Everyday Heroes

By Steve Linn, CEO, Mission Ready

I’d like to thank Bullfrog 13 and Gloria for giving me the opportunity to guest blog this week.  Some of you may have heard this message, as it was the topic of our Mission Ready Monday podcast last week.  But, we believe by sharing a message about everyday heroes to a broader audience, we may inspire more to celebrate their own everyday heroes. 

Today’s message is inspired by a trip to the movies and a visit to the Catskill Mountains in New York state.  Last weekend, my wife and I went to see Spider-Man.  I’m not going to share too much about the movie, in case you haven’t seen it yet.  But, while watching the movie, I began thinking about superheroes like Spider-Man, Superman, Batman and others. 

In the movies, and in comic books, Superman, Spider-Man and Wonder Woman save the world every day. They excite kids of all ages with their super powers, costumes and one-liners. 

Stan Lee, the creator of some of our favorite comic-book heroes, believes, “now more than ever, we need the heroic deeds of real people from the real world.” When asked, most people will list our soldiers, police, and firefighters as heroes.  And they most certainly are. 

But heroism is not limited to these uniformed forces. We all know of the true acts of heroism performed by everyday people on Sept. 11, 2001. At times, I wonder if I could have done the same. Stan Lee defines a hero as “someone who is concerned about other people’s well being and will go out of his or her way to help them – even if there is no chance of a reward.  That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed, without a doubt, a real superhero.”  

This is where the Catskills come in.  Last Saturday was visiting day at the camp where my son, Ryan, is now a counselor’s assistant after having been a camper for the past 8 years.  During our visit, we inquired about our neighbor’s son, who is a first year camper.  Ryan shared that our neighbor’s son has been struggling all summer. This young boy may not be as “cool” as some of his bunkmates, and therefore gets picked on. So, Ryan decided to talk to the bunk and asked the kids to cut him some slack. Why is this act heroic? After all, isn’t that the job of a counselor?  Well, you see, Ryan is not the counselor of that bunk.  No one asked him to help, and there was no chance of reward.  It was just the simple act of an ordinary person going out of his way to help another.  My son is a hero; my son is MY hero.

There are many definitions of a hero. In your quest to be your best you, we hope that today’s message inspires you to be somebody’s hero.

If you’d like to share any thoughts with us check us out on Twitter @getmissionready, like us on Facebook, or send me an email at steve@getmissionready.com. We are starting a simple Everyday Hero campaign soon.  Stay tuned for more details on our Facebook page.

Thanks for being a part of our growing community. Until next time… Be Your Best You!