Diabetes Role Models
Do you have a diabetes role model yet? Role models are a key ingredient in helpings us to reach greater achievements in life. Although many people associate role models with their career or personal aspirations, I believe that role models have just as much place in inspiring us to live a life in which diabetes doesnt hold us back. One definition of a role model that I like is “someone worthy of imitation” - which person with diabetes springs to your mind when you read this definition?
Having role models who inspire you can really help to capture the essence of the direction you want your life to go in and the results you want to achieve - and diabetes-related role models are no different. Finding inspiring examples of people who have flourished despite and indeed, because of, their diabetes can provide a real sense of hope when we are finding the demands of life with diabetes difficult.
When we witness the achievements of these inspiring examples it demonstrates to us in a highly tangible way, just what we can achieve. As the famous motivational speaker Anthony Robbins states: “Experts Leave Clues”. If we pay attention to the clues left by the experts we want to emulate, we too can model them and their success in whatever domain we want to do better at.
So where might you find a diabetes role model? It may be someone on a forum such as DiabetesDaily, a contact you have met though a Diabetes Support Group or Education Programme, or perhaps someone in the public eye such as a celebrity or athlete with diabetes. If we can learn from about what keeps these people positive and how they cope when things inevitably get difficult we can start to think about how WE might begin to do things differently…..and maybe become a diabetes role model ourselves one day!
Dr. Jen Nash is a Clinical Psychologist and
has had type
1 diabetes for 22 years. You can learn more about her and her approach
at positivediabetes.com.