Wed, Apr 13, 2022 at 11:03 AM

It is not the deity representation of an idol I'm talking about here.

It is the idol, which we all relate to and admire.

When we are kids, we all are asked a question, "Who do you want to be like when you grow up?"

And we all have a certain answer.

Some want to be like Richard Feynman, the physicist, some want to be like an actor, some want to be like Kalpana Chawla, some want to be like their parents.

All good answers.

When I read fiction novels, and I come across a character that goes through hell and back very bloodily and gets a happy ending after like 10 books, I wanted to be that character. I tried to become that character. I copied the traits and mannerism of the character even if it didn't feel right to me sometimes.

Similarly, Indra Nooyi is my idol. Her journey was very relatable to me. So, I tried to do the same things she did, and tried to imitate her way of thinking in whatever I did.

Is this approach wrong? No, of course not. But it is not necessarily right either.

Imitation is the death of originality. And being original and authentic is how those idols that I related to, admired and looked up to became the way they were.

Which is why, these days, whenever I get any advice or find someone who's successful and is giving suggestions through any medium (be it through a book, social media or personally), I filter it through my own thought process and then figure out if it's something that I need or not. And even if I agree with it, I don't just try to imitate it in the same way, but customize and personalize the advice according to what I need in that particular moment or situation.

A contrasting take on this same topic, the paragraph below showcases in an beautiful manner, how we adopt small habits and traits from people we meet and talk to everyday:

I make coffee the way a friend taught me in college.

Every summer, I listen to a playlist made by the guy I used to have a crush on.

I eat ramen because a stranger on reddit recommended it to me.

There are movies I love because someone I loved, loved them first.

I am a mosaic of everyone I've ever met, even for a heartbeat.

Maybe being a mosaic while being authentic is something that is ideal?

P.S. Trying out something new in the subject recommended by R.J and building a personal brand (thank you Rohit :)). As usual, here's something that intrigued me.