Heroes, People Who Inspire, and Motivators: Part I

Success in anything, be it business, family, music, or fitness, depends on a number of factors.  Certainly, talent, tenacity, and education are key elements.  But I think that it all boils down to an intrinsic desire to succeed; an internal fire that propels us to move from where we are to a higher level of achievement.  Now, I have not done any scholarly research on this other than my own personal observations.  Most of us need that internal fire to be stoked by an external source.  Those external sources are often in the forms of heroes, inspirers (not sure if that is actually a word, but it is for the purposes of this blog), and motivators. 

The dictionary defines a hero as a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.  Now, I don’t disagree with these qualities, but I would like to add to this description.  I view a hero as someone who puts others above self; often and great personal sacrifice.  Sometimes these heroic actions are a one-time event that is situation oriented.  A person who sees a neighbor’s house on fire and rushes in to save the occupants; A person who thwarts a robbery in a convenient store; A person who administers first aid or CPR to a stranger.  These people did not wake up in the morning planning on being a hero, but the day’s events presented choices that someone could make…be a hero or be a bystander.  Other people sacrifice time and money in their everyday lives to enrich the lives of others.  People who volunteer at youth centers, retirement communities, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers also fall into this category.  These are people that I look up to and hope to be like.  I don’t know how I would react to a neighbor’s house on fire or a convenient store robbery and I hope that I never have to find out.  But I also hope that if that situation were to present itself, I would have the courage to act and not be a bystander.

I’ve been pretty blessed in my life.  I grew up with wonderful parents; I have a beautiful, loving, and supportive wife; I have great kids; I have a pretty successful career.  I’ve never had any personal tragedies, illnesses, or insurmountable challenges.  I’m inspired by people who have had to overcome such challenges.  Whenever I want to complain about something, there is always someone who has had to overcome much worse than my situation and they propel me to change my attitude.  They inspire me to not only be grateful for what I have, but to set goals, excel, and achieve.

Motivators are the people who I see every day working towards their goals.  They might be friends that post their workouts on Facebook.  They might be family members working towards professional or educational goals.  It may even just be someone who swings by my office with a kind word.

People can possess all three qualities, but sometimes they are mutually exclusive.  Over my next three blog posts, I will write about each of these types of people and who they are in my life.