Wednesday, January 25, 2012

who do you admire?

Admiration is a powerful thing, it can shape our aspirations and can impress upon us values. In our emulation admiration can create benchmarks of accomplishment. Although I don't think I had ever really thought about it before the drive home today, I think those that I have admired over the years have been people in whom I could see amplified versions of my own characteristics, or at least the characteristics I wanted to have. People whose drive and determination had prevailed, whose talent or perseverance had led to a life of success, wealth and notoriety, people who I had perceived as having "made it" in life by their wits and sheer force of will;  the ruthless CEO, the savvy investor, the magnetic sales exec...

I've been coming to terms with a lot of realizations lately (hence the blog), and one of them is that the people who I have admired and looked up to over the past years no longer epitomize the life I want to lead. Not that I think any less of them or their accomplishments, but I am more impressed by the guy riding a bike with his kid than the one flying down the highway in a Maserati. So, the question is - who do I look up to now? Well, the answer wasn't so difficult to come by this time; I admire my friends who have made sacrifices to be there for their families, like my friend who, seemingly impossibly and not without great difficultly, completely changed his life in order to be the kind of person and provide the kind of home his son deserved. I admire my cousin who spends all his time with his kids instead of the TV, and who has sacrificed and saved- working towards that big house in the country where the only focus will be his family. I admire my wife J who has put her career on hold to be home with our kids full time, and give then the attention they deserve. Most of all though, I admire my mom, who always had time for me, and always put me first. My mother who worked multiple jobs as a single parent but incredibly never, ever put me in daycare (I still think she must have worked while I slept at night), who would skip work and take me out of school for the day for crazy "adventures" and trips to the zoo that I will never forget. I admire those of you who have figured out what life should really be about - and hope to be a little more like that one day myself. 

1 comment:

  1. That's the heart of a good man, and a good father talking. I love the feelings you are projecting. Like when you wake up to the morning sun and feel so grateful to be graced with the incredible love of living. The warmth of a family who loves you as much as you love them, in the safety of the home you built for them.

    Looking forward to every minute of it.

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