Give Up Your Heroes and Become One Instead

There is this problem with heroes: they have flaws. No matter how much you want to believe that your hero is somehow a perfect version of a human being, over time, they often behave in ways that prove otherwise. They sometimes say things or do things that conflict with what you believe about them, and they disappoint you, even though they still have qualities you admire.

There is a time when it is necessary to give up your heroes and become one instead.

What you may not be aware of or fully accept is that you are a hero and you need to work on being the best version possible for the people that believe this about you.
You have people who believe that you are special. They look up to you. In some cases, they literally look up to you because they are still small. They believe that you know everything there is to know, and as far as they are concerned you’re the picture of perfection. In many ways, they are going to be what you are now. For these people, you have to make sure that you are congruent in word and deed. You need to provide the best example of what heroes do—and what they don’t do.

There are people who you are ahead of in life. They hope to someday be what they believe you are now. They see you as a model, and they believe that you have everything figured out, even if you don’t have any idea what you are doing, and even if you don’t recognize they look to you as an exemplar. As their hero, you inspire them. These people are following your lead, and they need you to raise the bar on what’s possible.

There are people who work for you and with you. They think that you are the bee’s knees, that you personally responsible for hanging the Sun and the Moon in the sky. As fallible as you may be, they don’t believe that you are. How you treat these people is an indication of what someone in your role is supposed to be. When you become a better version of yourself, you are showing them what heroes are supposed to do.

You already are a hero. For all the people that look to you, become the best version of yourself possible, and work to help them become the hero that they are supposed to be.