Yogananda’s Wall Analogy: Why the Best Mentors Are the Toughest

A note young leaders.

Mentors often criticise their most talented protégés; and praise their least advanced.

Why is this so?

Yoganada, the Hindu yogi master, once offered this brilliant analogy:

“If you’re asked to clean a wall that’s mostly white with only a few black spots, where does your attention go? Naturally, to the black spots.

But if the wall is mostly dirty with only a few clean patches, then you focus on the white patches and work to expand them.”

So when a mentor is tough on you, receive it as high praise.

Worry only when your mentor is speaking very softly to you for an extended period of time – they’ve reached the view that you’re not yet ready to level-up.