Role Model

I'm taking a break from the Love Dare posts for a minute to talk about role models. I have a sign in my classroom that reads: "You are someone's role model whether you realize it or not."

I didn't have very good Role Models in my life in certain areas, namely, how to be married and what a good marriage looks like. So, I've had to do a lot of reading and studying, and apparently a lot of 'field testing' to try to come up with what this looks like. I'm hoping I have it figured out now. :)

In other areas of my life, I had fantastic role models. My parents are both hard-working people, they value education (they're both teachers, so I hope they do) and they taught me to live a life of truth and generosity. Those are good things.

The teachers I had in high school and a few professors I had in college inspired me to be excellent at whatever I choose to do in life. Whether that's continuting to work in the public school system or go back into the corporate world, or somewhere in between, employers can count on me to strive to achieve more than what is expected of me.

I'm concerned about the kids of today. I'm concerned that they've become so calloused to life, and so disappointed by adults, public figures, athletes, etc. that they really don't aspire to much. They do just enough in school to pass, not excel, not be amazing. How do you reach kids, who don't care.. and don't want to?
Some have attributed it to a shift in society's thinking about heros. People aren't driven to succeed just because someone else has. The 'that's great for them, but it's not for me' mentality prevails. "It's too hard." "I don't get it." "Do I have to?" It sort of scares me.

I try to live with integrity in my personal life and in my professional life, but even so, at times I have become complacent about certain things. I have done 'just enough' to get by. I need to remember that people are watching.. even when I don't think they are.