Being a life Enjoyment Mentor requires more than just the ability to understand and explain the benefits of enjoyment for creating our naturally best life. Mentoring requires a deep sense of awareness and understanding about what makes people tick.
It was in my years as a professional recreation planner that I learned about the power of the enjoyment factor in life. However, it was in my previous volunteer club administration life that (unknowingly) I learned what was required to become a mentor.
Let me begin with an instance that occurred in my late 20’s. I was into my third of 12 years as President of the Old Canberrans Hockey Club, one of Canberra's largest field hockey clubs. One of the more senior members of the Committee said to me, "you know Peter, in the three years since you became President, this Club has not had a single major conflict!". What I didn’t realize for many years was he was telling me more than him thinking I was a good president, but also my:
- human leadership skills,
- awareness of situations and decisions affecting members individually and the Club as a whole,
- depth of understanding members as unique individuals,
- balanced approach,
- being non-judgemental of peoples' comments and views,
- attentively listening, not just to hear but to be sure I understood what was in their mind.
In the latter part of those 12 years, I also took on the ACT Hockey Association duties of Competition Secretary. On leaving Canberra to come to Adelaide, I was given the honour of a surprise send-off Association dinner. Those Canberra years were the pinnacle of my club administration duties that began at the age of 14, at one of two Melbourne clubs before moving to Canberra.
My many subsequent years as a Life Enjoyment Mentor have honed, deepened and expanded my depth of understanding the power of enjoyment in our lives. Yet I also look back with pride and satisfaction at how much I learned about mentoring in my club administration days, through taking on leadership roles for no more reason than to help people of all ages and backgrounds enjoy the sport we all loved.
