{inspiration} Reese Witherspoon

"I like making bold decisions and putting myself out to dangle in the wind.  Sometimes it pays off. You have to take charge and challenge yourself."

I've got a confession .... I told a lie!  I was recently posed the question "what is your favourite film?" and as I reeled off my favourites I neglected to mention one guilty pleasure - Legally Blonde.  I'm not blonde - in hair colour nor the proverbial sense and I rarely wear pink so, before images of chihuahuas and bedazzled jeans flood your mind, I'm no Elle Woods wannabee.  Well, not quite.

The truth is I love a film with a good moral - and here is the beauty of Legally Blonde.  Having worked in corporate environments where nice girls don't succeed, I find the character of Elle Woods utterly refreshing.  Here's a girl (fictional, I accept) who knows and takes pride in her own identity rather than bow to the norm, who asserts herself in a competitive (and male-dominated) environment with credibility, and who sticks to her morals rather than succumb to the political warfare.

The real role model though, for me, is Reese herself (and what nudges this film into my top five).  Mum of two, award-winning actress, production company owner and self-described Type-A personality, she stands tall against the Hollywood stereotype, shunning 'size zero' pressures and paparazzi opportunities and instead using her fame to promote charitable causes including Save the Children.  Of herself and the infamous character of Elle, she says: "You have to be driven and ambitious to become the person you want to be. Everyone will tell you, 'That's not possible.... That's too difficult.' My response is, 'All right, I'll show you!'"  There's a lot to learn from "the girl in the hot pink"

Who inspires you?  This is the first of my weekly 'inspiration' posts so I'd love to hear about your role models, heroes and heroines.....

Photos: Reese Witherspoon by Fanpop and TBS