We all need role models and somebody to look up to that inspires us. If you think, you can make it totally on your own, think again. Sometimes we need is a push in the right direction. Everyone needs someone who believes in him or her. Perhaps all that is needed is to be shown the way and a path to follow.
A role model or a mentor focuses you’re thinking and possibly helps you change your life.
Who impressed you during your childhood? Was it a family member or a teacher? Perhaps it was a friend who did things just a little differently than you and never gave up trying to succeed at a venture. I think I can pick a role model from many different areas of life. Is there one part of your life that is more important to you than another? Where does your passion lay? Is it music, art, science, sports or any other multitude of specialties? Many people have played a part in helping me become the person I am today. The funny thing about it is most of them never knew how much I admired them.
There are so many incredible people we come in contact with, crossed paths with or read about during our journey through life. It’s almost impossible to pick one or two. As a child I spent a great deal of time recovering from a crippling disease. When I was homebound and recovering from polio, the Board of Education sent a wonderful home instruction teacher to aid me with my schoolwork twice weekly. The teacher gave me a book; it was Helen Keller’s biography. I was only eleven years old, and I didn’t really understand why she gave me that particular book. I read it, and it changed my way of looking at life. Not only was I impressed with Helen Keller, but also with her teacher, Ann Sullivan. Teacher, as Helen called her, never gave up trying to educate Helen Keller. Ann Sullivan’s perseverance was amazing. Anybody else would have run away from such a difficult and angry pupil. It’s an amazing story that I think about frequently. Perseverance is one of the keys in the art of living a successful life.
Another modern day role model’s is Oprah Winfrey. When she burst on the scene in the late 80s, I was completely fascinated. I admired her at once. She was a brilliant woman of color who faced adversity and pain in her youth, but she never gave into negativity. She overcame that rough stuff, and stayed strong. Oprah became America’s number one daytime talk show host, not to mention actress and movie producer. Single handedly, she became an empire. To this day I’m fascinated and amazed by her. What I respect most about Oprah is her passion, her drive and her generosity. She opened the door for so many women all over the world through her emphasis on spiritual values, healthy living, self-help, and education. She has seduced so many American women into reading through the Oprah Book Club. We share the same birthday, January 29th. I know that is silly, but it flatters me to be born on the same day as Oprah.
Many people feel lost and have never found someone to help lead him or her on a road to success. You can help. Just a few hours and you can make the difference between success and failure in someone else’s life. If the thought has entered your mind, you are half way to become a mentor and someone’s role model.
Check out these resources:
Mentor (National Mentoring Partnership)
