Guides and Rules of the Road 103answer or role model – do not copy a mentor, but help them
bring out the best in you, so you become more yourself.
As long as you carefully select what parts you model, many
fictional or historical characters can act as a mentor. How
about the absolute unswerving motivation and dedication
shown by the Tim Robbins character in the film The Shaw-
shank Redemption? Or the inventive zeal of Harrison Ford
as Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark? They used these
qualities in their quest, and you can take them and use them
in yours.
In many cultures there is a rich tradition of animal guides.
Animals show qualities more starkly than we do, undiluted by
intellectual considerations or worries about long-term conse-
quences or morality. They cannot speak, so their behaviour
speaks for them. Whenever I go to the zoo, I like to watch the
big cats prowl their cage. They seem to have a tremendous
solidity and at the same time an incredible lightness and
grace. They seem to be able to balance relaxation with instant
action when needed. We think cats are lazy, but it seems to
me they only do what is necessary and use the minimum
amount of effort to do it. That is a quality I would like.
A place can also be a mentor. There are places where you
feel comfortable, places that suit you, places where you can
think. Natural beauty has an effect that is inspiring and
soothing at the same time, and that always takes me back to
the beauty and tranquillity of the sun setting behind the is-
land of Molokai, looking out from Maui in the Hawaiian
islands. At sunset it goes very quiet, the air grows denser and
softer and seems to absorb sounds, and they disappear into
it, leaving no trace. However frantic life becomes in London,
I can relive that moment. There are such mentor places
everywhere and once you find them, they are always avail-
able because you can carry them with you.
Choosing your Mentors
Choose a real person, someone you can trust, someone
with whom you can talk over your ideas, perhaps a
member of your family, a friend or a work colleague.