People i look up to
World Cup 2006 has ended with a dramatic flourish, the fever subsiding slowly. I have decided to talk about the characters that have had an influence in the way i lead my life.
When i applied for medicine in the local university, one of the questions they posed to me was, “Who do you admire in your life?” I didn’t prepare for that question (actually i didn’t prepare for the entire interview (what audacity!), needless to say i flunked it. But i don’t regret it however), but i did have an answer. But the answer didn’t appeal to them i guess.
Anyway, 2 of the characters starred in the World Cup. Italy’s captain Fabio Cannavaro and France’s Thierry Henry.
Fabio Cannavaro plays the role of defender in soccer, and played it well. He was an annoyance to the opponent strikers and was always a massive headache to deal with. I play defence in soccer, so it’s no surprise why i look up to him. His handsome dark looks contribute significantly too. Heh. But his leadership of his team was inspiring. His behaviour during the penalty shoot-out between France and Italy made me appreciate this character more. He was calm, cool and collected, and he didn’t rejoice early when his teammates scored the first few penalties. He only celebrated when success was a sure thing, in other words, he isn’t over-confident and doesn’t count his eggs before they hatch.
Thierry Henry is just a beautiful striker to watch. Do you know why i hate playing as striker in soccer? I absolutely detest it whenever the ball deflects off the defenders, or off the goalposts or is halted by the goalkeeper. It infuriates me to the point of despair and dejection, such that next time when i try to strike, i hesitate and the ball gets tackled away. Hence, my role as defender is relished. But Thierry Henry never gives up; he keeps trying and trying, revealing his world class play and performance. It’s amazing.
Aside from sports, there are 2 other leaders in life that impress me most – Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple, and Richard Branson, the CEO of Virgin.
Steve Jobs is a charistmatic leader that believes that one should live life as though it is their last day every day. Richard Branson is another with a never say die attitude. Can you believe that he actually went shopping for an island with less than a quarter of the price tag in his pocket?? Amazing.
Both leaders believe that nothing is impossible, and always say ‘yes’. As long as you put your mind to anything, and you are willing to contribute the neccessary hard work; your goal is nearer than you think. They also believe that everything in lifeis related, and nothing is worthless. For example, Steve Jobs dropped out of college and instead enrolled himself in a calligraphy class because it inspired him. How did such a totally random class helped him in life next time? It was the beautiful default font of iMac. Richard Branson started the student magazine, and marketed it to his peers. It provided experience for his future Virgin empire.
The last figure i admire is a historical one, and the one that i mentioned in my medicine interview. He’s the Macedonian leader, Alexander the Great. Ever read Valerio Massimo Manfredi’s Alexander Trilogy? It’s a great series.
Alexander the Great built the biggest empire in the world. He was smart, a brilliant strategist, a courageous leader, and a people lover. He wasn’t a tyrant. He treated the people in his empire with care, not neglecting their needs, a rarity in his time; and he treated his enemies with mercy and compassion. That itself is remarkable when most conquerors would simply loped their enemies’ heads off without a thought.
So yeah, these are the figures that i look up to in life and shape the way in how i lead my life.
P/S: Tuesday next week, i would be back in Aussie. The new semester officially starts next week. See ya guys in the land down under. 
