What do you think of when you think of a hero? A hero is defined as not only someone who expresses bravery in danger, but also someone who possesses noble traits. For some, an image of a soldier may very well be your definition, a police officer, or a fireman. All people who traditionally act altruistically in the face of danger are heroes. They are those who protect others. However, this is not the only definition of a hero. For some, cancer survivors, or others who overcome some kind of battle are heroes. These people are inspiring to others.
Surely, at some point in your life you have been asked to describe your hero. For many of us, our heroes in life aren’t people who fight overseas; for some of us, our heroes are as simple as our mothers and fathers. For some of us, our heroes are fictitious, clad in iron or a flowing cape, or perhaps just a character you can relate to. For some of us, we look up to a celebrity.
Some of us just look up to people who fight to overcome hills in their lives. These hills are not just limited to wars and cancer. Everyday, each one of us is fighting some fight within us. You might be struggling with guilt, grief, self-doubt, or depression. You may have been bullied. You may have had your heart-broken.
And why is that not courage? Why do we have a hierarchy of courage or bravery? Why does one person’s idea of courage have to be better than another’s? Just because one person is brave does not mean another person isn’t. We need to support those who are fighting – whatever they may be fighting – internally or externally. Because once we start comparing completely different situations, we tear other people down, we lessen the meaning, the importance behind the battle being fought – whatever the battle is.
All over social media I see it, day after day, we are comparing and contrasting “bravery”. For some people, just waking up and getting out of bed takes bravery. Why is it so hard to expand our view of what it means to have courage? We all need a personal hero, someone to look up to. Who you look up to is a reflection of yourself, of who you need to be your hero in your life. We look up to someone because we need to borrow from their strength in our times of weakness. If you discredit someone else’s hero, you are saying the very foundation of who they are is wrong. You are stripping them of their own courage.
Mothers, Fathers, Soldiers, Marvel Super Heroes, Caitlyn Jenner, and anyone you look up to all have something in common. They have the power to save a life. If someone’s words reach out to you and touch you, they might have the power to save you, to help you fight your own fight. And is that not courage?