By: Ben Mixon

Yes, I used one of the most historically in-your-face and reputedly selfish celebrities out there as my example for a positive figure.

He’s also the most talked about man of the hour.

Mr. Kanye West is fresh off of his hottest week ever: Performing twice at the Grammys, putting on a hugely anticipated New York Fashion Week show for his new Kanye x Adidas line (not to mention debuting a new song), slamming the stage with Drake in sub-zero temperatures, personally handing out pairs of the first Yeezy 750 Boosts to hit the market, and capping it all off with a massive appearance on Saturday Night Live’s 40^th anniversary special.

The man just doesn’t seem to quit. And in my humble opinion, this is one of the attributes that make Mr. West a model for young people to look up to.

It’s been some eleven years since the release of his first album The College Dropout, and only now is West reaching the peak of his potential as an artist. Six albums later and on the verge of another colossal release, West is simultaneously taking the center stage of the fashion and music industries.

The work ethic of this man to get what he wants in life is admirable. However, the way he achieves his goals are, to some, quite questionable.

Because most of us young people are inevitably lured by celebrities, I urge us to overlook celebrities’ moral instability and instead focus on what we can actually take away from them in terms of success.

Kanye West is a good example of someone who isn’t satisfied with just a dream. Anything that appears in his head he believes can become reality. For teens that aren’t entirely sure of what path to take in the future, this can be a healthy influence.

In an interview with James Harris of Complex News, Kanye uses a metaphor involving his relationship with his wife to explain his creative goals (while also reminding us that his boyish manners are undergoing a slow incline).

 “You know those photos that you see with me getting on my knees in front of the paparrazi to fix Kim’s pant leg? That’s what I want to do for the world.”

Sounds good to me.