Sir Charles had it right

In 1993, Charles Barkley (former NBA star and Hall of Famer), sparked a nation wade debate with his "I am not a role model" commercial for Nike. The basic idea was that athletes / celebrities shouldn't be looked upon as role models for children and that the responsibility falls on the parents, which I definitely agree with although some of you may or may not.

At the time, when that commercial first came out I was 15 years old and had just lost my father to cancer 3 years prior to then. Without knowing it, and not fully realizing it until I'd completed my inventory, I was in desperate need of a role model but not someone like Charles Barkley or Michael Jordan, who I saw on TV for a few hours a week. No, I was in need of a role model that knew me personally and that took the time to help me in the areas that I needed help in, even if that meant just spending time with me. Over the years, that role was filled by several different people but none of them had any million dollar shoe contracts or showed off their shiny championship rings to me; they were just "normal" people that were making a HUGE impact on my life, perhaps without even realizing it themselves.

So what does that mean to me today and how can I learn from this lesson? What I'm learning each and every day is that there are opportunities around me all the time to make a positive impact on somebody, whether that's a fellow training coach, customer or stranger that I might come across. Also, my ongoing need to have a "role model" whose steps that I follow and whose advice I heed is now being filled by this very leadership group, so thank you to everyone for continuing to contribute to my growth and also allowing me to continue learning as well.

- Paul -