The Importance of Role Models

Who do you look up to?

Maybe this isn’t something you have considered since becoming an adult.  You might think that role models are for children or that finding inspiration in someone else serves no real purpose in your own life.  The dreams of our childhood have long ago left our hearts and been replaced with a feeling of disappointment.  “Reality” killed our youthful ambitions years ago.  Role models…bleh!

Our lives, our reality, resemble nothing we could have imagined as a child.  We were dreaming of being astronauts and princesses, the President, a teacher, a doctor, a firefighter, a policeman, a famous musician, a Hollywood celebrity, a fashion model, an author or artist.  We found inspiration in people who were doing exactly what we wanted to do.  They became our heros, our role models.

Sometimes, things don’t work out like we had planned.  We never became an astronaut or Hollywood celebrity.  Practicality shaped our reality and instead of a princess we became accountants.  Instead of a famous musician, we are mechanics.  So much for being the next Jimi Hendrix or Jimmy Carter.

We need to return to our childish idealism and believe that our possibilities are limited only by our ambition.  Find people who inspire you.  In doing so, you will find the desire and motivation to chase your dreams and improve your life.  Role models can empower you to push beyond the ordinary to accomplish great and many things in life.

Who inspires me?

Frugality: Trent at The Simple Dollar

I’ll admit, I don’t always see eye to eye with some of the things Trent discusses over at TSD but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot that I can learn from him.  When I began my financial turnaround, The Simple Dollar was one of the early blogs I began reading.  I found it while searching for books about getting out of debt and read a review of The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.

Personal Finance: Dave Ramsey

Reading The Total Money Makeover literally changed my life.  Before reading the book, I was convinced that my financial struggle would never improve and that somehow I was doomed to live a life of constant struggle.  I felt hopeless to change my situation.  Reading The Total Money Makeover made me realize that I was in control of my financial future, good or bad, not the other way around.

Simplicity: Leo Babauta of Zen Habits

In the course of my financial turnaround, I began encountering words like “minimalism” and “simplicity”.  All of my life I had associated happiness and success with material possessions.  Leo changed my mind and I am no longer seeking external gratification through the acquisition of Stuff.

Fitness: Michele Levesque

It might seem strange that I find inspiration from a female fitness model.  Shouldn’t I be inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger?  Either way, Michele is beautiful and seeing how physically fit and strong she is makes me want to get my butt in the gym and work out.

Diet: Tosca Reno

The book The Eat Clean Diet changed my thinking about food.  Before reading her book, I was convinced that diet wasn’t as important as physical activity in being healthy.  I was wrong.  Since beginning to Eat Clean, I have lost weight, have more energy, I feel better than before and I haven’t had heartburn since beginning the diet.  It has really opened my eyes to the importance of eating healthy, not only for weight loss but for health.

Creativity: Marilyn Manson

One of my biggest influences as a teenager was Marilyn Manson.  In a lot of ways, I am still influenced by the impact he had on me all those years ago.  He inspired me to pursue my creativity and individuality, even if it wasn’t socially acceptable.  I wore black nail polish, had fire engine red hair (and blue and green), wore spiked collars.  I was able to be exactly who I wanted to be and didn’t feel pressured to fit into the crowd.  Marilyn Manson gave me permission to be myself.

Travel: Chris Guillebeau at The Art of Non-Conformity

I began traveling a couple of years ago and at some point, I stumbled across a blog about a guy who is trying to visit every single country in the world by his 35th birthday.  His dialogue about creating the life you want was very inspiring to me.  If he could do it, I could too.  Maybe I wouldn’t visit every country by the time I turned 35 but I could travel the world like I had always dreamt of doing.

Who inspires you?