As usual, at the start of each masterclass, including this one, I tell the participants: “If you agree with everything I say, what will change in your life?” Usually, they agree that nothing will change. So, what needs to happen for change? They need to disagree with something. A good teacher is someone who can shake the ground beneath your feet, and that’s my goal for the three hours we spend together. Usually, people thank me for this.
During the masterclass, I show them a new value system, how wealthy people think and make decisions. This often feels unusual, even uncomfortable, but because I’ve warned them, their awareness is heightened, and they can recognize what’s happening—they have an opportunity to shift their worldview.
However, at the end of this particular masterclass, someone approached me trying to prove their previous worldview. I told them, “That’s fine, my job is to share what I know and offer a new perspective. You can either resist or ask yourself, ‘Maybe there’s something I don’t know.’”
A few days later, the participant sent a long email explaining how I was wrong. I didn’t see it immediately. Then another email followed. “Mykola, you’re wrong,” they insisted. I replied, “Thank you for your messages. You say I’m a bad teacher, yet a week has passed, and you’re still contemplating what I stirred in you. That’s the mark of a good mentor—not just agreeing with familiar ideas, but challenging you.”
This can be uncomfortable and painful, especially when your worldview is shaken after decades. But a great teacher provokes this shift.
Seek out those who make you uncomfortable, for these are the mentors you’ll appreciate the most. After some time, you’ll understand their message and be grateful.
What do you think? Should we learn from those who don’t challenge us, or from those who provoke us to question everything we’ve believed?
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