Not everyone can be a supermodel but anyone can and should be a role model. It is so much more powerful! I’d really love to see a magazine cover one day where the title reads “Role Model of The Year” instead of the nonsense of who is “best dressed” or has “the hottest” this or that. I don’t watch TV or any form of media for that very reason. I don’t want to feed my mind that kind of junk food. And neither should you.
You are amazing and destined for greatness. We all are. But it is difficult for us to be great and do great things if we constantly expose ourselves to popular culture, which turns us into consumers of stuff instead of creators of stuff.
Some people are in denial. They tell themselves, “I can watch or listen or read that stuff. I am not easily influenced.” Its like saying, “I can eat junk food, stay up late, drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, it doesn’t affect me”. It does and it will.
Be different. Be original. Be you. What is ‘you’? ‘You’ can be defined. ‘You’ is a choice. ‘You’ is a work in progress. ‘You’ is automatically different because we are all born different. No two people ever look the same or think the same or feel the same. There is no other person like you on the planet. Think about that. You are a unique creation. You are awesomely different from the day you were born.
Being a role model isn’t about getting others to copy you. It is about being so comfortable with yourself (being different) that it inspires others to be themselves. And life is so much more exciting when we are around people that are different. That’s why travelling to other cultures is exciting. That is why opposites attract.
So what does it mean to be a role model? It is about displaying these qualities.
- Stick to your commitments. Be on time. Finish what you start. Don’t quit. Keep your word & don’t back off when things get tough.
- Show confidence in yourself. Be proud of who you are. Stay positive. Keep smiling. Keep your cool in tough circumstances.
- Show kindness, respect and concern for others. You may be driven, successful and smart but you should never step on others to get ahead.
- Have Humility and admit your mistakes. Apologise. Nobody’s perfect. Take responsibility and make amends where you can.
- Keep Learning and challenging yourself. Go outside your comfort zone.