The Ordinary Role Model

The passage of time can be a scary thing for most of us. We all know people who don't want to admit their age as seniors even if it gives them a discount at the movie theatre or the fashionable "grandma" who wants to be known by a different name so that no-one thinks she's that old.

I met with a friend today who is a handful of years ahead of me. I won't give her age because sometimes she reads my words here! She is fit and enjoys her life, which she feels is no different than anyone else's. She's worked hard, saved her money, looks forward to her next adventure and maintains friendships in a wide circle of people. I look up to her. She's a role model for me.

The Ordinary Role Model

She hasn't allowed the loss of her life-partner, the distance of miles from her only child, the lines on her face and some long evenings spent alone to keep her from being happy.

As you might have read in my earlier post she is also someone who decided much earlier who she is. She created a habit.

The interesting thing is that we each can get our motivation from a different source.

It doesn't matter who we are, what we do for a living, or what our circumstances might be in this moment. For me it could be someone who stays active (I'm currently following the Tour de France each morning while I eat breakfast!), for you, it could be someone who just joined the local choir, someone else might be encouraged by an entrepreneur or a volunteer at a homeless shelter.

My friend was telling me that she had performed at a recent line-dancing event. One of her fellow dancers was 89 years old! "She's my role model", my friend told me.

We all need encouragement and someone to look up to, no one is immune to falling into a funk. My friend showed me that if we want to continue to grow, and live a life of contentment, keep an eye out for a role model. They are who they are. Often our role models don't even feel they are doing anything extraordinary. (Tweet This)

Perhaps today, we could pay special attention to the words we use, our actions and how we engage in the world.

We never know who's watching us and sees their role model.(Tweet This)