Role models enter our lives for a purpose, to help us grow and develop to be all we are capable of being. From the distance of time we can acknowledge significance of the impact of their example and influence upon our lives. . .

This week I lunched with three friends who have been an important part of my life for the last 30 years. In a variety of ways they each have been my inspirational role models and mentors as well as true friends, and knowing them has affected the course my life has taken.

I met them when I moved to a new town at a pivotal stage of my life when I was hungry to learn how to be Me and how to live with greater contentment and authenticity in my world. These women stood out from anybody I had met previously, as they had a deep commitment to being all they could be and a sense of connection to life that I craved.

From the example these friends of mine provided I have learnt that it is possible to enter completely into every aspect of life in all its richness and complexity, fully identifying with and being part of the good times as well as the bad times, knowing that although some things leave an indelible imprint upon us, we can still trust in the goodness of life regardless. This has been an important lesson as we each have lived through amazing triumphs as well as entering into the depths of grief and loss.  

Individually, together, and from each other we gained a level of self-acceptance, grounded identity and a firm belief in the certainty of the existence of positive possibilities that has sustained us throughout our adult lives. Although we have all moved from that small town, and despite our lives going in vastly different directions, we respect and admire each other and greatly value our friendship.

Meeting together for a short time allowed us to reconnect and catch up with major developments and briefly share our concerns and our dreams for our future. I was reminded again of the significance of true friendship and the importance of role models whose example and character requires of us that we too step up to the mark and fulfil the imperative to live with integrity and wholeness that lies within us.   

About the author

Marian Kerr draws on experience and skills gained through self-employment, team leading, training, journalism and extensive community work to gently communicate her vision of self-acceptance and self-empowerment to clients of all ages.