Episode 30: World Changers Need Mentors with Natalie Hormann

This week on the Seeds of Tao podcast we have Natalie Hormann from New Zealand with us. In the episode, Natalie shares her amazing story from growing up in Germany, to living through Chernobyl fallout, moving to New Zealand, and transferring careers from law to community education to personal development coaching. One big idea we really latched on to when listening to the episode was the value of mentors in our lives. No matter where you are, no matter what line of work you are in, everyone needs a mentor.

If you'd like to get in touch with Natalie, you can check out her website at www.futurelivingcoach.com or on Facebook, on her page or in her free Facebook Group.

Our Lives Were Changed by a Mentor

A couple of years ago, Josh and I were introduced to personal development through mentorship by recommendation of a friend. We went to an event that was going to help us focus on our marriage. I personally wasn’t so sure about it. Yes, Josh and I weren't very close at that time, we weren’t communicating very well, and I really only wanted to go in order to get the break from the day to day with the kids. I really didn’t care what the topic was on, it was a mini-vacation in my mind.

After the first of three days, I was a stone wall. We had gone to a seminar put on by a husband and wife and they really advocated working on yourself and THEN working on your marriage. We went home the first night with homework, which I begrudgingly completed, and I totally felt a block when it came to improving myself. I had it together, I didn’t have anything to work on. Maybe this was more for Josh.

The next day there started to be cracks. I was starting to really see my own thought patterns and the things I was struggling with. I used to be a HUGE self-sabotager. I used to raise my hand thinking I wouldn’t get called on, or enter a raffle thinking I never win anything. I had TONS of negative internal dialogue starting to come to the surface, and I realized I seriously had some things to work on.

By the end of day three I had made significant progress. I realized that the main reason we had “failed” in our adventure to Montana was, more than anything else, a lack of mindset skills. In Montana, our negative internal dialogue ruled our lives, and we threw it at each other all the time. In fact, I realized that I had given up on so many of my goals growing up because I simply talked myself out of them. 

I couldn’t let this go on anymore.

I had to learn how to get in control of my mind, and have it work for me, rather than against me. So I dove into self-development. I got a mentor. He opened parts of my mind I didn’t even know were closed. He challenged the way I thought of things. He challenged me to be better.

Because of our experiences with mentors, Josh and I dove head first into learning to do this for other people, helping them through their struggles, helping them to reach their goals. We are firm believers that EVERYONE needs a mentor to be the best they can be. Mentors change lives.

What is a Mentor?

A mentor is someone ahead of you on the highway, who offers you a different perspective, and helps you along your way. Mentors are not therapists. Mentors are not just cheerleaders. Mentors are people who fully invest themselves into seeing you succeed and becoming what you dream of. 

Snapping You Out of Your Head

Natalie had mentioned in the podcast interview the need to snap yourself out of your paradigm, as she talked about that happening to her when watching I Am Not Your Guru, and talking to the woman about the “No Junk Mail” sign on her mailbox. Sometimes we stay trapped in our one point of view, our one set of worries, our one way of thinking about the people in the world around us, and we limit our growth.

Mentors offer an outside perspective and challenge you to think differently about things. They provide space to dream and be creative with your life like nothing else will.

How to Find a Mentor

There are many mentors out there. Some informally mentor in an area of work, or for younger friends with common interests, while some work in more of a formal setting, charging for services and holding appointments. One of the big steps to get started looking for a mentor is to figure out the type of thing you want to learn. Some will be more business savvy, or know more about mindset, and so on. The possibilities are endless. When you have a clear idea of where to start, get out and start talking to people, and looking on the internet. Most mentors, Josh and myself included, will offer a free first appointment so that you can see if you jive with them. Everyone is so different, it is incredibly important to make sure your mentor is someone you can hold in confidence, someone that you gel with. And then, the sky is the limit!

There you have it for another week of the Seeds of Tao podcast and blog, we hope that you are inspired to get out there, take control of your life, and find a mentor to help you do so. If you’re interested in dabbling with personal development, but aren’t quite ready to invest in a program, we recommend going through our FREE Dreamcatcher Mini-Course to help you get more grounded on your purpose and formulate clear goals to shoot for.

Keep Growing!

Previous Episode: A Vision of Permaculture in Suburbia with Jim Gale