Influences and Role Models

I had a really good conversation with a great friend last night.
Our husbands were busy fixing computer issues, so we had a couple of undivided hours to just talk and hang out. It was so refreshing.
Somehow, we got on the subject of the stars (as in famous people) and how crazy it is the way those of us that aren't stars follow their every move. How we feel the need to know who's dating who, who just divorced, and who got drunk and did something embarrassing again.
Our conversation then shifted to the stars who start out as role models and progressively become more "mature" as the years go on. Since my friend has kids who are very into the Disney channel and Nickelodeon, she was talking about the concerns she has when these "role models" go bad. One day, a singer is promoting abstinence and the next she is flaunting her now fake body for the whole world to see. We even talked about the shows on TV that start off with a Christian family with good morals and two years later, all the kids are hooking up with whoever they can get their hands on.
It got me thinking about how much value we put in life on role models. Whether we realize it or not, all of us, no matter how young or old, have at least one person that we look up to. It may be a singer on American Idol who started off living a life very similar to our own...and gets a great record deal. Or the woman next door who keeps a perfectly clean house...and has the three most well-behaved children around. Or even the guy who works his butt off to lose weight...and succeeds. We all look up to someone and wish we were more like them. And sometimes, it is definitely unintentional.
I then started thinking about the influences we have in our lives. The people we choose to surround ourselves with definitely have an impact on how we act and who we will become. My friend and I were talking about how easy it is to keep sinning or struggling with something when we don't have someone in our lives to confide in and get accountability from. It's like, the fact that no one knows about it keeps us from being embarrassed about it, so it's easy for it to continue. And how, when we allow ourselves to have those open, honest relationships with others, we tend to not struggle as much...or if we do, we will feel guilty about lying about it when asked how things are going.
I know there have definitely been times in my life that I have ignored things I was struggling with and pretended they weren't an issue. I wasn't telling anyone about them either, so it made it easier to continue down the horrible path I was taking. But when I have decided to confide in someone and ask for their prayers and accountability, it makes me feel more free in life. Knowing that someone else knows and will probably be able to tell if I'm lying about it makes it harder to enjoy the temporary happiness it brings.
I think I am finally getting to a point in my life where I am ok with where I've been and who I am right now. I feel good talking about my struggles with others, admitting that I've had problems, and asking for help to move forward. But I also want to be that person for others...and I know I definitely am in some of my friends' lives. I've had to learn that the people I spend the most time with need to be those that are going to help me, not bring me down or make me feel stupid for the decisions I make. And sometimes, that means that I can't just assume that because someone goes to church, that they are the best person for me to spend all my time with. It has to be someone who is serious about their faith, who walks with God every day, and who longs to grow closer to Him. Because that positive influence in my life is so helpful in encouraging me to do what I need to do to get closer to God.
I want to be a good role model... though I know I am not perfect.
I have definitely had my share of struggles, but I want to be able to show others that it's possible to move past things with God's help...and with the help of positive influences in my life.
That is the goal I am shooting for right now.