Who is your role model?

True role models are those who possess the qualities that we would like to have and those who have affected us in a way that makes us want to be better people. A role model helps you to advocate for yourself and your goals, and take leadership on the issues that you believe in. We often don't recognize our true role models until we have noticed our own personal growth and progress which we have gained after looking up to someone we respected and admired all along; and imbibed positive traits from that person, that led us to the path of our success.

What’s the role of a role model?

A role model may offer you the ‘do’s as well as the ‘don’ts’ for marking your success. However they never command you. The role of the role model is that of a superstar, but behind the scenes. They don’t sit around ordering you what to do and what not to do. They are not light-bulbs flashing in your eyes to show you the direction they want; instead they are like the guiding star which is there all along, offering you direction all the time, ensuring that you’ll always be on the right path and won’t give you a chance to fall astray.

So what inspires you?

To someone it may be the one who joined the Indian cricket team when he was 16 (Sachin Tendulkar) to another it may be a Bollywood superstar at the pinnacle of his success at 60 (Amitabh Bacchanji) while to many it may be a black man who became the president of the United States of America (Barack Obama). To look up to someone we should know what we admire in people. This too makes a difference depending on our own personality style. We like in others what we reflect from ourselves. We admire people because we wish for those qualities in ourselves. Reflection: so we actually like what we really are and then again we strive to be it taking inspiration from another; so it goes full circle!
The Superstars

Big achievers have a charisma about themselves, an aura that attracts people towards them and inspires people to be like them. To have a superstar as your hero is easy if you wish to follow a treaded path. Their successes are known to one and all. The path to their success is lesser known because in case of superstars we see them shine, we don’t know how they got there. They are nonetheless and inspiration for who they are and the fan club they attract. Bollywood or Hollywood celebrities, cricketers, singers are the superstar role models for many. Their physical attractiveness also plays a significant role in their fan following.
The Pathbreakers

Another way of looking to respect someone is to respect their ‘path’ and not their ‘outcome’. These may not be the best lookers, the most successful in terms of finances, or may not have a great fan following; but they inspire awe because of ‘how’ they achieved what they did. Maybe not for themselves; but for the betterment of those around them. Not essentially altruism, but selflessness is their common trait. With their inventions, creations, selfless acts, innovative discoveries or sacrifices, they inspire our respect and we wish to be like them. We respect these people more because they opted for an unusual path, because they chose to take the leap and because they selected to be different. Consider Mother Teresa, she was distinct, Eleanor Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln or Mahatma Gandhi and their struggles in life; or the Aamir Khan of Bollywood who chose simply to be ‘different’. Some of us like Maggi hot and sweet ketchup, because, it’s simply different!

Find your mentor

Mentoring is a ‘mental understanding’ between two or more people. It is a way for people to learn (and want to learn) from each other. Even though most people would think that mentors are very experienced people with regard to their age; deep down, it is a bond irrespective of age, race, or gender. It's a way for people to communicate with each other and offer respect for what seems worthy of respect to them in another human being. You must find something to respect in people. Sometimes a poor beggar on the road inspires you when he gives up his earning to someone in greater need; a child studying with a torch under a lamppost of a slum is an inspiration to children who have it all but still do not respect their education and waste their time. Role models are all over the place, you need to open your heart and your mind to let them inspire you. When that happens, the ultimate role model will be the one you see when you look into a mirror. That’s the best it can ever get!