Intro
In this post I’m going to talk about the five men who have impacted my life the most. But firstly I’m going to give a short intro to what has inspired me to write this post and some other random (but rather interesting) thoughts on role-models. Anyways, you can always skip to the end to view the list if you don’t really care that much for my rambling ;).
So lately I’ve been a bit off-track due to doubts and fears I’m having. By doubting myself, I’m basically undermining my own capabilities and therefore I’m not performing up to par. I touched upon this in a previous article about motivation, personal reflection and persistence. It’s called “the power of persistence”. Rereading my own articles made me realize I should probably listen to my own advice more often. (yes, some of it actually makes sense!)
Balance
Until recently I didn’t really realize that I’ll always have ups and downs. It just can’t be any other way. I thought there would eventually come a time where everything would be perfect. My relationships, health, routines and so-forth. But this is not the case since life is governed around the principle of balance. We need both ends of the spectrum to truly appreciate and value their meaning.
For example; We need sorrow and sadness to truly know what happiness feels like. We need to have felt pain to experience bliss. We need to be foolish to know what wisdom feels like and because we’ve been weak we know what true strength means.
So all negative emotions are really just an indicator that there is something wrong and that we need to take action to change what is causing this pain. On our path, setbacks are inevitable but that’s all part of growing. Like this really cool graph demonstrates;
If we understand and accept this concept we hold a very powerful tool for controlling our circumstances (i.e. not being a victim of our circumstances but the creator of them). Anyway, we’re getting a bit off-topic here, back to my inspirational people…
Inspired
So, the reason why I lose my motivation is because I often doubt my own capabilities like I mentioned above. But fortunately I always find a way to get back on track. Whether this is by reading some quotes, reflecting on the direction I’m taking or just simply watching some motivational videos. I’m always able to recover quickly, for which I’m really grateful.
I’m really getting a lot of value from the latter lately (motivational videos.) People who have created their own, empowering reality and hereby achieved success really inspire me! (note that “success” is subjective. To one person a lot of money might be the definition of success whilst another sees happiness as the defining factor.) Anyway, they force me to take action on the goals I’ve set out for myself and provide me with a vision of who I would like to become.
I think you can easily define someone by the people who inspire him/her. Because the people you admire always have something you want.
List
I believe it is really important to have one or more role models since they can provide excellent guidance in your journey of becoming a better person (a mentor will save you A LOT of time, trust me on this ;) ) So to help you stay inspired and motivated, I’ve made a list of the five men that have impacted my life the most over the last couple of years (in no particular order). I’ve also included a short description and video of who they are and what I’ve learned from them.
Elliott Hulse
Who is he? American strength & conditioning coach with an interesting, holistic approach to lifeWhat has he taught me? What it means to be a real man
Greg Plitt
Who is was he? American fitness model, actor, US army ranger and motivational speaker.
What has he taught me? The value of hard work and dedication. He is the person that motivated me to go to the gym and improve myself on a daily basis.
Steve Pavlina
Who is he? American self-help author, motivational speaker and entrepreneurWhat has he taught me? Morality. How to be a genuinely good person
Owen Cook
Who is he? American dating instructor and co-founder of real social dynamics
What has he taught me? How to relate to women and overcome approach anxiety. He has shown me that everyone can achieve what they want if they are willing to put in the time and effort.
Anthony Robbins
Who is he? American life coach, self-help author and motivational speaker
What has he taught me? The cultivation of inner power and realization that I’m capable of much more than I believe.
**Honorable mentions
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Essence
I hope this post has helped you realize the importance of having a role model. They can help you find the traits you want to have and aid you in the quest of building you own, unique identity. They can motivate and inspire you in the times when you need it the most.
If you have any thoughts or questions on this topic, feel free to post them in the comment section below!
Anyways, take care!
Love
Simon