Pub. 6 2017 Issue 3

13 f a l l | 2017 F E A T U R E They spoke of first responders and caregivers, the doctors and nurses who nurture and heal us when we are broken. I heard stories of teachers and tutors and the coach who made all the difference in a young life—the neighbor, the friend, the stranger who helped in a moment of need. They were singing the praises of their favorite sports heroes: Michael Jordan, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and LeBron James. They would tell how the great ones can take an ordinary sport and make it look special. They talked about the great brands they do business with and how they love to spend their money with companies that exceed their expectations and offer an experience they don’t get anywhere else. With every answer I started to notice a pattern. They were all saying the same thing. “Heroes are ordinary people who do extraor- dinary things.” At first, it sounded right. I thought that was absolutely the definition we have placed upon heroes in our society. Turn on the news, read the newspaper, and you will most certainly hear those words to describe a hero. But after hearing it over and over again, I began to wonder, “Is that really true?” Are heroes really just ordinary people doing extraordinary things, or have we been conditioned to think about heroes in a dangerous way? Have we, in fact, been convinced that somehow we were all born ordinary and are destined to spend our lives as ordinary people with only the occasional burst of “extraordinary?” What I began to realize is that we’ve been wrong about heroes from the beginning. To buy into society’s definition of a hero you must convince yourself that you were born ordinary with nothing special to offer the world. Which is absolutely not true. The truth is you were born with talents, gifts and abilities as unique as your fingerprints. Superpowers if you will, de - signed to be used in the service of others. You see, what I realized is that being a hero is just the opposite of what we’ve been taught. Heroes are NOT ordinary people doing extraordinary things. “Heroes are EXTRAORDINARY people who CHOOSE not to be ordinary” This one idea has the potential to change your life at work and at home. The heroes in everyday life – the ones who knock it out of the park every time they step up to the plate have mastered four things better than everyone else. They understand that; • Heroes help people…with no strings attached. • Heroes create an exceptional experi- ence for the people they serve. • Heroes take responsibility for their attitude, their actions and their results. • Heroes see life through the lens of optimism. What I know for sure is that heroes show up different than everybody else and they do it every time, not just once in a while. They are constantly improving their skills and playing at a higher level. They know if they are not moving forward they are sliding backwards. You were born for greatness and endowed with everything you need to leave a mark on this planet that cannot be erased. It is time to step into your “super- ness” and learn to lead, love and serve at a higher level. The world needs heroes. More specifically, the world needs your hero.