The Power of Teachers and Mentors in Our Lives

By Ronald Chapman

I call him Master Samwise, which embarrasses him. Yet he has been the single longest developmental presence in my life. I asked him to mentor me in October 1991, almost twenty-five years ago. Sam has taught me a great deal about being a man, a sober man, a husband and father, a coach and mentor, a professional in my field, an author and speaker, and more recently, a man on the downward side of what has been a fulfilled life.

Upon hearing that story, people often ask me how to find a great mentor. Invariably I tell them about multiple spiritual teachers and mentors, five in total counting Sam, with a combined contribution of fifty years, all after the age of thirty.

Once again those people ask me how to find a great mentor. Typically I digress to what are essentially qualifying questions.

Do you know just how badly you need the wisdom and experience of another person? It seems to me one must be convinced, perhaps even desperate, to overcome something in oneself or one’s life, or to learn and grow in some substantial way. Until we are aware of the depths of our need, I’m not sure one can find an exceptional guide.

Are you willing and able to be open minded, to set aside prejudices and certainties? Experience tells me that great mentorship can only find us when we are available for it. This is no small matter given we can only be as open minded as our closed minds will permit. We may have to be disturbingly honest with ourselves for a teacher to appear.

It is apparently true that when the student is ready the teacher appears. When the way within us is open, it may be inevitable that mentors will come to us. Then power, possibilities and potential can be unleashed in ways that are both unique and remarkable.

About The Book

A Killer’s Grace will stay with you long after you finish reading the final page. From the high desert of New Mexico comes a tale of mystery, murder and redemption. When journalist Kevin Pitcairn receives a disturbing letter from a serial killer, he is drawn into a compelling journey with profound psychological and spiritual implications, not just for the murderer, but for himself and society as a whole. As he tries to investigate and then tell the story, he finds himself battling his own inner demons and sordid history. Events conspire to propel an isolated matter to a national stage and audiences that are increasingly hostile. Forced to explore the roots of human psychology and sanity, Pitcairn must navigate moral and philosophical realms. What is the nature of evil? What powers of choice do humans actually possess? How may we be redeemed? And in the end, how do we reconcile with ourselves?

Paperback: 240 Pages

Genre: Fiction/spirituality
Publisher: Terra Nova Books; 2 edition (September 1, 2016)
ISBN-10: 1938288750

A Killer’s Grace is available at Amazon

About the Author:

Ronald Chapman is owner of an international speaking and consulting company, Magnetic North LLC. In addition to international accreditation as a speaker and national awards for radio commentary, he is the author of two novels, My Name is Wonder (Terra Nova Publishing, 2016) and A Killer's Grace (Terra Nova Publishing, 2016 and 2012), two works of non-fiction, Seeing True: Ninety Contemplations in Ninety Days (Ozark Mountain Publishing, 2008) and What a Wonderful World: Seeing Through New Eyes (Page Free Publishing, 2004) and the producer of three audio sets, Seeing True: The Way of Spirit (Ozark Mountain Publishing, 2016, 2005), Breathing, Releasing and Breaking Through: Practices for Seeing True (Ozark Mountain Publishing, 2015), and Seeing True – The Way of Success in Leadership (Magnetic North Audio, 2005). Ron provides a wide array of social media content atwww.SeeingTrue.com, content for people in substance abuse recovery atwww.ProgressiveRecovery.org, and other content from his master site,www.RonaldChapman.com. He holds a Masters in Social Welfare from The University at Albany (New York.) Prior to his relocation to Atlanta, Georgia in 2008, he was a long-time resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico.