When you were growing up, who was your role model? What made them so important to you? Why would you want to strive to be like anyone else anyway, especially this person?
In a world that celebrates the unique individuality of people, we still strive to be like someone we see as being a role model. For some it may be a sports star, actor, singer or another public celebrity. For still others, it may be a parent, friend, neighbor, or even a teacher.
You would think in this modern age, that we would all be more self confident and wouldn’t feel the desire to be like anyone else. Even a rebelling teen trying to find something outlandish to do is following a role model of some kind. Someone before them had the same urge to break free of the everyday model of teens and be their own person.
Role models surround us. Regardless of efforts striving to educate people on the confidence that comes with accepting your unique individualism, people tend to strive to be like someone else in at least one way.
Maybe it is our lack of self confidence. Maybe it is just the need to be accepted. Or it could be the desire to attain what others have attained. Honestly, having role models is not a bad thing. It just requires the ability to distinguish between good and bad role models, and to accept the responsibility of striving for excellence in whatever you do.
Although we have our role models, we are also role models to those that know us. We may not be a famous actor or sports figure, but that is not required to be a role model. All that is required is for someone to look at what you do and either try to avoid making the same mistakes you made or striving to be just like you in at least one way.
Sometimes, it may be necessary to think back on your role models of the past. Who did you most want to be like when you were ten? How about when you were 15? Or even 20? Who do you want to be like now? Do you see a difference in the role model you have today than the role models you had in the past? Welcome to the wonderful world of growing up.
Now, think back on how you looked at the role models in your past? Remember how you would watch them and try to imitate as closely as possible the qualities that you admired in them? Now think about the people in your life? Does someone watch you in that same way? How about your children, neighbors, or even friends? You may be a role model to these people and not even be aware of it.
Scary isn’t it? To think that even though you aren’t aware of it, you may be influencing others just by being you and doing the things that you do. So next time you start to do something that you aren’t sure about, take a few minutes to think about it and ask yourself this question, “How would I feel if someone used this experience I am about to live through, as a basis of my being their role model?”. Would you want someone else to follow your path that you are going down?
Being a role model is something that we all are whether we want to be or not. We should all strive to give that portion of our lives the time and consideration that it deserves. It may be something we don’t want, but it is still a volunteer or community service type task that we all have. So what have you done today that you would not mind someone using you as an example of a role model for?
