When a mentors dissapoint

You hold them high, hang on their example, then……

A few years back my business activities brought me in contact with a person who was extremely successful, said all the right things, and developed an interest in helping me advance my skills. Further encouragement came from others I met that he had mentored and were subsequently enjoying the same success. It wasn't long before I was committed to partnering with this person and set about learning what I could. In return I was wined and dined, in addition to travelling on his company’s ticket across the world.

It was on the final trip to China that reality set in. You see during the day we worked hard, met with foreign executives, hosted them to the China office, discussed huge deals. I was reveling in the things I was learning and my mentor was always amazed at the speed in which I adapted to different business situations. Then came a time for some R&R, and all checked into a nice downtown Shanghai hotel for a weekend of relaxation. On the Saturday night, this mentor and another friend of hours headed out to a bar and before long, we were surrounded by pretty girls just “longing” to be our friends. I was happy to talk and mingle, but when things became a little more pressured, I respectfully declined any further after hours entertainment. This did not go down well with this mentor. He at one stage was almost insisting that I take up the offer of one particular young lady. He himself, despite the fact I knew him to be married with grown children, was well on the way to arranging a similar arrangement for himself. My unwillingness led me to return to the hotel myself alone. The next day or so was very uncomfortable, and it was then I realized that for all the great opportunities the arrangement brought with it, I was was never going to be willing to sacrifice my wonderful wife and children at the alter of any success. I could make it without diminishing my values.

My frustration is that here was a guy with so much to be thankful for, and I didn't want to be him in 20 years or so, pockets full of money trolling for paid company in some pursuit of personal validation.