At a time where conflict seems to be bubbling just under the surface all the time all around us, it can be hard to know where to turn when the going gets tough.

As children, when faced with such dilemmas, we likely look to loved ones like a parent or grandparent as role models on how to deal with challenging situations.

The universe has also provided us with a role model whose actions give us a road map to chart our own course towards a  life lived well. And to unlock the powerful potential of this person requires no special privilege or excess of wealth; it simply requires you to ask one simple question.

What would Betty White do?

We know it might sound odd, but the beloved actress and animal rights activist — who charmed her way into America’s collective heart through numerous unforgettable roles on television and film, and now boasts her own posthumous forever stamp, as unveiled recently at the Johnston Senior Center — actually does provide a wonderful example on how to pursue your passions and live life in a way that is fulfilling, hard-earned, and intent on leaving the world a better place.

Anyone can learn from her amazing life. She was bold in a time when women were expected to be meek. She wanted to be a forest ranger after being inspired by nature in the Sierra Nevadas, only to learn women weren’t allowed to do the job at the time. She didn’t wait for opportunities to come to her, rather she wrote and performed her own musicals for her school. When World War II broke out, she halted her Hollywood pursuits to drive a supply truck for nearby gunnery encampments.

While her aspirations were for the screen, she bided her time and put in work for radio gigs, eventually getting her shot at television programming and excelling so much that she would go on to become one of the first women to produce a nationally-broadcast sitcom, “Life With Elizabeth”. From there, her star only continued to rise, and the list of projects she worked on and accolades she earned would require its own article.

The most important lesson to take from White’s career, we think, was her willingness to embrace change and redefine herself over and over again. As she aged — in a business where women are explicitly told that their youth and vitality is their only marketable feature —  White defied expectations and become an integral part of one of the most popular sitcoms to ever run, which began when she was 63 years old and ended when she was 70.

After “Golden Girls,” she would land roles in multiple blockbuster movies, star in Super Bowl commercials, and is the oldest person to ever host Saturday Night Live. Her effortless, affable charm comes from a combination of never taking herself too seriously and being willing to subvert society’s expectations of what she “should be.”

In addition to her professional life, White had a passion for standing up for the rights of animals, and is universally heralded as someone who treated others with respect and compassion. Empathy and kindness are two traits that, like White herself, will never go out of style.

So, if you’re ever faced with a difficult situation, just ask yourself what Betty White would do. Chances are, she would embrace the unknown, face negativity with unflinching positivity, and somehow make everyone involved smile when all was said and done.