Emptiness

There's a Chinese saying that goes like this: "The usefulness of a cup is in its emptiness."  As young scholars we spend a lot of our time and efforts in trying to consume information--filling our minds with articles and book chapters written by the greats, listening to what our advisors say, and going to sessions like graduate student seminars or early career seminars.  We follow this pattern for as long as we feel like we have reached a point when we are "experts."

But unless we pour that cup out, we cease to be useful.  I can relate to this.  After losing my mentor, I hungered for mentorship; I felt completely helpless and approached the rest of my doctoral career from a deficiency perspective.  I think that mindset also carried over to my postdoctoral career.  But I am beginning to move on from that mindset.  The paradox of mentorship is that mentorship is most effective when YOU contribute at least as much mentoring as you receive.  When you receive more than you give, you cease to be useful.  Regardless of our situations, we have accomplished what we have because we have learned something along the way.  Those things we learn are lessons that can be taught to others.  Our hunger for mentorship should be matched or even exceeded by our hunger to mentor others.