Welcome to my Never Quit Climbing blog

A practical, inspirational blog designed to encourage and give hope to people who are climbing mountains of rock and granite or ones life has put in their way.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

We All Need Great Role Models

To be honest, I'm pretty tired of the hypocrisy. It shows up everywhere but let me use Tim Tebow for an example. He tries to be moral (not perfect), he lives what he believes but doesn't shove it down our throats and he actually gives of his resources to help others in a way that's more than a photo op or publicity ploy.  Apparently he has invited a needy child or young person to every game, home or away, paid their travel, provided tickets and then spent time with them afterwards.

And still he gets skewered on many talk shows and made fun of online or SNL. But other athletes who literally change their names for religious reasons or who make every play all about them or whose personal lives are a disaster or a string of using other people for their own gain?  T
hey get a pass. In fact, they sometimes become more popular, applauded and listened to for their insights about life.

Ok, enough of my ranting. However, I'm wondering if enough people realize the impact a person who models goodness and character can have. I wonder if we sense the problem that continually putting people of questionable repute in the limelight can be in our culture.

Of course we've been doing this for years. Athletes, actors, politicians and famous business people of questionable reputation are regularly sought out for interviews, book deals, advice and the hosting of talk shows.  And that phenomenon probably isn't going to change.

But it can for us. We can and need to have people around us who influence us be people who are worth modeling, listening to and admiring. As we climb on our own challenging journey we must have people who prod us to take the high road, even the hard road, not the easy way that so many suggest we trod. I think of the Hollywood types who here and there give some money to a current cause and then have nothing to do with it a week later.

I'd love to see some of them suggest that they all agree to cancel one of their award shows and give the millions it takes to produce the show to one of their causes. That's harder. I'd love to seem some of them actually get involved in that cause for years, not days, and truly make a difference.

Those would be the kinds of people more worth following. And frankly, there are thousands more just like that, just like Tim Tebow, with whom we may disagree or agree with on faith, but who are still worth wanting to emulate in some way. More of them are probably not famous but live next door or down the street.

Nonetheless, the hoopla about Tebow could at least help us to remember what's really important in a person. Listen to the recent comments of ESPN commentator, Rick Reilly, regarding Tebow: "I'm a 100% believer. Not in his arm. Not in his skills. I believe in his heart."  Find more people around you whose heart is worth believing in. It will make all the difference in the world on your climb. It's those kind of people who will not only help change you but can impact others that you love.

No comments:

Post a Comment