Keep Your Mentors in Mind

I am a huge believer in having mentors in your life. It’s so important to have people you aspire to, whether you’ve met them or not. Also, I think it’s ideal to have a variety of leaders leading you along—not just one. Every mentor has unique and distinct qualities about them, skills that make them and only them exemplary. I think we should catch up all of these remarkable talents that we’ve witnessed and try to apply them to our own lives.Today as I focused on my top 5 mentors, I wanted to focus on outstanding women today. Sure, there are many amazing men who have been leaders in many facets, but I’m in a girl power kind of mood today! Here’s my list. I encourage you to write your own!1. Anne Sweeney: Not only is she the President of the Walt Disney ABC Television group, she has also been named as the most powerful woman in the entertainment industry by The Hollywood Reporter and she is in Forbes, “100 Most Powerful Women.” Not only does she lead the ABC Television network with finesse and a future mindset, she also does so with class and poise.2. Dolly Parton: Dolly had nothing as a child—she grew up in a one room cabin with 11 other siblings. Even though Dolly lived in scarcity, she took her singing voice to rocket herself into stardom. Dolly is an excellent reminder that if you love something enough and if you’re willing to work hard enough, your dreams can become a reality.3. Lisa Bloom: Not only is she a New York Times bestselling author with her book, Think, she also owns her own law firm and is a national legal analyst. Lisa and I have a great relationship and she has given me so much positive encouragement as I try to write my own book.4. My Auntie Nette: I think it’s important to have a mentor who you have regular communication with. My Aunt is one of my biggest sources of positivity and she always has advice for me when I’m in a tricky situation. I can always count on her and I learn so much by watching her lead her life with all things love and gratitude.5. Abbie Hageman: Abbie is actually a former roommate and current friend but I wanted to include her because I think she leads a truly extraordinary life. She recently traveled to Ghana to help over 1,200 people with Global Medical Brigades and she also volunteers on a weekly basis in the children’s cancer ward at Mattel hospital. An aspiring pediatric cardiologist, Abbie lives her life with constant positivity and enthusiasm—even when she is facing challenging times, she always, ALWAYS finds the silver lining.I hope you have people in your life that you admire—both people that you know and people that you’ve never met (but hope to meet someday). Life is not only about contentment in the present, it is about persisting toward a positive future with mentors in mind.Keep shining,The Sunny Girl, Lauren CookPlease follow me on Twitter by clicking here!