One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal

One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.

One step must start each journey.
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.

One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what’s true,

One life can make a difference,
You see, it’s up to you!

Role Models are people who others imitate, emulate or look to for guidance. There are good role models who inspire greatness in others and bad role models who are what we call “bad influences.” There are even anti-role models, pegged by the media as “bad girls” or “bad boys” who serve as good examples of what NOT to do if you want to become a successful, respected person.

Every parent wants their children to have positive role models who have the characteristics that inspire them to want to be (and become) their very best. While there is some variation in every parent’s definition of what it means to be a good person, the following 7 characteristics remain constant.

Positive role models;

(1) Model positive choice-making: Little eyes are watching and little ears are listening. When it comes to being a role model, you must be aware that the choices you make don’t only impact you but also the children who regard you as their superhero. Someday, they will be in the same predicament and think to themselves, “What did s/he do when s/he was in the same situation?” As a role model, you can’t just “talk the talk” and tell others to make good choices. You must put them into action yourself.

(2) Think out loud: When you have a tough choice to make, allow the children to see how you work through the problem, weigh the pros and cons, and come to a decision. The process of making a good decision is a skill. A good role model will not only show a child which decision is best, but also how they came to that conclusion. That way, the child will be able to follow that reasoning when they are in a similar situation.

(3) Apologize and admit mistakes: Nobody’s perfect. When you make a bad choice, let those who are watching and learning from you know that you made a mistake and how you plan to correct it. This will help them to understand that (a) everyone makes mistakes; (b) it’s not the end of the world; (c) you can make it right; and (d) you need to take care of it and be accountable right away. By apologizing, admitting your mistake, and repairing the damage, you will be demonstrating an important yet often overlooked part of being a role model.

(4) Follow through: We all want children to stick with their commitments and follow through with their promises. But as adults it can sometimes be difficult to demonstrate follow through when we’re tired, distracted, busy, or overwhelmed. To be a good role model, we must demonstrate stick-to-itiveness. That means; (a) be on time; (b) finish what you started; (c) don’t quit; (d) keep your word; and (e) keep going even if things get difficult. When role models follow through with their goals, it teaches children that it can be done and helps them adopt an “if s/he can do it, so can I” attitude.

(5) Show respect: You may be driven, successful, and smart but whether you choose to show respect or not speaks volumes about the type of attitude it takes to make it in life. We always tell children to “treat others the way we want to be treated” and yet, may not subscribe to that axiom ourselves. Do you step on others to get ahead? Do you take people for granted? Do you show gratitude for others? It’s often the little things you do that make the biggest difference in the way children perceive how to succeed in business and relationships.

(6) Be well rounded: While we don’t want to spread ourselves too thin, it’s important to show children that we can be more than just one thing. Great role models aren’t just “parents” or “teachers.” They’re great learners and challenge themselves to get out of their comfort zones. You may be a father who’s also a student of the martial arts, a great chef and a treasured friend. You may be a mother who’s a gifted dancer and a curious photographer. When children see that their role models can be many things, they will learn that they don’t need to pigeon-hole themselves in order to be successful.

(7) Demonstrate confidence in who you are: Whatever you choose to do with your life, be proud of the person you’ve become. It may have been a long road, but it’s the responsibility of a role model to commemorate the lessons learned, the strength amassed, and the character developed. It’s true; we can always improve, however, children need to see that their role models don’t suspend their confidence until they achieve “one more win” or “lose 5 more pounds.” We must continue to strive while being happy with how far we’ve come at the same time.

While it may seem like a great deal of pressure to be a positive role model; nobody is expecting you to be superhuman. We certainly wouldn’t expect that behavior from the children who are looking to us for guidance

By Dr Robyn Silverman

Embedded in our nation’s core values is a spirit of community, generosity and entrepreneurship — a can-do attitude that says no challenge is insurmountable. When so many people are struggling to make ends meet, we need everyone pulling together to solve our nation’s problems and to lift up our fellow Americans. And this includes our young people. Today, more than ever, we need their energy, enthusiasm and idealism.

Service groups, non-profits, faith-based organizations, philanthropists, corporations, government and individuals all have a role to play in moving this country forward, and more and more students are filling these ranks.

