My best friend of all times was 30 years older than me. His name was Frank, and he was a mentor to me in so many ways long before the term “life coach” came into popularity.
As a current old geezer at 73, I feel a tug of obligation to pass on a trick Frank played on me when I was young and a bit bewildered.
Frank always acted as if I had already achieved a positive trait or skill I was struggling to attain. He treated me as if I were wiser than I truly was. He assumed I was acting in a noble, unselfish manner long before it dawned on me to do so.
It put a lot of pressure on me to be the guy Frank already had christened me as being. I’m a better man today because Frank saw a beauty in me long before I caught up with his positive image.
Many years after Frank has passed, I try to pull the same trick on young people I love.