As we grow older, we realize that blindly following the path of someone else is not the best way to achieve success or fulfilment. Building our own ideals is an essential skill that can benefit everyone, be it writers, marketers, business owners, or anyone looking to live a full life. In this article, we’ll explore why creating your own ideals is much more important than blindly following idols.
A like for a like can make the whole world unlikeable
Social media influencers have become an integral part of marketing and media strategies in today’s age. However, associating with the wrong influencers can harm a brand’s reputation. Not all influencers provide reliable information, and their version of the truth may not align with the brand’s values.
Moreover, the information overload we face in the digital age can be overwhelming, and social media algorithms curate content to suit our preferences, which means we may only see a narrow perspective of a story. Therefore, it’s crucial to seek teachings and mentors that align with our own values, rather than blindly following influencers. It’s essential to cultivate your awareness, develop a strong connection with the divine, and let it guide your actions and decisions. Seeking out mentors that align with this ultimate goal, rather than pursuing fleeting worldly success, will lead us to spiritual realization.
Ideals over idols
Having idols can be a good thing as long as we approach it with a critical eye and a discerning mind. We must build our own ideals and use them as a filter for the learnings and inspirations that our idols provide us. Instead of blindly following someone else’s path, we must carve our own way, using the lessons and inspirations from our idols as a guide. This approach is not only essential for personal growth but also for building a brand. Branding is defined as the way a customer perceives your brand. If your brand is known for its ideals, quality, service, trust, and the other values that make up a sustainable business, the brand stays on for the long run. However, if a brand ambassador or a person becomes the face and the recall value of a brand, the company stands to much PR risk than is needed.
For instance, Kanye West and Adidas or the plot of the movie Air (2023) where Nike backs Michael Jordan long before he became the basketball legend that he is. The values and ideals of a brand are the bigger hero here, and the ambassador then just becomes a channel to push your message forth.
Ideals build conviction and conviction builds brands
In conclusion, building our own ideals is an essential skill that can benefit everyone. By developing our awareness and understanding and using our ideals as a filter for our learnings, we can become our own idols. This approach is not only important for personal growth, but also for building a sustainable brand.
Your ideals are your unique value system, and they will guide you towards just enough of what you need and help you discard the unnecessary. Building your ideals is an important skill for writers, marketers, business owners, or just about anybody who is looking to live a full life.
Featured image: Bird Box (2018) / Netflix