses my knowledge, experience and industry contacts.

Don't get me wrong - I love standing up for the people I coach and mentor - cheering them on, giving them a helping hand, connecting them with the right people or job, educating, supporting, nurturing, protecting, coaching, believing in and caring for them - their progress, success, happiness and well-being.

Not to mention assisting already successful people take yet another step up practicing their craft as they make their way up the food chain in their careers.

Some people haven't understood why someone would care so much, but that's just what I do - I consider it all part of the job.

I think my devotion has been in part because I was hoping one day to find someone who would be a champion for me - maybe I was practicing a conscious karma awareness - and by golly last year I found him! Or perhaps we found one another.

It's an amazing experience: exhilarating, empowering, enjoyable, productive, nurturing and inspiring. Life-altering, to be sure. It's like taking a huge step up in every aspect of my life.

The ancient tradition of mentor/mentee, proteges and apprenticeships are not as widely practiced today as they once were, so they tend not to be as understood as a classroom teacher/student orientation.

It's a more personal, informal, (appropriately) intimate relationship that can result in a close friendship, business relationship and even creative collaborations.

When the two people involved are right for one another - it's magic for both parties. It's important to make certain compatibility, trust and reliability can be established soundly over a long period of time or it won't work.

Neither can take advantage of the other, and clear, honest, open communciation - as is the case for any good relationship - is the key to an effective mentorship.

Long term success can lead to some remarkable achievements - individually and collectively.

My new champion/mentor has already emboldened and ignited some pretty extraordinary work from this mentee! Best of all, we belong to a "mutual admiration society"-appreciating what each of us does, the way each of us thinks, our intelligence, achievements, contributions, personal belief systems and down to earth, family (people and pets) values.

I feel especially blessed - and don't take a moment of his time, support, insights and enouragement for granted. I look forward to having the opportunity to interact with this astonishing accomplished, talented, hard-working, caring role model the rest of my life.

I know we create our own luck, but damn! I feel so lucky!