Getting A Do-over

Getting a Do-Over

I BELIEVE THAT, regardless of our age, we need mentors in our lives. We need successful men or women who have walked ahead—who can lend us valuable insight and objectivity when we’re caught up in the turmoil of life rather than thoughtfully, purposefully living our lives.

My mentor is my girlfriend Elaine. She is older; she is wiser; and she is honest (sometimes brutally, as I’m not the easiest person to direct). If I have doubts about where I’m going, what I’m doing, or how I’m going to get there, I often call Elaine. Now I know not everyone has an Elaine. Shoot! She didn’t even show up in my life until 1997, but when she did, I realized I had been missing a crystal-clear “voice of experience” (that wasn’t my mother’s).

One thing a mentor can lend you is her “been there, done that” story. I call these do-overs. In case you don’t have such a great role model in your life, I thought I’d collect and share with you a few do-overs from some of my girlfriends. Their do-overs are experiences to which, had they had a mentor, they might have acted or reacted differently—even though they wouldn’t change their lives today. These gals range in age from forty plus to sixty plus; some are single, some are married; some have stayed home with kids, others have juggled motherhood while racing around the professional track. But all of them live lives of uncommon joy.

Because our do-overs are personal (mine will be included), all of my friends, their precise ages, where they live, and their original hair color will remain anonymous. I will paint for you, however, a picture of these women’s personalities in the hope that you will be able to relate to them and their experiences. I think you’ll benefit from their hindsight too.

The heartfelt counsel of a friendis as sweet as perfume and incense. (Proverbs 27:9)

There’s no doubt—we’re all going to make our own mistakes. We don’t always choose wisely. But my desire is that the wisdom, insight, and experiences of others will give you something to ponder so you can minimize the frustration, pain, and disappointment that sometimes come when we’re caught up in the whirlwind of life.