On Role Models

Role models – the people we look up to, the people we admire and the people who have already reached where we want to go to.

We often try to intimate our role models. We tend to believe that by following their habits, their rituals, we will all be set for our journeys. And it’s helpful. By studying them, following their tips and tricks, we are in a better position to make choices for ourselves. By copying them, we can find our unique voice, and discover ourselves.

However, we tend to overlook the fact that they had different starting point than ours.

They had different kind of financial support, different emotional support than yours.

They had different education and environment, where they grew up with.

They belong to different locality or geographical location, which comes with it’s own opportunities and limitations.

So, while it’s helpful to acknowledge their journey – their success and challenges, it’s also important to understand that we worked for them might not work for you.

So, by all means, study them – watch their interviews, read about them, listen and read what they share and pay attention to the advice they offer. Yet do not follow it blindly.

Instead, look for patterns, for common threads. Across all your role models, and among all the successful people. See what’s common, what has worked for multiple people and then, experiment it out. Notice if it’s working for you or not. Trust your own judgement.