I have met more than my share of inspiring, incredible women over the last year, the majority of whom have been very young indeed, and they all seem to have a very definite idea of who their role models are. And when I listed a few of them in my head today, I found myself asking the question: How many of these women would be improved by a few extra sparkles?

Last night, millions of viewers bid farewell to one of television's most beloved characters of all time: Liz Lemon. For so many of us awkward, nerdy, trying-to-make-it-in-this-crazy-world gals, she was an icon. For me, specifically, the Other Liz was a hero.

Boys in particular often look to sports heroes as role models, and it can be easy to see why: they excel in a way that most boys are familiar with and can understand. But it's key to encourage boys to look to other, perhaps less conventional role models for examples of how they might want to live and grow.

While it's easy for parents to get angry at men like Lance Armstrong for letting kids down, situations like his present a great opportunity to talk to kids about dealing with disappointment. And about what it means to admire someone for a particular talent or skill versus what it means to consider a person a role model.

As we enter 2013, the acute pain of the Sandy Hook massacre is beginning to recede. While some people yearn to move on, others vow never to forget. As part of the healing process, I suggest we do both. Action aimed at creating something meaningful can go a long way toward recovery.

When it comes to the question of whether athletes are appropriate role models for teens, Robert Griffin III could be a game changer

I want them to become women who remember me modeling impossible beauty. Modeling beauty in the face of a mean world, a scary world, a world where we don't know what to make of ourselves.