THE NEED FOR HEROES

 The Need of Heroes

 

“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders,

but they have never failed to imitate them.”

James Baldwin

1924-1987

Author

 

I have told you before, and I still hold to it; I am so grateful that I grew up when we had heroes. Heroes were more than people we admired and whose example we followed. Our heroes were the people we wanted to become. They were to ones we imitated. Some of our heroes were distant figures of TV and movie stars. Some were much closer and touched our daily lives, like the local police officer, the fireman, the Scoutmaster, the teacher, and even the bus driver.

That act of imitating the people we admire has not changed. That is a fundamental part of human behavior. What has changed are the qualities and values which we use to make those we call heroes. Somewhere along the line, we took a turn from those who do good and are people of character and integrity to people who have negative attitudes, seek out fights, and refuse to think of anyone besides themselves. We gave up the heroes in the white hats for the villains in the black hats.

Success-minded people have a significant advantage when it comes to finding heroes. The laws of success give us a list of qualities that we need to seek out in those whose example we want to follow. These laws also give us the direction we need to set an example for those whose lives will influence us. We affect no one more than our children. Actor Johnny Depp said, “When you have children, there is no room for lies, no room for anything but the truth. Anything other than that is a bad example, I believe.”

Always remember that heroes are important. It is important to have heroes who we can follow and whose example we use as a road map to good character and right living. It is also essential to be a hero. Some may say that we do not set out to be a hero; it just happens to us. I do not believe that is true. Being a hero is a place of responsibility and honor. These are deliberate acts that we not only choose but we develop throughout our lives. Success-minded people look at the rich heritage of heroes throughout history. Men and women who have achieved greatness changed the course of nations and have made life better for us all. Make it your goal to add your name to that list.

You can learn more about Personal Development from the author and speaker, John Patrick Hickey. To get his books, training material, or book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our website at www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   

© 2021 John Patrick Hickey. No part of this material may be reprinted or published without the written permission of the author.