Connecting with Role Models
It is so fitting that my topic for this week happen is connecting with role models, when I literally just finished a cohort with Lola’s Collective about connecting with others to be a mentor. I was asked a few months ago if I would like to be a mentor for this program that was focusing on women entrepreneurs. My initial reaction was I don’t think I am a good fit because I am not an “entrepreneur,” I am a teacher and I dabble in the world of entrepreneurship through my writing, books, courses and workshops.
My mindset initially went to I am not qualified enough for this because I am not a full-time entrepreneur. Then my friend who put me forward for becoming a mentor said, “Amanda you have 3 degrees, have written how many books, you are always doing something you are clearly qualified to do this.” So I listened to her because I highly respect her and she is one of the fiercest entrepreneurs I know who also happens to be one of my very best friends.
I am very lucky to have such an inspiring best friend because even though she does not know this, she often is the one who gives me the courage to try new things and be authentically myself because she radiates that energy. I always say she is “unapologetically herself and that is completely inspiring.” How many people do you know who are unapologetically themselves in all situations? Are you? If your answer is no, why not? What is it that makes you hide certain aspects of who you are in certain situations? How could you step into your power and become unapologetically yourself? I think one way is to align yourself with really great role models who stand in their truth of who they are and persevere through every roadblock put in their path.
“You’re the average of the five people spend the most time with” (Jim Rohn). I love this quote because it allows you to take a look at the people in your life. If the people you are spending the most time with are not positive role models then that is a pretty good indication of why you are in the place you are in, in your life. I just recently listened to a Joe Rogan podcast where he interviewed a former drug dealer about how he got into the business of selling drugs and what led to his eventual conviction and then release. It was such an interesting interview because the former drug dealer talked so much about how the role models in his world were drug dealers. As a result there did not seem to be other options for him. In school he was not able to read and he actually ended up teaching himself to read in prison. It was heartbreaking to listen to because his life could have been so different if he had had better role models.
Read More: Creating Healthy Boundaries
When I was in school to become a teacher, I took a course on ‘At Risk Youth,’ it was one of the most interesting courses I have ever taken because it really made me begin to understand what it is that causes some people to go down a really negative path and others to choose a positive path in life. At one point in the course they had a kid come in who had been in trouble with the law and drugs and was on a path to healing. He story was tragic because he had everything going for him in life, successful parents, was smart, good athlete yet he surrounded himself with friendships that led him to drugs. He said there was nothing anyone could have done because all he cared about were his friends. One of the biggest indicators of how kids turn out is who they choose to surround themselves with. This was so eye opening to me because before that I had always thought that having successful parents or growing up in a happy healthy home would have been a bigger indicator of whether or not you would become an “at risk youth.” This is why surrounding your kids with positive friendships and having positive role models that they look up to is so important.
This week I want you to take a look at who you spend the most time with and who it is that you look up to, what social media influencers do you follow? Take some time to think about and reflect on how those people influence how you show up in your life. If you need to shift there are an abundance of positive role models in the world and you will find them if you choose to look.
