When Fiction Becomes Your Guide

When you grow up without references, your heroes come from books and screens.

I grew up with a schizophrenic mother and no father figure. Reality at home was... complicated.

It was in fiction that I found the mentors I never had.

Perhaps you'll identify with some of them (spoiler warning):

✨ Kaladin Stormblessed (Stormlight Archive) "The most important step a man can take is not the first one, but the next one—always the next step."

Kaladin taught me that even in the darkest moments, protecting others can save us.

✨ Dalinar Kholin (also from Stormlight) "The most important words a man can say are, 'I will do better.'"

From someone who accepted his mistakes and sought redemption, I learned that our past doesn't define our future.

✨ Naruto He had what I call "Talk no Jutsu" - the ability to connect with almost anyone through dialogue.

I discovered this is the most undervalued soft skill in behavioral interviews. Empathy beats technique.

✨ Rock Lee Without natural talent, he trained harder than anyone.

He showed me that hard work and consistency overcome talent when talent doesn't work hard.

✨ Uncle Iroh (Avatar) "It's important to ask yourself: who are you and what do YOU want?"

Iroh taught me to choose my own path and find beauty in simple things.

✨ Aang "The true mind can weather all lies and illusions without being lost."

Aang showed me that, eventually, we have to face our problems head-on - no matter how much we try to run away.

Fiction has power. Well-written characters can teach us lessons we might never learn on our own.

What about you? Which fictional character has most influenced your life? Share in the comments 👇

Or, better yet: you may already have people close to you who can help. Sometimes, our best mentors are closer than we imagine.

PS: If you're going through difficult times right now, find your mentors wherever you can. Sometimes, they're waiting in the pages of a book or the episodes of a series.