It is crucial for your growth to have awesome mentors, teachers. Everyone is different. It is worth your effort for sure. I want to share these ideas with you. If you resonate it might be useful, if not, just drop them. No worries.
I was reading an established artist interview who picked eight young artists to mentor. He chose those who did not want to be successful. At first I though his plan was to help them but then…He told them that most likely they would not be successful. He told them that Van Gogh could not sell anything, and that should be their role model. I was reading all this nonsense and had only one thought: “These young artists need to run away from that kind of mentor.” I love Van Gogh’s Art but why do we have to repeat his suffering?
Why do we love to spread our powerless ideas around was my next thought? Stupidity? Ego? A good news is there is a remedy. If their idea makes you powerless, question that idea before you do anything else. Look at how it makes you feel and how your life will be with that idea. If you do not like it, do not listen. There are plenty of choices. No need to be stuck with one person’s nonsense.
In Vedic tradition, a teacher is not higher than a student. It is a student who makes a person into a teacher. The teacher can not be self-centered. Playing the role of a teacher, the Teacher is enriched even more than a student. If a teacher is not enriched by his teachings, does not constantly come up with new truths, techniques, methods for various groups, levels, then …do not listen to that kind of teacher. The Vedic education system is an awakening system. I use it in art as well as in spiritual counseling. It works because it empowers, and I grow with every conversation or class. The education system of a non-involvement narrative will not be effective or efficient. Students need to study teachers, as well as teachers need to study students for the successful education process. It is easy to impress someone for 5 min but watching your teacher day after day, hour after hour during a long workshop or retreat will give you non-verbal knowledge, experience. That value is hard to overestimate.
Choose your teachers wisely.
(inspired by the talk of Paramahamsa Nithyananda www.nithyananda.tv)