Every day we hear stories of people rising to the occasion and making a real difference: the retiree who volunteers at the local elementary school to help children learn to read; the woman down the block who watches out for her neighbor’s kids after school — providing a snack, some wisdom and a home with a light on until parents return from a long day of work; the mothers and fathers in a neighborhood who coach Little League and soccer and teach kids about good sportsmanship and perseverance and teamwork.

These adults know the value of service and make it an integral part of their lives. And even more importantly, by being good neighbors, concerned citizens and solid role models, they are helping to train the next generation of community leaders.

When I made the decision to leave my job to found Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program in Chicago that prepares youth for public service, I realized right away that I had made the right decision. There are few things more rewarding than watching young people recognize they have the power to enrich not only their own lives, but the lives of those around them as well.

Research shows that the current generation of young people is one of the most socially conscious and active, with 61% of 13- to 25-year-olds saying they feel personally responsible for making a difference in the world. And with the recent passage of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, we can tap into this enthusiasm and usher in a new era of service in this nation.

This bipartisan legislation promotes the cause of service among young people by investing in service-learning. It is never too early to encourage kids to better their community or begin investing in their own future. And some are truly making a difference.

Students such as those at the Collegiate School in Manhattan, led by Avery Hairston, who launched a program called RelightNY. They are working with companies and foundations to acquire energy-saving light bulbs and install them in low-income housing communities, saving on both electric costs and carbon emissions. These young men represent the next generation of social innovators!

The Serve America Act will also dramatically increase the number of full- and part-time service opportunities for college-age students by expanding AmeriCorps from 75,000 positions a year to 250,000 by 2017, and providing more than $5,000 a year to help those students pay for college.

This will help folks such as Kierstin Quinsland of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and Nicole Fauble of the Lutheran Volunteer Corps, who work at Miriam’s Kitchen, a homeless service agency near the White House. Every day, Kierstin and Nicole provide case management services to homeless men and women who come for a nutritious meal served in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. Each has recently signed up to volunteer for an additional year at Miriam’s.

Through a new service corps founded in the Serve America Act, students will work on national priorities such as education, health care, clean energy and supporting veterans’ organizations. They will work with organizations such as YouthBuild, an AmeriCorps program providing opportunities for low-income youth to rebuild their communities, learn job skills, complete their high school education and graduate.

YouthBuild began more than 30 years ago as a program to rebuild housing units in low-income communities. It has withstood the test of time because it has evolved to include green building, energy-saving practices and environmental awareness programs.

The message of YouthBuild is so important: Participating in national and community service is not just an escape for the wealthy or for those students who can afford it; it is an integral part of empowering all our young people and making our communities stronger.

And this is what I find so inspiring. RelightNY, the JVC and the LVC and YouthBuild all demonstrate that, given the chance, young people will take responsibility for making their communities stronger. They know that each of us has something to contribute. And they are ready to lead the way.

Can’t is the worst word that’s written or spoken;
Doing more harm here than slander and lies;
On it is many a strong spirit broken,
And with it many a good purpose dies.
It springs from the lips of the thoughtless each
morning
And robs us of courage we need through the
day:
It rings in our ears like a timely-sent warning
And laughs when we falter and fall by the
way.

Can’t is the father of feeble endeavor,
The parent of terror and half-hearted work;
It weakens the efforts of artisans clever,
And makes of the toiler an indolent shirk.
It poisons the soul of the man with a vision,
It stifles in infancy many a plan;
It greets honest toiling with open derision
And mocks at the hopes and the dreams of a
man.

Can’t is a word none should speak without
blushing;
To utter it should be a symbol of shame;
Ambition and courage it daily is crushing;
It blights a man’s purpose and shortens his
aim.
Despise it with all of your hatred of error;
Refuse it the lodgment it seeks in your brain;
Arm against it as a creature of terror,
And all that you dream of you some day shall
gain.

Can’t is the word that is foe to ambition,
An enemy ambushed to shatter your will;
Its prey is forever the man with a mission
And bows but to courage and patience and
skill.
Hate it, with hatred that’s deep and undying,
For once it is welcomed ’twill break any
man;
Whatever the goal you are seeking, keep trying
And answer this demon by saying: “I can.”

~By Edgar A. Guest