Live Like A Hero

 Ever notice the first words invariably spoken when we recognize a hero publicly? "I never felt like a hero, I'm no hero," these words are the mantra of heroes. Regardless of the nature of their actions being hailed as heroic, they saw nothing unusual in their response. What is the difference in these people and those who stare in admiration at their acts? They have always lived like a hero; one day they were called on to act like a hero.

Heroes spend a lifetime following a creed of honor and respect for others. What traits are normally found in them?

1) They act responsibly in every situation.
2) They live compassionately, tending to look beyond weakness in others as they seek to find and focus on their strengths.
3) Reliability is their creed. They take pride in establishing relationships where they expect others to know they will be there for them. And they are.
4) They stand strong in the face of adversity.
5) They take the time to know themselves, to recognize and improve on their weaknesses while maintaining their strengths.
6) They avoid idle chatter, preferring to shoot straight and seek solutions rather than criticizing others efforts that may be failing.
7) They have an innate ability to understand that life is a series of head-on collisions; they wear a mental helmet of faith, hope and integrity. They live expecting the best possible outcome.
8) They rarely have a plan B. They understand that you get what you prepare for; they always prepare for what they may be called to act upon.
9) Injustice in any form ignites a passionate response in them; for them it is intolerable.
10) They are intuitive, seeming to know when and how to act and react to situations.

These are good old-fashioned traits that many parents continue to build and embrace in raising their family to be productive members of society. Look closely behind the hero and you will likely find parents or some adult or affiliation that embraced character building.

Heroes are not born; they are raised to embrace standards that encompass empathy, compassion, respect for self and others, to act responsibly and to embrace faith in their life. If you weren't raised that way you can still embrace the traits that create the best possible response to every situation. Even if you are never recognized publicly, you can be sure you will face the time when you are called on to be a hero allowing you to touch another person in a life altering situation. You may never know that you were their hero, but they will. It begins with choosing to live like a hero; if you do, you will always be prepared to act like one.