Olympic HEro_MJ

What would the world be like without our heroes?   Perhaps your hero is a professional athlete or a decorated Olympian.  Perhaps a movie star or a musical legend.  Perhaps even a major titan of industry or a dynamic political figure.  When we think of our heroes, we tend to think on a grand American scale.  We place these transformational figures in the forefront of our conscience as they inspire us, give us hope, and pull us along to share in their triumph.   Our heroes are a great source of inspiration.  If they can achieve such incredible feats, perhaps so can we!

It is so important to have these lofty goals and grandiose dreams.  Go big or go home!  But be careful how you measure your level of success.  So many of us get discouraged because we don’t think we are making a true difference in this world.  We want to be heroes but don’t understand how to get there.  We dream of working in the corner office but the CEO doesn’t even know our name.  We dream of winning the landmark case but get stuck with the tedious research.  We dream of reaching millions of people with our message but only have a measly blog to show for it. (Wait, this is hitting too close to home!)  Anyway, it becomes easy to take our foot off the gas pedal and settle for mediocrity when our goals and dreams seem so unattainable.  How can we stay resilient and constantly move forward when the finish line is such a faint dot on the horizon?  But this is actually the point when we need to work the hardest!   It takes a series of smaller steps to get there.  Mentor and help the members of your immediate team and eventually your boss with take notice.  Do the basic blocking and tackling of research and cold-calling and eventually your clients will take notice.  Take a stand and write from the heart and eventually you will build a loyal following.  Life is not a zero-sum game.  We can measure our success and work toward our lofty goals by building on our smaller victories.  It won’t come all at once.  You must be patient and continue to move forward.  But you can’t be a hero until you positively influence one person.  When you do, you have taken a major step toward success.  And then there will be no stopping you on your way to the top!

I don’t want to change the world.  I just want to make my corner a little better. –Aaron Burdett

There is nothing wrong with thinking globally about our contributions to the world.  In fact, that is what makes our country so great.  Train hard for the Olympics.  Dream of serving your country overseas.  Find that cure for cancer.  Don’t ever let your dreams slip away.  But understand that your journey to success happens locally.  Think about the people who have delivered joy to your life.  The teacher who patiently worked with you until you understood the concept.  Or the coach who believed in you when nobody else thought you could do it.  Or the family member who showed compassion in your time of need.  Or the person who gave you your first job and mentored you through your transition into the “real world”.  These are the people who have made your life so much richer.  Aren’t they changing the world by delivering a little bit of happiness?  Aren’t they heroes in their own right?   Return the favor by making your little corner of the world a better place.  You don’t have to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated to be a hero.  You don’t have to sell out stadiums or perform in front of global dignitaries to be a hero.   Be a hero to your children and spouse.  Be a hero to your parents.  Be a hero to your brothers and sisters.  Help your co-workers achieve their goals.  Take pride in doing the little things right.  First take care of your little corner of the world.  The rest will take of itself.

Everyone has the ability to change the world.  You need to take action and work hard to make it happen.   I wish you nothing but success in your quest for greatness.  But you can’t change the world without first making your corner just a little bit better.  Stay resilient.  Maintain your perspective.  Be a positive source of inspiration to all those around you.  That is all it takes to be a hero.

Until next week, keep smiling!