(Wonder Con, San Francisco 2011)

“I don’t want to be a supermodel; I want to be a role model.” — Queen Latifah

Role Models

For this throwback Thursday, I want to inspire you to find a role model.  When I was at Wonder Con in 2011, I was excited to find female superheroes. They are feminine yet fearless, powerful and courageous.  They are women I could look up to.  And they come in different shapes and sizes.  Find one that would inspire you to shine!

Inner Beauty

When you are looking for a role model, consider the following elements:

1.         Determine the characteristics you love.  What are some traits you personally admire? When I was going to school at the University of California, Berkeley, I consciously chose female professors who had a mind of her own, the ability to challenge the norm and excellent presentation skills. As I was learning the subject, I would imagine that I was in her shoes, speaking the way that she did, with gestures just like her. I certainly love the following characteristics in women: fearlessness, achievements, courage, confidence, empowerment and resilience. Sometimes these characteristics are not found in one person – I would find a number of role models, a number of people, that have one, some or all of these characteristics that I admire.

2.         Emulate the characteristics that you love.  Learn how your role model displays the characteristics that you love. For example, I encountered a female Chief Executive Officer whom asked me out to lunch out of the blue. It turns out that she was networking. I thought she was brave – and down to earth. I had lunch with her, exploring her role and learning how I could help. And thereafter, I thought it would be fabulous to learn a little about challenges that female CEOs face. Just like this woman whom requested to have lunch with me out of the blue, I requested and set up lunches with a few female CEOs to learn about their lives. And I became wiser from their experiences.

3.         Pass it forward if you choose to.  No matter what your role is in your life, you could make a difference in someone’s life if you choose. I have a few official mentors whom helped me and I have been a mentor to a few people in my lifetime so far. It is rewarding to see high school students go to college, post graduate students find career opportunities and just friends finding an answer to a challenge that they may be facing.  Go out there and give someone a hand!

Have a beautiful day! – And let your inner beauty shine!

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