The Art of Admiration
When I was a little girl I found myself in awe of Disney Princesses. The way animals flocked to them when they sang, how they collected meaningful trinkets, and their ability to be unwaveringly kind in the face of adversity all while remaining grounded in their power in part made me the woman I am today. I remember going to DisneyWorld at just four years old and begging my parents to let me hear Belle’s storytime just one more time. I sat below her listening intently for as long as I could, taking in every word she had to offer about standing up for someone who was simply misunderstood. Literally gazing up at her, I realize now that this is my first memory of looking up to a female figure in my life.
Since then, there have been dozens of women I have looked up to. I look up to family members, celebrities, artists, friends, creators, and sometimes even a really put-together woman I pass on the street. Looking up to someone doesn’t have to be someone you know deeply, it can be an admiration from afar. However, there is a huge difference between admiration and admiration paired with action.
Admiration paired with action is where the artistry comes in. It’s one thing to admire someone and the traits they possess, it’s another thing to reflect on what draws you to them and use their traits as a blueprint for who you want to be. I am nothing if not an amalgamation of all the women I have admired for the last 23 years. Of course, I am my own unique person with my own unique traits and interests, but I would not be the woman I am today without the example of those around me. For instance, Beyoncé is a woman I have looked up to for at least a decade, probably more, but who would I be if I simply looked up to her without recognizing her work ethic and reflecting it in my own life? There would be no Bits & Beths if I just admired Beyoncé, following her example is what made me the detail-oriented boss I am today.
I think the term “looking up” to someone is misguiding, it implies they are taller, older than you, but there is no age limit to looking up to someone. I have learned so much through the admiration of my friends, many of whom are younger than me. I have looked up to women months older than me, years younger than me, and decades older than me all the same because it’s not about how old they are, it’s about the wisdom they hold from experiencing the world differently than me, whether slight or drastic. That wisdom is something I choose to admire and learn from rather than discount due to something so simple as age. I admire the high schooler who used to be my camper for posting whatever she wants on social media, I admire my sorority little for her dedication to being inclusive and kind, and I admire the little girl I used to nanny for always trying the new foods on her plate. I think we could all use a little bit more of their confidence, kindness, and courage in our lives and I look up to them for already possessing that.
I would be remiss to end this article without speaking of the woman I admire most, my mom. Though it may not be my first memory, I know she was the first woman I looked up to, and I know in my final days she will be my last too. She carries herself with grace but never takes herself too seriously. She values her family above all else, and she’s still the smartest in the boardroom. She collects amazing friends because amazing people gravitate towards her, she can’t help it. People listen when she talks out of respect, never fear, because she doesn’t just talk, she listens too. I’ve observed and absorbed how she treats the people around her every day for my entire life which has been, without a doubt, my greatest blessing.
So, think about the people around you. Who do you look up to? Who do you admire? What traits do they hold that makes them so admirable? Do you see those traits in you? Do you want to see those traits in you? What is one thing you can do today to be more like that person? At the end of the day, you reflect the people around you, and they reflect you the same. So choose wisely, we only get to do this once.
One of the biggest lessons I learned in 2024 was the notion that you are the company you keep. That lesson got me thinking a lot about the people I admire and how I choose to reflect them in my life which inspired me to write this article. I hope you enjoyed reading her as much as I enjoyed writing her.
Write you soon!
Beth
