Be a Hero in Your Own Life

You want to be inspired to greatness and you hear, “Be a hero in your own life.” Sounds good, but what does it mean? How do you become a hero in your own life?

Let’s define the term. We think of heroes as those who go above and beyond the normal call of duty or daily living to help another. A hero can also be one who sacrifices for the greater good, not thinking of themselves for the benefit of others in either a single act or as a daily contribution to life.

Now, apply this thinking and action to yourself as it relates to your goals, your dreams and your loved ones. We each have within ourselves the ability to excel at any given moment or extended period of time in ways seemingly incomprehensible.

I’ll never forget many years ago how my diminutive friend – all of five feet – lifted a car off her father when it fell on him as he worked beneath it, saving his life. She tried later to raise up a corner of the car from the bumper and couldn’t do it. It’s a good thing she didn’t stop to think whether she could actually lift a car because the story would likely not have had the same happy ending.

In what situation might you find yourself? The truth is we don’t know what’s possible or what might come our way. We do know that we give ourselves messages of what we can and cannot do. We set limitations and we can remove them.

To be a hero in your own life, your first challenge is to open up to the possibility of personal greatness. Identify and take responsibility for the limitations you’ve set and examine what purpose they serve. When you dig deep, answers that reveal more about your choices, rather than situations out of your control, are the ones you can change to reflect more of how you’d ideally like to be in this world. Knowing where you’re at reveals the baseline for moving above and beyond.

Your second challenge is to take an active role. Exercise your new power and let it grow. Expect to rearrange at least some of your priorities. You’ll be inclined to fall back on your old thoughts and behavior. Focus on the benefit you believe can be yours. How badly do you want it? When the benefit you perceive is greater than your current ways, you will make the necessary changes.

To open to personal greatness, you may decide upon the kind of small, but concerted change that new daily habits can create. Or, you may be inspired to make a giant leap into heroic action. It’s not just great for you, but for those around you. Others learn by example, so while you strive for personal gain and happiness, you also lead by example and inspire others to find their greatness as well.

Note: This essay originally appeared on The Penny Friends as a guest blog post.

Author/speaker Janet F. Williams is a high-end sales professional, sales trainer and coach for personal and professional development. She speaks on topics contained in her award-winning book “You Don’t Ask, You Don’t Get” to businesses, networking groups, non-profits, book clubs and more. For more information or to buy the book, please visit: www.JanetFWilliams.com and www.GoodDayMedia.com.