UNCOMMON INDIVIDUAL FOUNDATION (“UIF”) holds the principle belief that every human being is a unique individual whose self-determined success in life can be realized. Given the opportunity, every individual can identify a set of core strengths, form self-defined dreams and become empowered to realize them. 

UIF Open-System Mentoring™ process is composed of Navigation, Knowledge and Empowerment, each arena of which is a necessary component for forming and achieving your dreams of self-determined success in the passionate pursuit of your individual happiness. These three components stem from Homer’s Odyssey.  In the Odyssey, Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, developed a burning desire to resolve his father’s whereabouts. Years earlier Odysseus sailed off to the Trojan wars and had not returned.  Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, in a number of disguises, assumes the roles of Mentor(s) and accompanies Telemachus on his journey to find his father. Throughout, she serves Telemachus as a source of counsel, wisdom, education and practical help. She also encourages him to empower himself with the passion to pursue his dream and helps him to navigate not only the seas, but also the various challenges he encounters. 

It is this interaction between Athena and Telemachus that characterizes the first and original mentoring relationship. The word “mentor” illustrates one disguise Athena assumed while posing as Mentor to aid Telemachus in his search.  With Athena’s (Mentor’s) help, Telemachus identified his set of core strengths, empowered himself with a passionate dream, and navigated successfully through challenges and setbacks in his quest. The Odyssey clearly illustrates that Telemachus’ forming his dream, focusing it and passionately setting out in his search activated his mentoring relationship with Athena and the disguises she assumed. We believe this describes the nature of Open-System Mentoring™ is still, today, the lifeblood of the naturally-occurring type of mentoring that many of us experience to achieve self-determined success while in the personal pursuit of individual happiness.

UIF recognizes that a variety of individual dreams contribute to the fulfillment of self-determined success and the pursuit of individual happiness.  These dreams for the future stem from various areas of life, including entrepreneurial endeavors (business or otherwise), financial, career and educational decisions, personal relationships, personal circumstances, etc.  UIF created UIF Virtual Mentor™, Open-System Mentoring™ and UIF mentoring resources of Navigation, Knowledge and Empowerment, to assist every individual in the search and achievement of self-determined success while in the passionate pursuit of individual happiness.