There was something special about heroes. The charisma the heroes exuded was more important to me than the adulation and rewards. Their persistence, integrity, courage, and ability to do the next right thing shone very brightly. The dictionaries definition of Hero is somebody who commits an act of remarkable bravery or who has shown an admirable quality such as great courage or strength of character. I wanted to be like that, to be brave, to shine brightly, to have courage, to invent great things. Have you ever wanted to be a hero?
As I grew older Nancy Drew was my hero. I still have all her books. Nancy was brave, courageous, and persistent in solving each case. Then Aretha Franklin stole my heart. The way she belted out the blues was completely awe-inspiring. Aretha was unafraid to let loose with all she had and be her own woman. The song Respect
spoke to my bones. Then Margaret Mead, Rachel Carson, and Sylvia Plath all were writers who dared to speak the truth. When I was in college Angela Davis grabbed my heart. Always I would find the women who dared to speak the truth, act with courage, and live in their integrity. Maybe my heroes had evolved when I began to be aware that the world was skewed towards inequality and injustice. And my desire to be a hero had evolved because I was aware of an insatiable itch to simply want to make a difference in the world around me. Who were your heroes as a child or young adult?
My idea of a hero has broadened again. My heroes have a things in common; persistence, courage to be themselves, and a willingness to bare their souls. Their connection to their spirituality is paramount, and deeply inspirational. My deepest heroes are women like my friend Dee Yoh who recently changed addresses as a result of her bout with cancer. Dee did not stint with sharing her process, whether she was crying with fear, or moving on to the next form of treatment. Her soul sparkled and glittered like a new moon's night sky.
Another one of my current heroes is my business partner Jennet Inglis, who is a brilliant artist, and a high functioning autistic. Jennet is amazingly prolific and often her work sells itself. For Jennet the rest of the world moves glacially slow and instead of focusing on her pain of being in the world, she paints great beauty. Has your idea of a hero evolved as you have grown spiritually?
Heroes are all around us. A hero may be our own mothers, our teachers who inspired us, or a friend who touched our hearts. Heroes come in all sizes, ages, and sexes. Other's vision and voices do not determine our heroism. What matters most is how we see ourselves.
There is a process in becoming a hero to ourselves. Most of us don't wake up one morning and decide to become a hero. We become more heroic when we face our fears with integrity, have courage to do the next right thing, and are willing to share our deepest selves with another. We become more heroic when we choose to not listen to old harmful thoughts, and instead choose to love ourselves more. We become more heroic when we move beyond being survivors and instead invent new lives for ourselves. How are you becoming a hero to yourself?
Today I am my own hero. I was a victim who became a survivor. I was compulsive about food and alcohol and found my cravings satisfied with recovery. I am more than a cancer survivor, or a woman always in recovery. I have found solid ground under my feet and taken a new stand by declaring myself a hero to me.
With this declaration I encourage myself to stretch farther than I thought I possible with my body, mind, and soul. I depend more on my guidance from nature, my instincts, and friend's reflections to inform my intuition. I am more daringly direct with my feelings and needs. With this ground under me, I no longer tolerate behaviour from colleagues and friends as being acceptable, just because I am afraid. There is a new kind of freedom in standing on this ground. Daily I am exploring this freedom by asking myself, "Is this thought or action being a hero to me?" Sometimes I fall short of my ideals, and that's still okay, as I am willing to pick myself up and become more of a hero again. How are you becoming a hero to you?
This week's exercise has several parts: I invite you to share this feeling of freedom, find your own ground, make your own declaration and be your own hero. After each step and question write down your answers. You may surprise yourself with what you discover. Step one, who were your heroes when you were a child? Step two, how did your idea of a hero change as you grew older? Step three, who are your heroes today? Step four, how are you your own hero?
|
Biography
