In your life you’ve probably had at least one person that you looked up to: a person that has inspired you in some way. Whether it is a football player or an artist doesn’t matter, but if you’ve never had an idol or a role model you can stop reading right here.

On a personal level, I consider having role models to be one of the greatest things in life. I say so simply because role models give you great things without expecting much in return. Take a minute to think about all the experiences you’ve ever gotten from your greatest idol, because we will get back to that.

Last year I had some problems getting an appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm for my Visa interview. That changed when my father stopped by my workplace last week of July. He told me that he after just one phone call had scheduled an appointment for me at the embassy the following Thursday.

This was one week before my trip to the state of California. He had brought me one step closer to make my life’s greatest wish come true.

What importance does this experience have for the context? In my case, his actions took me where I am today, and they are worth taking into consideration. If it weren’t for him I probably wouldn’t be here, having the time of my life.

To explain it more practically it inspires me to take actions on my own to make things happen, to become more responsible one day. Just like my father.

I could drag on forever about my family and all the positive things I’ve gained, but let’s get back to your role models.

I’m assuming that you have an artist or band that you listen to very much. It makes no difference if you like Lady Gaga or Nickelback. You probably feel like you can relate to the artist’s songs and get comfort during bad times or happiness during the good.

That’s how I feel about the band Foo Fighters.

Perhaps you’re into superheroes. It doesn’t matter if Batman or Captain America inspires you to be a good citizen. I myself am very inspired by Spider-Man and his well-known quote “with great power comes great responsibility” simply because I’ve always been bad at taking responsibility myself.

You see? Whether you’re aware of it or not, there is always something you can benefit from in your particular role model. It doesn’t matter if they are good at what they do, if you can relate to their work or if they make you want to become a better person, even if it might take a while.

Of course it’s sad to read about an idol’s scandals or drug problems in the press. This can potentially hurt the idol’s image, which might cause some fans to let go.

Having said that, shouldn’t you instead focus on the valuable things that this person has given you and other fans? After all, they are just human, and humans make mistakes now and then.

Role models always have something useful to give. You just have to realize what you have gotten and put it into practice.