I was watching a programme with Miriam Margolyes a while ago. She delights me: she’s outspoken, heartfelt, funny, honest – totally her own person. She is the sort of role model I like, as I grow older.

I believe we all have role models, whether we realise it or not. We follow the example of others, and different ones work for us at different stages of our lives, and ideally, they set the example for how we want to be.

When we are young, we tend to adopt the attitudes, behaviours, and beliefs of our parents. We’ve all had that experience, haven’t we, of going: ‘Oh my God! I sound just like my mother/father!’ – usually a bit horrified…

As we reach adulthood, we have more choices, and it is useful to choose with some awareness. Do they have similar beliefs and attitudes to you? Do they have some similar personality traits? And do they seem happy with how they are, comfortable in their own skin?

There is no point in choosing role models that are nothing like you – it won’t fit, no matter how hard you try to adopt their way of being. At best, it will make you feel divorced from your true self, even if you succeed in making yourself into some form of replica.

Having role models is a great way of encouraging yourself to grow into who you really are. They need to be like you, but a bit further along the path of growing into themselves.

Just watching them, listening to them, reading about them, helps to grow those traits in yourself that you want to develop.

Have some fun. Choose some role models for yourself as you are now, and enjoy becoming more like the you you really are.