Many people need role models to be able help facilitate and empower their life. A role model we seek out, helps us build who we are by giving us the opportunity to reach for our proudest moments. There are many things we look for in a role model. A role model needs to be a responsible person who knows who they are, how they want to be represented, knows how to take care of their own needs, and knows how to get what they want. It’s important for a role model to be able to set and enforce their boundaries for themselves whether it is a verbal, non-verbal, or a physical boundary we set for each other. It’s not good to have no boundaries because other people can easily take advantage of us.

By setting boundaries as I am learning to do every day, we balance between what we want the public to do for us and how we want to have privacy. Many people in society tend to overstep their boundaries to misrepresent others, and influence their peers about what they think we are or should be doing. Many people also talk about others without the presence of other people around without giving the other person a chance to respond. A good role model would respect boundaries, know the meaning of YES or NO, listen to other people’s preferences, being honest about their actions, be accommodating to others, and be compassionate. No one can dictate what the other person should or needs to do.

There is a way for everyone to interact in the world expressing their individuality. Some people say that not making eye contact and flapping in public is distracting to other people. There are many people who absolutely need to flap, rock, spin, etc because of the way they are with the environment around them. Although, people who can make eye contact and don’t stim, need to remember that it does not mean they aren’t or can’t be role models to others.

Being a role model is a challenge for many people and is a life long process. Not everyone is a role model everyone can look up to, but it’s important to try hard to be an important person in someone else’s life. Accommodating people is important with how we interact with the world and has importance in knowing that people care. By accommodating, we need to listen, I need to listen. I am learning every day to listen and accommodate other people. Life is a double helix of communication. I’m on one side, and the other person is on the other side while we are all attached to a line. We all represent different colors on the double helix representing our individual humanity.

Our first role model is our own parents. However, not everyone I have met consider their parents role models for them. Although the parents we are born from are who we seek to be our role models first. Parents are there to teach us about love. Love is important because if we don’t know what love is, then we become lost. There are 2 ways to love: by physical intimacy with a romantic partner or by showing compassion to the other person through embracing the other person’s life. We listen and help the person because we want to be a role model for that person to spread love. Loving a person is about showing them that we are there for them. That we care and we adore every aspect of who they are. We want to help guide them in to their life to be a role model and productive member of society. Sometimes people or organizations suggest things to others because the majority of people are doing what they suggest. We need to follow our path, our vision, and to be able to glide into our future. Sometimes it’s not the most traveled path where everyone goes, but it’s our path that matter for each person.

Respect individuality and love the person for who they are because some day they will pay it forward by teaching compassion, love, and honesty for what humanity is.

I am on the right path now and can’t wait to learn while just starting school!

OUT, J