Think of a famous person. Could be the president or a CEO or a well-known actor. Now think of the people who positively influenced and helped them. A bit harder.
Fame comes from a combination of skills and luck. Not all who have equal ability will become famous. As such, even those that do become famous had lives just like many of us: awkward adolescent years, relationship challenges, and questioning what path they should take in life. Yet through all those times, they had people that mentored, helped them, and influenced their course.
All of us have various people in our lives that influenced who we have become. We don’t necessarily think of them as role models, but if we think who poured into our life and helped shape who we’ve become, we can usually name quite a few people many of whom may not even be aware of the influence they had. Outside of my immediate family, my uncle,when he was a teenager and I was a boy, poured into my life. Mr. Colburn, my social studies teacher helped me adjust to Junior High school. Mr. Jensen, my high school chemistry teacher, encouraged my studies in high school (though I gave up on Chemistry after taking organic chemistry :D). Mr. Tipton, who was the best manager I ever worked for helped when I first became an engineer. Dr. Ellsworth who mentored me as I became a manager and helped me see the role as serving both those above you and below you. My wife helped me learn how to encourage others and inspired my confidence to try new things. These are just a few people who influenced me. Of course, we quickly realize that if we have been influenced by many people, we also influence others.
Take a few minutes to reflect on the people who have positively influenced you. Do they know?
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