In our journeys towards heroine-ism, it is important to take a step back and think of others. How can we give back?

You have already come a long way. Your journey and experiences are unique to you. Believe it or not, there are heroines in training itching for your advice, who could use exactly the wisdom you already possess.

How to be a Mentor

• Offer advice. Whenever a connection clicks, offer to help. It could be someone interested in applying to the college you attended, or someone looking to start their first knitting project, you expert craftswoman.
• Remember when you needed advice. Think of something you found challenging that now you can help someone else learn.
• Acknowledge your strengths. What can you offer? What seems obvious to you now might have taken others to help you understand.
• Remember that you are always learning. One of the best ways to learn something, or really know it, is to teach it. If you can explain it to someone else, you get it yourself. Even though you’re giving back, you’re helping yourself tune up your skills.
• Check in. If someone asked for your advice, ask them how their project turned out.
• Send encouragement. Post a card or zip over an email to say good luck on that test or that interview.
• Put your best self on display. Being a mentor isn’t just advising and answering questions. Being a heroine is being a role model all the time: look good and behave well not just for the sake of it, but to set an example for those who look up to you. They exist, I promise.

Start now, with the Internet.

• Sign up for the Network of Nice. Sarah von Bargen offers monthly “hookups” where you can offer your services and accept help from others.
• Answer questions on Facebook. Some of the best advice I’ve gotten on travel, or random knowledge, has come from shooting a question into space on Facebook or Twitter.
• Share useful articles. Host a links roundup on your blog, like my Sunday Sampling, or share on social media or email. [Like this lesson, for instance, if you found it useful ;)]

What are your strengths? How can you help?

Pick one of the suggestions above – or add your own! – and tell me how it goes!

Share your progress in the comments!

Images: 1 2 3