Choose Your Mentors
Build your personal board of advisors.
24 mentors found
Siddhartha
Ancient India (literary creation)
Known for
Spiritual seeker who found enlightenment through lived experience, not doctrine
Wisdom cannot be taught—it must be lived
From: Siddhartha
110 mentor adoptions
Leo Tolstoy
1828-1910
Known for
Novelist of War and Peace and Anna Karenina, moral philosopher
Seek truth, embrace simplicity, and find meaning through love and service to others.
From: The Wisdom of Leo Tolstoy
109 mentor adoptions
Jesus Christ
Known for
The Divine Savior and central figure of Julian's revelations
From: Revelations of Divine Love
68 mentor adoptions
Ralph Waldo Emerson
19th Century America
Known for
Transcendentalist essayist and philosopher of self-reliance
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
From: Ralph Waldo Emerson
66 mentor adoptions
St. Thomas Aquinas
13th century Europe
Known for
Greatest medieval philosopher-theologian who synthesized faith and reason
Faith and reason are not enemies but partners in the search for truth
From: Moral Theology: A Complete Course Based on St. Thomas Aquinas and the Best Modern Authorities
64 mentor adoptions
Carl Gustav Jung
20th Century Switzerland
Known for
Psychiatrist who developed analytical psychology, explored archetypes, the collective unconscious, and individuation
Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes
From: Psychology of the Unconscious: A Study of the Transformations and Symbolisms of the Libido. A Contribution to the History of the Evolution of Thought
63 mentor adoptions
Gandhi
19th-20th Century India
Known for
Nonviolent resistance, Indian independence, and moral leadership
"Be the change you wish to see in the world."
From: Historical Figures Collection
61 mentor adoptions
Martin Luther
16th Century Germany
Known for
Theologian and reformer who challenged the Catholic Church and sparked the Protestant Reformation
Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me.
From: Selections from the Table Talk of Martin Luther
48 mentor adoptions
Joan of Arc
1412-1431
Known for
French heroine and martyr who led armies at age 17
Find your courage, trust your divine guidance, and fight for what is right.
From: The Wisdom of Joan of Arc
42 mentor adoptions
G. K. Chesterton
Early 20th century England
Known for
Prolific writer and master of paradox who illuminated truth through wit and wonder
The world will never starve for want of wonders, only for want of wonder
From: Gilbert Keith Chesterton
37 mentor adoptions
Rumi
1207-1273
Known for
Sufi mystic poet of divine love
The Sufi poet of divine love, guiding you to the heart of existence.
From: The Wisdom of Rumi
36 mentor adoptions
John Calvin
16th Century Geneva
Known for
Theologian and reformer whose ideas on predestination, work ethic, and discipline shaped Western thought
We are not our own; therefore neither our reason nor our will should predominate in our deliberations
From: Letters of John Calvin, Volume II: Compiled from the Original Manuscripts and Edited with Historical Notes
31 mentor adoptions
Kierkegaard
19th Century Denmark
Known for
Philosopher who pioneered existentialism and explored anxiety, authenticity, and the leap of faith
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards
From: Selections from the Writings of Kierkegaard
24 mentor adoptions
Krishna
Ancient India (Mahabharata era)
Known for
Divine teacher of the Bhagavad Gita on duty, dharma, and liberation
Do your duty without attachment to the fruits of action
From: The Song Celestial; Or, Bhagavad-Gîtâ (from the Mahâbhârata): Being a discourse between Arjuna, Prince of India, and the Supreme Being under the form of Krishna
17 mentor adoptions
St. Francis of Assisi
12th-13th century Italy
Known for
Founder of the Franciscan Order who embraced radical poverty and simplicity
In giving we receive, in pardoning we are pardoned
From: Life of St. Francis of Assisi
10 mentor adoptions
Seneca
Known for
Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist, author of the text.
From: Seneca's Morals of a Happy Life, Benefits, Anger and Clemency
100 mentor adoptions
Michelangelo
1475-1564
Known for
Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect — creator of David and the Sistine Chapel ceiling
The Renaissance master who carved beauty from stone and spirit from the soul.
From: The Wisdom of Michelangelo
65 mentor adoptions
David Livingstone
19th Century Scotland/Africa
Known for
Exploring Africa and fighting the slave trade
"I am prepared to go anywhere, provided it be forward."
From: How I found Livingstone : $b Travels, adventures, and discoveres in Central Africa, including an account of four months' residence with Dr. Livingstone
43 mentor adoptions
J. S. Bach
18th Century Germany
Known for
Composer and musician whose works represent the pinnacle of Baroque music and contrapuntal technique
The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul
From: Johann Sebastian Bach: His Life, Art, and Work
32 mentor adoptions
Helen Keller
Known for
The main character, a deaf and blind girl who overcomes her disabilities through education.
From: The Story of My Life: With her letters (1887-1901) and a supplementary account of her education, including passages from the reports and letters of her teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, by John Albert Macy
24 mentor adoptions
Thomas Jefferson
1743-1826
Known for
Third President of the United States, Author of the Declaration of Independence
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time
From: United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches: From Washington to George W. Bush
130 mentor adoptions
Franklin D. Roosevelt
American Founding Era
Known for
Thirty-second President of the United States, Leader during the Great Depression and World War II
From: United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches: From Washington to George W. Bush
57 mentor adoptions
James Watt
Known for
The central figure, an inventor and mechanical genius.
From: James Watt
16 mentor adoptions
The Buddha
c. 563–483 BCE
Known for
The Awakened One — teacher of the path beyond suffering through direct observation of the mind
From: The Buddha's Path of Virtue: A Translation of the Dhammapada