Books are Mentors

It's probably widely agreed upon that mentors are helpful. Mentors can provide guidance, feedback, advice, and perspective based on their life and work experiences. Some are lucky to naturally connect with people who end up being their mentors, whether through their own emotional intelligence or the proclivity of the more experienced to take them under their wing.

But what should the rest of us do that don't easily secure a mentor?

Googling "how to find a mentor" results in a seemingly unlimited list of articles that provide guidance on this question. How do we choose the appropriate steps for our situation? Is it even worth it? Do we even know what we need in a mentor? It's hard to know the answers to these questions but I have a simpler solution:

Treat books as your mentors.

There is unlimited knowledge to be obtained from books. Authors painstakingly distill what they've learned into a neat package that's ready for you to consume. You don't need to awkwardly ask someone to be your mentor, you don't need to overcome your social anxiety, you don't need to stress about whether or not you've selected the right mentor. All you need to do is read books about what you're interested in and want to learn.

History repeats itself and human nature rarely changes (if at all). You can read books from hundreds or thousands of years ago and come away with ideas that can change your life for the better.

Don't let the benefits of reading books evade you, let books be your mentors.